Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 100605 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 503(@200wpm)___ 402(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100605 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 503(@200wpm)___ 402(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
I tilted my head. “Did you have photos in your office?”
“One. My grandmother with my parents.” She sipped her wine. “I don’t think I’m going to know how I’ll handle things until I’m there. But I really hope I don’t pull what I did with Harry and go off on her.” She shrugged. “And I will definitely be going into her office sober.”
I smiled. “Would you like me to go with you?”
“Thank you. But I think it’s something I need to do myself. Although, I’d be grateful if you were ready with a bottle of wine and maybe some tissues when I get back.”
“You got it.”
After we finished eating, we went to the apartment where we’d be staying. My cousin’s place in the village of Positano was modest—two bedrooms, a small living area, and a galley kitchen that two people couldn’t work in at once without brushing up against each other. But it didn’t matter. Every window framed the sea like a painting, and the main living area had a set of double doors that led to a small terrace overlooking the coastline. Allegra walked outside. It was dark now, so the pastel houses were lit up and looked more like shades of gold. The moon was full and bright tonight, spilling a path of silver light across the sea.
“This is incredible, Matteo.”
I stood behind her, wanting so badly to wrap her in my arms. But instead, I settled for standing close. “I’d forgotten how beautiful it is. Like many places in Italy, I avoid coming unless I have business here because of the tourists.”
“Can’t blame visitors for wanting to see this view.”
“I suppose not. But in summer it gets overrun with people stopping for selfies in the middle of da sidewalk, some using a dumb stick. It’s a bit quieter now that it’s almost October.”
She smiled. “If that bothers you, I can understand why Manhattan made you miserable.”
I nodded, but somehow, I knew I could handle the streets of Manhattan if I were walking them to get to her. Being near Allegra made everything seem worth it. “I think what I dislike most about crowded, touristy areas is that the neighborhood changes to accommodate the visitors. Starbucks pushes out da caffés, and chains push out local shops.”
“There’s a Starbucks here? Even I wouldn’t go to one with all the adorable caffés lining the road.”
“Not as far as I know, but I haven’t been here in a long time.” I lifted my hand to put it on her shoulder, but stopped myself. It felt unnatural not to touch her, so I thought perhaps I should occupy my hands. “Would you like a glass of wine? I brought some with me.”
“Oohh. Yes, that sounds great.”
I gestured to the wrought-iron bistro chairs and small round table on the balcony. “Sit. Enjoy your view. I’ll bring it.”
A few minutes later, I passed her a glass of our eight-year-old reserve. My favorite. I’d hidden a few bottles when my sister showed up, since she loved it, too.
“Thank you.” Allegra sipped. “You said you haven’t been here in a while. How many years has it been?”
“Probably five.”
Allegra’s eyes met mine. She was smart and had probably done the math, figuring out that I’d been married at the time. “Were you here on business or pleasure?”
I looked away. “Pleasure, but it turned out not to be very pleasurable.”
“Something bad happened?”
I stared out at the sea. “Izzy and I were supposed to come down to Positano—not here in this apartment, but to a nearby hotel—for a short holiday after she got back from one of her retreats. It was to be a surprise for her since she’d been gone and loved to travel. But when she returned, she told me she wanted a divorce, so I ended up coming here alone.”
“Oh my gosh. I’m sorry. I wouldn’t have asked you to come if I’d known it might stir up difficult memories.”
I smiled at her. “You didn’t ask. I offered.”
Allegra was quiet for a while. “What went wrong between you two, if you don’t mind me asking? You said you got married too young, but there must be more to it.” When I didn’t answer right away, she shook her head. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked that.”
“It’s fine. Izzy is just not a subject I speak about often anymore, so it doesn’t come without effort. But she was a part of my life, and I’ve made peace with how things ended between us.”
“You said when she asked you for a divorce, it felt like it came out of the blue. So that means you weren’t having any problems?”
I drank some of my wine and shook my head. “Izzy and I were always very different people. I grew up in the house my great-grandparents owned and had roots here. I valued coming home at night and sleeping in my bed, the comfort of family dinners, neighbors who knew our names and helped each other. Stability and tradition, the kinds of things that don’t change with the seasons.”