The Blossom of Rose

43 • Tolerant

"My grandma only had two sons, my father and Gabriele. My dad was the eldest and destined to carry the Armani empire so Gabriele hated him, ultimately hating me too when they found out I was a boy," Luca explains.

He's laying on the chair on the balcony with me on top of him as we watch the stars twinkle in the sky. We're trying to find the Gemini star alignment, as he wanted to. I think he likes stargazing. Cute.

"He's been after my position since my father died. Even then, he was pissed that he got it and not him. And, he has an even bigger reason to hate me because he's surely not going to get it now," Luca rubs his hand over my bump as I let him continue his rant.

I can't help but wonder if Gabriele planned the burglary to kill his brother off. But that wouldn't make sense because Luca would still inherit everything. Screw that thought.

"What about Marco? You seem pretty close with each other," I bring up. I doubt Luca knows about Marco being abused but I need to get it out of him.

"I am. Marco made it clear that he doesn't want to be the leader and that he doesn't like his dad either. He's the one who made me send him back home to Italy, away from all of us," he confirms my suspicions, "until the bastard turns up here unannounced."

Poor Marco. My heart breaks for him because I know how lonely it can be. I had my brother help patch up my wounds but it hurts to think of him doing it to himself.

"He's a fucking outcast. And it aggravates me because, as much as I want to, I can't just tell him to fuck off or kill him without a valid reason. After all, Vescovi will go mad."

Family is an important thing in the mafia and Gabriele is Armani blood.

"Is he going to stay here?" I look back at him, dread seeping in.

"I think so. I know him. If I tell him no, he'll be like this was my house long before you were born and you have no right to kick me out of it," his jaw clenches again and he stares into the distance. I reach up and place a kiss on it, his muscles relaxing.

Luca sits up and faces me forward, again. He brings his head down to mine so our line of sight is the same and points at something in the sky.

"There it is," his hot breath touches my face and he flicks my glasses, "the Gemini."

I squint to see that he's right. The 13 bright stars are all perfectly aligned in their places, illuminating the sky.

"It's so beautiful," I breathe out, mesmerised.

"If only you can see yourself through my eyes, you'd disagree with yourself," he replies softly, tracing the side of my face in tingling lines. I look at him to see his lips raised slightly and love smothered throughout his grey irises.

I swivel in his lap and put my hands behind his neck, resting his forehead on my chest. My fingers catch within the strands of his hair as I feel his calm breaths and I tell him, "I could say the same about you. It's beautiful the way you act when you're around me."

"That's because I'm in love with you. And I'll never ever stop, Rosa," he lifts his head and rests his chin on my cleavage, staring at me intensely, "I'll love you forevermore, till beyond forever."

"I'm so glad you say that too because nothing can change how I feel about you, Luca," I smile at him, flicking his hair off his forehead.

Luca's expression drops and he falters, staring back at me distantly, "not even when you find out the fucked up things I've done?"

Bless him, he's still worried I'll see him as a monster.

"I'm not going to judge you on your past. That's unfair. I only know you for the man you are now but I'm accepting you for the person you think you are," I say and rest my hands on his face.