The Distance Between Us (The Ludovica Siblings #2)

Twenty-Nine | Lights

LILITH

I was exhausted, mentally and physically so it took me a moment to realise what he said. "What?" I stared at him in shock. I shook my head in disbelief. "No."

He slowly removed his hands from my face and refused to look me in the eyes. "It's for the best."

"Best? Are you fucking serious? You are leaving me?"

His jaw clenched and he kept staring at the bed. "We have too many enemies. Surely what happened today was your father's personal grudge but other than that, I am afraid I might fail in keeping you safe again."

"Silvio...no." I murmured as he stood up, facing the door as if ready to leave.

He said with his back towards me, "I'll get you a house somewhere safe, a job and everything else that you will need and--"

I stood up too. "And the baby?" I snapped. "Our baby? The one you wanted so desperately. You don't want the baby anymore?"

He whirled around and I was caught off guard by all the emotions written on his face. Anguish. Desperation. Need.

And the tears in his eyes.

He took a step closer to me and went down on his knees and wrapping his arms around my waist, pressed a lingering kiss on my belly. "God, no." He choked out. "I want it. I want everything with you. Lilith, I...I told you, you are everything I ever needed."

A sob left my mouth too. "Then why, Silvio? You are stupid to think I will be better without you. Without you, I will go insane. That one year without you was torture enough. Don't do this. Please."

He buried his face into my belly and I continued, "I know I shouldn't be so dependent on you but you keep me safe, Silvio. This home is the safest place that I could be in. If you were not there then I don't know if I would have been okay today or not. Don't be so scared about my safety. You can even teach me self defence so that I can protect myself a little."

I felt wetness seeping into my clothes where his face was pressed against my belly. He was crying. I never saw him cry.

I ran my fingers through his hair. "You promised, Silvio. You promised not to leave me ever. Are you going to break your promise? Break my heart? What do you want me to do after you leave me? Find some other man to marry?"

His arms tightened around me at the last sentence.

A couple of seconds passed by in silence and I said softly, "Talk to me."

He finally lifted his head, his cheeks streaked with tears, eyes rimmed red and he stared at me, looking broken. "I don't deserve you."

I shook my head instantly. "I don't deserve you either, Silvio." I framed his face in my palms. "But I want you. I need you regardless of all that. I am selfish when it comes to you and I need you to be selfish too right now."

"I need you. And only you." I stated firmly. "Let go of your fears for me. Choose me, please. Choose me over your fears. Choose our family. This baby. Me. Our happiness."

I dropped down to my knees too so that I was level with him and rested my forehead on his.

He was breathing heavily and I wiped away the lingering tears from his face like he always wiped mine.

He leaned closer until our breaths mingled together. "Mia luna..." He whispered ever so softly as his lips brushed mine.

It could hardly be called a kiss as his lips grazed mine over and over again in a feathery touch as if he was afraid to hurt me.