Chapter 55

That name resounded through me, twisting my lungs as time seemed to slow down. I let out a shaky breath as awareness crawled on my skin. I slowly lifted my gaze as Alejandro walked out.

"Thank you, John," responded Alejandro as the crowd applauded.

My heart stopped, and I froze, unable to move, my iPhone falling to the floor.

Alejandro was talking, but I could not hear anything other than my heartbeat drumming in my ears. Maybe it was the alcohol. Maybe I was hallucinating. This could not possibly be.

Francesca gently squeezed my arm, a concerned look on her face as she grabbed my phone from the ground and gave it to me. In an attempt to appease her, I swallowed hard and turned around as the group was laughing at a joke Alejandro must have made.

He was there, dressed all in black, his sleeves rolled up, his hair blowing in the wind, and his skin golden and glowing under the sun. I wasn't dreaming. If only I could run, but all I could do was stare at him as he smiled and accepted the handshakes some of the tourists were giving him. He was slowly making his way to Francesca and me, but I couldn't move.

"Amelia? Everything okay?" inquired Francesca.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine," I managed to say. "I, uh…I have to go."

"What's wrong? You look like you"ve seen a ghost. Have some more wine," she said as she passed her glass to me. I chugged it in an unladylike fashion, without hesitation, wanting to feel anything else but this.

"This is the guy I wanted to introduce you to, since you wanted to meet the owner," said Francesca, all proud, pointing to Alejandro as he joined us.

"Amelia and I have been acquainted," said Alejandro with a smirk, hands in his pockets, having overheard Francesca's comment.

"Oh, you two know each other? Well, then this is just perfect!" said Francesca as she and Alejandro kissed on the cheeks. "And here I was, about to introduce you two! Amelia is just in love with your vineyard, Alejandro. She was even talking about being interested in doing business with you to supply your wine in her hotels!"

"Is that so?" he teased. "Well, in that case, would you give us a second?" he asked Francesca.

She looked a bit confused at the request but did not retort. "Of course! See you both later!"

Alejandro just stood there, studying my every reaction, waiting for me to process. The shock made space for anger as dots were connecting in my head.

The label-less wines we drank, the villa being available when everything at this estate is usually booked about a year in advance, the special vintage wine bottles I got—"courtesy of the hotel," I was told. It all made sense now. They reminded me of the label-less wine, but I hadn't put two and two together until now.

"Shall we take a walk?" he asked, offering his hand.

Without so much as a sound, I turned around and started walking in the direction of the vines to the side of the building, painfully aware of his presence behind me. When I was satisfied that we were far enough from the group, I brusquely stopped and turned around to face him.

"I"d ask what you are doing here, how you knew where I was when I barely told anyone, but given that all this is yours, I guess I have my answer."

"I'm here to see you," he said casually, like we had an appointment.

"Did I miss a diamond or something? Do you need me to go back?" I asked, mocking him.

His jaw clenched a bit. "Are you really going to pretend that's all this was between us? Don't offend me, Amelia. Don't."

He looked more hurt than angry as he got closer to me. I needed to look away. I needed to regain the upper hand.

"You asked for space. And I gave it to you. But at this point, it feels like you are avoiding me. You left LA without a word."

"I left because there was nothing to stay for," I said, trying to hold back the tears. The few seconds of silence felt eternal.

"Stop lying, Amelia," he said as he grabbed my arm. "Stop fighting me, please. I am not going to hurt you. I would never hurt you, and if you want me to stay, I will never leave your side."

Eyes opened wide with terror, I stood there like Alejandro had tried to stab me. What was he doing? Still trying to get me to admit how I felt, what I wanted, when we both knew I wasn't the woman he needed. I hoped that with the passing of time, he would stop trying, and I would live with this love, feed off the memories, and pray to all the gods that they would be enough in the long run.

But seeing him here, the need I felt to my core was like dynamite that could explode at any minute. I was confused, and all I could feel was sheer panic as I took a step back.

"Elena and you, are—I can't—I won't be another one…I can't just…"

"Elena means nothing to me, mi ni?a. Por dios. She was helping me with this. She was involved in this before I met you. You know this. I've told you a thousand times. I needed to keep up appearances with Richard. That's why she was part of the plan—as my fake girlfriend, that is all. I'm not saying that we were just friends then, but we have been just friends since you, and we were never seriously together."

"But—"

I was interrupted by Alejandro as he pulled me closer into his arms.

"Stop talking," he sighed. "I am here now, with you, Amelia, not with Elena. I came here, alone, for you. You are the first thing I think about when I wake up and the last thing I think about before I fall asleep. I need you. I want you. I need you to be mine, now and forever. If what you want is to wait me out, to wear me down, it"s not going to work. Don't you get that? I feel you under my skin, baby. I have you in my blood. You are mine. I am yours. Stop fighting this."

