Staring at the dress, I took a step back. “What—”
“Don’t ask questions. You are wasting time. Hurry,” Maddie snapped.
I went into the bathroom and changed, then stared at my reflection. “Wow,” I said.
The white lace dress was simple yet elegant. It came down to my mid-thigh and there was a brown belt around my waist. It had been a long time since I wore a light color but this dress was absolutely beautiful. I ran a hand down my ponytail.
“You look more beautiful with your hair down.”
Alessio’s voice rang through my head and I bit down on my lips nervously as a feeling of giddiness overcame me.
Without a second thought, I pulled the hairband off, letting my hair fall down my back in waves. Alessio was slowly taking over my mind and there was no way to stop it.
Instead of fighting against it, I was letting it happen. I didn’t have the strength to fight my feelings any longer.
I walked out of the bathroom and Maddie clapped her hands.
“You definitely look prettier in the dress than me,” she said with a wink. “Alessio won’t be able to take his eyes off you.”
“Hush,” I muttered, looking down shyly.
“Okay. Go now. Alessio is an impatient man. He doesn’t like to wait.”
I laughed as she rolled her eyes in exasperation. “I know.”
I quickly ran out of my room and down the stairs. He was outside.
As I walked out, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath in. The sweet smelling flowers and fresh air filled my nose, instantly relaxing me. I turned to the side and saw Alessio leaning against the wall.
His eyes widened at the sight of me. His gaze traveled down my body, resting a little longer on my legs before moving back to my face.
Under his penetrating gaze, I felt flushed and a slight shiver went through my body. He stepped away from the wall and took a step toward me before stopping.
Alessio cleared his throat and nodded toward the forest. “Let’s go,” he said. I nodded and he started to walk away, leading us down the path to the beautiful creek.
A wave of disappointment crashed through me when he didn’t say anything else. I followed silently behind him, leaves and twigs crunching under our feet.
We walked deeper into the woods and out of sight, next to each other.
My breathing stuttered when he took my hand. My gaze snapped back up, staring at his face.
A small smile tugged at my lips. Alessio’s touch was soft and gentle. His fingers moved over the back of my hand, almost feather-light. And then they slowly entwined with mine, holding my hand firmly in his as we made our way toward the creek.
My heart fluttered in my chest. Instinctively, my fingers tightened around his and he gently squeezed my hand back, letting me know he felt the same way.
I locked the image in my mind and heart, for I would always treasure it. My small pale hand was wrapped protectively in Alessio’s rough and much bigger hand. The image represented more than just two hands holding each other.
It was a bond we shared in our darkest and weakest point.
“We’re almost here,” Alessio said.
I hummed in contentment.
We finally broke free from the trees.
I let go of his hand, then stopped in front of the stream and knelt down on the grass. Leaning forward, my hands hovered over the running water for a few seconds before I dipped my fingers into the stream.
The water was cold but soothing. I drew circles and some weird patterns into the water, completely lost in the moment.
“Isn’t the water cold?” he asked, stepping up behind me.
“It’s not that bad.” Cupping some water in my hands, I stood up. “Here,” I said, moving toward him.
His looked down at the water cupped in my hands. “Not bad,” he whispered back, feeling the temperature. I let the water slide through my fingers.
When I looked up, Alessio was fixated on me.
I was about to take a step back, trying to put some distance between us, but Alessio wrapped his hand around my waist, pulling me tightly against his hard body.
My shocked breath resonated around us and small smile appeared on his lips, showing the indent of his dimple on his cheek. I melted into his embrace, my knees going weak as he continued to stare at me with the same intense blue eyes.
Alessio brought a hand up and took a lock of my long black hair, wrapping it loosely around his index finger. “I like your hair like this. When it’s down.”
His voice was soft. At his words, I struggled to suppress the smile forming on my lips.
His words were sweet and simple, but they tugged at the strings of my heart. They brought life to my broken heart. Such a simple truth…it was enough to piece back a shattered fragment.
With each day, Alessio slowly put back the broken pieces of my heart. With only soft gentle caresses and sweet words, he was breathing life back into me.
“You should let it down more often,” he continued, his fingers softly brushing over my jaw.
“Okay.” In that moment, I was ready to do anything he’d asked.
Alessio slowly bent his head down until his forehead was resting against mine, his lips just an inch away from mine. All I had to do was slightly move forward and our lips would touch.
But I didn’t.
“Alessio,” I whispered.
“Yes?”
“What is this?” I asked, finally pulling the courage from within me.
Alessio’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion and he pulled his forehead away but kept his arms wound tightly around me. “What?”
“This, between us. What is this? How is this going to work?”
While he was gone, those same questions haunted me day and night. Alessio plagued my thoughts and heart. He was all I could think about but I was also scared. The uncertainty was slowly making me lose control.
I needed to know what he truly wanted.
Alessio stared into my eyes, his face impassive for a second. My stomach dropped, caving into an empty pit at the expression on his face.
My heart stuttered. I felt the tears at the back of my eyes but then his eyes softened and his lips stretched into a smile, showing me his dimple again.
“I don’t know,” he whispered. My eyes widened, but he kept talking. “I don’t know what this is. I can’t put a name to it because there’s no name to describe this. All I know is that I want you and I can’t let you go. Even when I tried, I couldn’t.”
I sucked in a sharp breath at his confession, feeling my heart melt at his words. I never expected these words from Alessio when I asked him the question. But he had given me more than I needed.
He had given me hope.
“I want to see where this goes. I want to try.” Alessio placed his forehead back on mine, his fingers tangling in my hair.
My eyes fluttered closed and I took a deep break before opening them again, staring deeply into his eyes. “I want to try too,” I whispered.
I was playing with fire. I would burn in the end, but sometimes when the fire is raging within, you can’t let go. And I couldn’t. I was desperately holding on, even when I knew the fire was going to burn us both in the end.