Marked by Crime Rivalry Book2 [✓]

P19

JUST as Luciano predicted, Teresa trailed up the steps and cried into her body with the bathroom door locked.

Luciano knew Teresa, how she comforted herself when he couldn't but lately it felt like he didn't know her anymore. He wasn't her comfort as often as before the incident, Carter was.

Quivering, Teresa slid the engagement ring off her finger. She stared at the gleaming opal surrounded by diamonds worth more than she. It was beautiful and it was only the engagement ring. She thought of how her wedding ring would look, how expensive he would've bought it for regardless if she claimed she was perfect with the engagement ring. That it was an unnecessary luxurious purchase, but Luciano? He wouldn't listen, he would say she deserves it.

Deserve much more than he can give her.

Her Luciano is always so giving. He saw himself as a man of great wealth and with all that wealth, he still couldn't give her everything she wanted but he thought that was okay because what he couldn't give her in wealth, he could give in love, in himself.

She sobbed as she set it down on the cold floor. She didn't deserve it. Not the ring, not being engaged to, not anything he had done for her because he was right. Luciano was taking responsibility for his actions, of his part but she hadn't. He showed her how big of a role she played in his health and didn't help him but sickened him instead. Then she fussed and fought for him to fix what she broke.

Luciano was always cautious of commitment, he displayed that at the beginning of their relationship. He pulled, she pushed and then he began to gravitate towards her, cave to her. It was difficult for him only be in one relationship before her. It was long before he said those meaningful words to her. She remembered it like it was yesterday.

"I love you, Tesoro. I am extremely and madly in love with you. I love you so much that the words do not hold as much meaning. That saying isn't enough."  He told her.

She remembered the yacht. It was a surprise. Those were the best few days alone with him. It was perfect, loving, and tender. They shared conversations, read together, relaxed with no threat, no issues, no Don duties. He took all the time out to give her all of it. To give her all his attention because it came rare for him and freedom to join.

The first time he made love to her, he stared at her and said, "I am man enough to love you, but I am not strong enough to lose you"

At the time, it was a beautiful sentiment, but she didn't realize how he foretold the future. Luciano had commitment problems but as a man, he faced them, for her. To love her, he gave his heart to her and she injured it when she slept with Ricco.

He said it, he told her he wasn't strong enough to lose her. She stayed with him and when that sentiment was proven true, she was giving him an ultimatum. To heal himself or she would leave him.

She hadn't realized it was an ultimatum before but she did now. It was terrible, she was terrible.

He faced her with 100% of commitment and she ran away to Brazil and didn't plan to return. She abandoned him but she never saw it that way, until now. She was in denial. To think she was protecting her children only, refusing to believe that she was abandoning the one man who laid his soul on his knees for her, who begged for her. As much as she claimed he needed help, maybe she did too.

They were tearing each other apart and his love was tearing him apart and all she wanted, was to rebuild that bridge. She would rebuild it.

Rolling the privacy window up, Luciano clicked the speaker. "Set up the meeting. Get this over with"  Was the first thing he said. After his and Teresa's heart-to-heart, he had been in no mood for a conversation.