I couldn't stop the tears. I felt weak, happy, terrified. He grabbed me by the back of my neck and pulled me closer as he leaned down and took my lips. I was pushing him away but to no avail. He kissed me, long and hard, his need for me invading every one of my senses. And I kissed him back with every bit of frustration and longing I had for him that I had been fighting each day.

When I finally took a step back, we were both out of breath, the heat emanating from his body enough to burn the world down.

Part of me believed him, because that was all I ever wanted—him, offering to be mine and only mine. But to accept that I was entitled to so much happiness was naive. And to trust him, to trust that he meant his words, that I was enough for him… Well, that would be like diving into dangerous waters headfirst. That would be ridiculous. I just couldn't understand how we could make this work.

"I need some space. You need to leave. I can't do this," I said, avoiding the hurt in his eyes as I ran past him back to the tour location.

To my surprise, Francesca was still there, alone, just sitting and sipping some wine. She quickly got up to take my sobbing self into her arms. Together, we took the long walk to Francesca's villa in silence.

Francesca forced me to take a seat while the maid prepared us a strong cup of coffee. The walk hadn't done much to calm me down.

"What's wrong?" asked Francesca.

All I could do was cry, but I needed to let it out.

"I'm sorry," I sobbed. "I'm sorry. I know you just wanted to have a good time, and here I am, crying all over the place."

"You have nothing to apologize for," assured Francesca, putting an arm around my shoulder. "I'm here, and you need to talk. Talk to me. I'm all ears."

I took a few sips of the hot coffee the maid had just brought in, in an attempt to compose myself.

"I, um…this man, Alejandro… He, um…he is…I love him. I am in love with him. I love him with every fiber of my being. I don't know how it happened. I"ve been careful all my life, always in control of how I felt, always safe in my cold, rational self, and he threw all of it to shit. I don't know how to go back to before, when I didn't feel so much. Now all I can do is feel for him, wanting, waiting, needing."

"But that's a beautiful thing, Amelia," she said with tenderness.

"It"s not!" I shouted between sobs. "It"s horrible! It's my worst nightmare."

"But he seems to love you as well, no?" pushed Francesca tenderly, trying to calm me.

"That's what he says. But how can I believe him? How can I believe that we could be together when we have a dark past looming over us?"

"How did you meet him?"

I stopped in my tracks, gaining a bit more composure. I desperately wanted to tell Francesca about the past few months of my life. But that would be telling someone who knew Alejandro that he had committed a crime, keeping me hostage, even if he didn't intend to. I couldn't put him in harm"s way.

"It doesn't matter how we met," I answered. "I just can't put myself in that position."

"I see," said Francesca. "It"s a secret." She smiled.

I frowned but sat there in silence, taking a few more sips of coffee.

"I have to leave tonight. I have to go back to LA, start my life over and move on."

"My darling," said Francesca in the most tender voice, "it's pretty clear to me that you love each other. You love him, and no matter how far you go, you will be as miserable as you are now if you don't give him a chance. You are keeping his secret at all costs. I have been asking you what was wrong for days, and you"ve never wavered, not even once, not even drunk."

My eyes squinted as I grew confused.

"Elena has been trying to get his heart since they were children, but the way he looks at you, the way he fights for you, the way he has been staying in the shadows the past couple of weeks, making sure you are safe, even from a distance…you are the love of his life."

I slowly turned to look Francesca in the eyes. "Who are you?" I asked. "How would you know all this?"

Francesca got up and started pacing, clearly a bit nervous.

"Amelia, I…I didn't know who you were when we met. I just saw a beautiful woman with the saddest eyes, a sadness that seemed to match my son's broken heart. And I couldn't help but get close to you, my motherly instincts wanting to take your pain away. I wanted to introduce you to him as you seemed like a wonderful, intelligent woman after we had dinner. I thought you two could help mend each other's hearts. I didn't know…I didn't know until I saw you with him today. I didn't know that you were the woman he has been telling me about, the woman who changed my son's life for the better. I didn't know you were the girl he had abducted to protect while he got revenge and ended up falling in love with. And I didn't know the man you were so clearly avoiding talking about all week was him."

"Alejandro is…your son?" I felt like I could hear my heart pounding out of my chest.

"Yes," she admitted, a tender smile on her lips. "And now that I have seen how he looks at you, I realize there is nothing I could possibly do, no one he could possibly meet, that would take away what he feels for you."

I closed my eyes and put my head in my hands, trying to process. This familiarity I had with Francesca, those eyes that I now understood were Alejandro's, the firmness in her voice…that was why I felt this innate attachment to her, like we had known each other already.

