Shattered Loyalties

31: Promises of Cathedrals

Isabella

Giovanni has Lukas take us out of the city near the coast.

In the back, he has a duffle bag with clothes for the night. "Will you tell me where we are going now?" I ask him. He shakes his head and kisses my lips.

"You'll like it."

"How do you know that?"

"Because I know you, Bella."

"Why do you call me Bella?" I finally ask him.

"Because in Italian, Bella means beautiful. My beautiful Isabella," he whispers in my ear and continues to kiss me. I let out a little gasp when he reaches the sweet spot on my neck. "Not now, baby," he mumbles. He guides my hand down to his crotch—where he's already getting hard. "I'm controlling myself right now, but your little gasps are making it very hard for me."

"Here, sir," says Lukas.

Giovanni walks me into a resort lobby. The lobby is beautiful and I know that the rest of the resort must be as beautiful. "Where have you taken me?"

"Ah! Mr. Romano! It's lovely to see you!"

"I've taken you to your resort," he whispers in my ear before shaking hands with the manager.

"I'll have your room ready in an hour. For now, please let us know if we can do anything for you."

"Thank you," he says. I'm still caught up on the fact that he called this place my resort. "Don't look so surprised, my love."

"I'm sorry...what?" I gasp.

"This resort is in your name."

"Goodness darling," I say and spin around to see him. I touch his jaw. "You're full of surprises, now aren't you?" I laugh.

"Follow me. I have one more surprise."

There is a beautiful patio covered in flower petals. Candles are lit and I can hear the ocean in the background. I run up to the edge where I can see the ocean below us...the patio looking over the cliff's edge. "It's beautiful!" I gasp. He's oddly silent behind me. I'm too oblivious to notice the rose petals on the ground. "Giovanni! Look!" I say as I point to the dolphins in the ocean. "It's beautiful!"

"You are what I see in this beauty," he finally says. I turn around. He's kneeling on the ground with a box in his hands. I have no words to even know what to say. "I uh," he pauses and pulls out a piece of paper from his pocket. "I fucking wrote out the proposal so I wouldn't forget what I wanted to say to you, Isabella." He unfolds the note from his pocket.

"Gio," I gasp. Tears are already forming in my eyes. They gloss over, but all I can feel is the love and happiness I have for my Giovanni.

"When I look back on the journey we've taken together, it's impossible not to think of the heartbreak that marked the beginning of our story. I know..." he pauses. "I know it fucking hurts. Everything that went on...what I was too blind to see. You had your scars and as your boyfriend then, I should have known. But then, we found each other. In the midst of our darkest days, your smile was a light that began to guide me out of the shadows. The warmth of your laughter, the gentleness of your touch, and the kindness in your eyes brought healing where there was once only hurt. You hurt me, but I can't tell you how I felt without you because it's unbearable. You showed me that love isn't about never experiencing pain, but about finding someone who makes the struggle worth it. Look at where you came from. Fuck, I want to be like you," he chuckles. We've faced our fears and doubts together, growing stronger with each step. Your strength, compassion, and unwavering support have taught me that true love is resilient and steadfast, capable of weathering any storm. Today, as I stand here before you, I am filled with gratitude for every moment that led us to this point. You showed me what truly mattered to me...and it was you every step of the way. Isabella Vargas, you are my best friend, my confidant, my safe haven, my beautiful queen, and the love of my life. I want to spend the rest of my days showing you the same love and support you've given me. I want to continue to build our life together, filled with joy, laughter, and unending devotion."