“I would’ve tried to help you annul it.”
Of course, she would have.
“Am I crazy for falling for a woman after such a short time?”
“The heart wants what the heart wants, brother.” Natalia grins. “It’s all going to work out in the end.”
“You think?” Feeling slightly optimistic.
“Give Lilly time, but also don’t ghost her, she may not want to talk to you, but she’ll still like hearing from you.”
“Really?” I’m not feeling that confident, even though I wish it with all my heart.
“A woman wants to know that she is wanted, even if she currently hates the person wanting her.” Women are such confusing creatures. “Just don’t be a stalker,” she warns. “There’s a line between cute and creepy.”
Right!
Mental note—don’t be creepy.
“Thanks for checking in on me.”
Natalia gets up and hugs me. “That’s what family does.”
20
Lilly
I’ve spent the past week crying into my hot cocoa. I know, girl power and all that stuff, but sometimes a girl just wants to wallow in her hot chocolate and bake and binge watch Sex and the City. I feel bad that I’m more upset over Luca leaving than I ever was about Rob, who’s still blowing up my phone, even after I traveled halfway across the world to get away from that bastard.
I don’t care for his new year wishes—I don’t need them.
I’m doing just fine without him.
I drop some chocolate onto my pajamas and lick it off.
Yeah, that right there is a whole new level of wallowing.
I’m totally fine.
Honest.
My phone vibrates, and it’s another message from Luca. Now, when a girl is at the bottom end of wallowing, she will, you know, cyberstalk the man who broke her heart. And I mean Luca, definitely not Rob.
My heart hurts looking at all his old Instagram photographs. Thankfully, there aren’t many of him and his fiancée. The images are mostly of him traveling around the world—casinos in Monaco, private yachts in the south of France, shopping sprees along Rodeo Drive—a whole other life that he led that’s so far from the one I live or the person I thought he was.
It’s hard meshing Luke and Luca into the one person in my mind, but Luca is persistent, I’ll give him that. Even though I haven’t responded to a single text message, they still come like clockwork. He tells me about his father, how his health is slowly improving, and how he’s finally at home resting. He also texts me messages of how much he misses me and wishes I was by his side during this difficult time. Those messages hurt my heart, and it takes all my willpower not to book a ticket on the next flight to Rome to be with him, especially when he adds in some dirty talking—those sexts really kill my resolve.
But let’s face it, a prince and a doctor don’t fit the fairy tale mold. Do they?
My phone rings again, and this time it’s from a number I don’t know.
“Hello.”
“Buongiorno. Is this Miss Lilly Simpson?” A happy-sounding Italian man greets me on the phone, and my heart begins to thump wildly in my chest. I wouldn’t put it past Luca to find a way for me to take his calls.
“Si,” I say cautiously.
“Fantastico. My name is Andrea Rossi. His Highness Principe Luca put me in touch with you.” His Highness—that sounds strangely weird when it’s spoken out loud. “He said you would be perfect for our organization.”
“Oh, really.” I’m surprised that Luca kept his word for some reason.
“I’ve had a look at your resume, and your experience is exactly what we’re looking for… young, passionate people who want to help the world.”
“Thank you so much, that’s very kind of you to say. What is it exactly that you do?”
“Ah, of course, scusa. I’m the CEO of Italy’s largest global charity foundation. We distribute millions of dollars every year to charities around the world. We’re looking for doctors with experience on the ground to help us distribute the money, and to help set up more beneficial programs to help the world’s underprivileged. Instead of just handing over money, which can fall into the wrong hands, we want to diversify and make sure it’s handled correctly.”
Wow! This sounds amazing, and is exactly what I’d love to do.
“So, I wouldn’t necessarily be a doctor on the ground?”
“Not all the time, no, but we’d make sure all your certificates stay current with ongoing learning. You would be on the ground helping set up certain programs. You would also drop in on others to check they are running smoothly from a medical standpoint.”
“This sounds very interesting to me.”
“It is… and you’re perfecto. I’ll email you an information pack about our organization as well as the contract and job description. Take your time to peruse, and if you’re interested, we’d love to have an interview with you.”
This sounds so incredibly unique that I’m excited about the prospect of running this for them. “That sounds perfect. Thank you so much for the opportunity, Mr. Rossi.”
“Grazie, Miss Simpson.”
I do a little dance around the cottage once the phone call ends. Crumbs fall from my chest all over the floor. My mind turns to Luke, sorry Luca, and how I want to call and thank him for the opportunity. He’s been persistent but respectful of my need for space.
I miss him.
So much it sucks.
The cottage is quiet without him here.
Stupidly, I haven’t even changed the sheets because I can still smell his cologne all over them. I’m a sad, sad woman. Picking up my phone, I stare at the only picture we have together, and I run my fingers over his perfect face.
“Urgh,” I moan, throwing it to the side.
Be strong, Lilly.
Remember, you promised yourself this year was all about you being selfish.
But can’t I selfishly want someone I can’t have?
Enough! Internally, I scream at myself.
You have wallowed enough. It’s time to get your ass into the shower, freshen up, and go join the land