"He took a bullet to save you, Amelia," continued Francesca as she sat back down next to me and grabbed my hands. "He chose to die…to save you. He had even given up on his quest to avenge his brother, so he didn't hurt you, so he didn't have to put you between him and that murderer. He was going to move on and forget, just to be with you, don't you get it? I know it all started in an…unusual fashion, to say the least, but he is being honest with you. My son loves you more than he loves himself."

I got up. I needed to move, anything to help. Francesca sat there, patiently waiting for my pace to slow down. I finally came to a halt. Francesca got up and went to give me a hug. I was still crying, but my melted heart was letting it all in. I had to believe Alejandro, because even my most rational self could tell that he was being honest. I had been too terrified to see it, and Francesca…she peeled some of my fears away.

"Thank you," I whispered. "Thank you."

Francesca, with tears in her eyes, took a step back, holding my hands. "Go to him," she said. "Please go to him. He needs to know how you feel. I don't want to see my son haunted by your absence anymore," she teased.

I wiped my eyes immediately, with a smile.

"He's staying in a villa two doors down, if you go left when you leave."

I didn't need to be told twice.

I grabbed my bag from the couch, gave Francesca another hug, and ran to Alejandro. I didn't stop until I got to his door. I still had doubts. I still was unsure. I could still leave. I didn't have to knock. I knew if I did, I could never go back. That was terrifying, but also exhilarating, and the thought of never seeing him again was too hard to bear, so I knocked three times, my heart in my throat. A man opened the door, surprised to see me there.

"Can I help you?"

"I am looking for Alejandro."

"Please wait here. Who is asking?"

I ignored him and walked in. I went up the stairs at full speed, the poor man scrambling behind me in an attempt to stop me. I entered through the first open door I saw. There he was, putting his clothes into the luggage open on his bed.

"Sir, I told her to wait!" said the man, clearly annoyed.

"It's fine, Jason. You can go home now. Have a good night."

"You too, sir," he said, relieved, as he left and closed the door behind him.

Alejandro let out a deep sigh but finished putting the last of the clothing on the bed into the luggage.

"Are you leaving?" I asked in a low voice, unable to get any closer than the door.

"Isn't that what you want? Me gone so you can start fresh with your lawyer friend?" he asked, now facing me, his hands in his jean's pockets.

He took me by surprise.

"What are you talking about? Nico? He's just a friend who is helping me get back what Richard took from me."

"Do you let all your male friends hug you like that?" he asked dryly.

"Are you spying on me?"

"No, not exactly. But I had to make sure you were safe. That Richard wouldn't retaliate. That Mathias wouldn't harm you for knowing too much. I had to know where you were at all times—at least until the dust settled."

"Alejandro," I said sweetly as I dared to get a little closer, "I promise, he is just a friend. He came to meet with me, but that was it. He didn't stay here. He left. Nothing happened."

Alejandro looked sad, angry, disturbed. My heart was aching. I felt stupid and selfish, for not seeing the pain in his eyes sooner—or rather, not understanding it. I dared to believe now that it was because of me—and that, I couldn't have.

"Alejandro, I…I don't really know how to do this. I don't know if I have it in me…"

"Tell me to stay, mi ni?a. All you have to do is ask. I have been waiting for you. I will always wait for you. I will never leave your side." It looked like he was holding his breath.

"I don't want you to leave…"

Before I knew it, he was standing there, in front of me, and he lifted me off the floor and into his arms.

I grabbed his face with both hands, and I kissed him, letting out a whimper.

His possessive tongue soon made me forget my pain, making butterflies course through my body instead. I needed to feel him inside of me with urgency, need blinding my senses. He took me to the bed right after he pushed the luggage onto the floor. He laid me on my back and proceeded to undress me. With trembling hands, I unbuttoned his shirt and then reached to remove his pants.

He climbed on top of me. I frantically guided him until he was throbbing inside of me.

"You have no idea how much I missed you" he said between ragged breaths.

"I missed you to, so much!" My voice wobbled.

Alejandro sinked himself in me over and over again, and everytime he did, pieces of my wall crumbled.

"I'm scared. I"ve never felt like this about anyone," I confessed, trying to hold back my tears.

Alejandro slowed down, grabbed my face with both hands, and kissed me.

"I love you," he said as we stopped for air. "I love you, and I promise I will never stop loving you." He kissed me again, his need for me all too apparent.

"I love you too," I admitted, still searching his eyes for reassurance.

"Tell me again," he whispered as he kissed my neck.

"I love you, Alejandro."

"I love you."

Alejandro took his time, kissing and caressing every inch of me, making me feel everything he felt, driving me to complete surrender with every touch, every caress. He had me now and forever, body and soul.