My Angel

CHAPTER 42: FORGIVEN

Ayla's pov~

"How long am I supposed to keep this up?" I asked.
Maddie lay down beside me and stared at the ceiling.

"You have to make him work for it."

"I don't think I can keep this façade on any longer"

"Just a little longer."
After the Nina drama, Maddie lectured me for an hour, telling me how I should and shouldn't act with Alessio.

Every single day, I struggled to be nonchalant around him.
Every time he smiled and I didn't, I felt guilty. I could see he was losing hope and growing frustrated each day.

I hoped Maddie's plan worked and all this drama wasn't for nothing.
Sitting up, I brought my knees up and laid my chin on top of them. "Maddie, I don't understand. How is this going to work?

"I..like.. him.."I stuttered the last words. It was hard to admit, but it was the truth.

"What do you mean? If you want him and
he feels the same way about you too, then what's there to think about?"
I sighed and got up from the bed, standing in front of the window.

"How does a relationship work?" What I
had with Alberto wasn't a relationship. I didn't know how to be in one.
The relationships I had read about or saw on TV, I could only dream about them. They were never my reality.

"You've never been in a relationship
before?" Maddie asked.
I closed my eyes tightly against the wave
of pain. Placing my hand over the glass, I steadied myself and tried to calm my racing heart.

"I have been in one," I whispered.
Maddie's forehead was creased inconfusion and she stared at me patiently, waiting for me to elaborate.

"But it wasn't the same as the one in there," I said, pointing at the book in her hand.

"I don't think you could call it a relationship. He hurt me a lot."
Tears blinded my vision. I never thought I
would admit such a thing.

When I was stil living with Alberto, I thought that was how a relationship should be. Even though I knew it was wrong, I accepted it.

What I had with Alberto was dysfunctional. He destroyed me. Heart, body, and soul. But in the short time I had been living with Alessio, I began to think maybe I could be fixed. I could be happy. Maybe I could be happy with Alessio.

"Ayla." Maddie got up and walked over to
me. I was about to swipe my tears away but she wiped it for me.

Leaning forward, she placed a kiss on my forehead and then wrapped her arms around me. She pulled away from me and then gave me a smile, trying to lighten the mood.

"A relationship...hmmm.." Her eyes twinkled." would say a relationship is when both partners support each other, comfort each other, bring happiness and laughter to each other.
It's a connection filled with love, acceptance, and understanding. You don't have to love someone to be in a relationship.
Sometimes love comes later. Alessio is a stubborn man but he is crazy about you. I can see it in his eyes. It is so obvious.
He has feelings but he just needs a little push. I don't know how a relationship will be with Alessio, but he loves
deeply. He loves with his heart. Something he's Scared of. But you can change that. You can be his strength."

"He is mine" I whispered. "He is my
strength."

"Alessio will realize it soon. And when he
does, he won't be able to stay away from you. Fuck, he can't even stay away from you now.
Do you see him? He always follows you like a little puppy. Oh my God, that was such a bad comparison. Alessio is nowhere close to a little puppy"
I laughed.