Chapter 301: See you again
"It probably happened the moment you came into my life as my personal assistant. I wasted a great deal of time, pretending that these feelings never existed, when in actuality, they kept growing. And now, I can never go back to being me without you by my side, Stella Rossi."
Matteo... loves me... The thought rang untrue in her mind, but here he was, in the flesh, proclaiming his love... and it had been present from the very first day. All those gestures, all those touches, all those reactions that he had, all proof of something that existed right from the beginning.
Tears blurred her vision, a soft whimper escaping her lips. Emotions rendered her unable to utter another word, and to her utter surprise, he filled the silence with even more words affirming her thoughts.
"My love," he whispered, brushing away the tears in her eyes with his thumbs. "I’ve hurt you so much, I don’t know what I could ever do to rid you of all the pain I’ve caused. I don’t know what I could ever do to make you see that I’ve actually loved you this long. For months I kept you in the dark, unsure of what you felt, I watched you get hurt over and over again on my behalf, even if I killed myself, I don’t know if it would be enough to—"
With sudden vigor in her being, she braced her hand behind his head and pulled his face towards hers, taking his lips and drinking in the rest of his words, seeking nourishment from the depth of his emotions.
He snaked his arms under her shoulders, pressing his body against hers and delving his tongue into her mouth, pouring endless lengths of his love into her being and revitalizing her state of being. The moment he released her, she let out a moan followed with a whimper.
"Oh, Matteo, is this real? Is this a dream? If it is—"
"Not a dream, my love. Not anymore. I’m here in the flesh, I love you, I could say it a thousand times just so you know it’s real."
"I would like that very much," she replied giddily, reaffirming her need with another kiss, which he returned with equal fervor. Not having enough of her body molded against his, he shifted his hand to her back. But the moment he did, she let out a sharp cry, registering the pain in her side once again. Startled, Matteo yanked out his arm, cupping her face and pressing feverish kisses on her face.