Love Overtime ✔️

Do I call Italy home?

Chapter Nineteen : Do I call Italy home?

"As you can see it's still under construction inside but we're trying our best to keep it very much how it has always been." Smith said, showing me around the hotel that I could call home.

"The outside will be kept the same, we can't have a modern building mixed in with all these lovely Italian old buildings."

I had been getting text messages from Maddie, saying that my flower was distracted and happy. My heart hurt that I had to lie to her, I mean I wasn't completely lying because it is somewhat a meeting.

I had to ask her friends to take her mind off things, she wasn't happy that I was going. Even though I had left her many times for meetings across Europe but I can feel that she knew something was off.

I haven't told her yet. I figured once I had seen the building, I would know my answer. This is a one off opportunity for me and I don't know when or if I would get something like this again.

I planned on telling her once I got back, I'd tell her my decision.

"The whole lobby floor will be french marble.." Smith went on to tell me how he imagined the lobby would look as well as the rest of the hotel.

But I can't say that I cared about the look of it. The location was wonderful and I knew owning a hotel would be something I'd love eventually.

Being manager for Fogale's is great but being my own boss? Wow, what a dream.

"You wouldn't have to live here obviously, we will fund you a house elsewhere. That's all up to you. Have you decided yet?" Smith question and I feared the question.

"Not quite." I responded and he nodded.

"We'll need your response by Monday night." And that's when I knew I was screwed.

——

"Baby!" Rose called as she swung open the door to my house.

"I was going to come get you, my sweets." I laughed, wrapping my arms around her body. Practically engulfing her.

She smelt amazing, somewhat like cotton candy.

"I missed you." She said just before kissing me. Oh how I missed her.

"How was it? Tell me all about it?" All about it, do I bring it up to her now?

"Alright.. you may want to sit down." I said, setting her down.

"What's wrong?" Her eyebrows furrowed together and I could already feel the pit at the bottom of my stomach.

"Listen, while we were in England. That meeting your dad and I went to.. It was more of a promotional meeting."

"You were promoted! I'm so proud of you Seb!" She smiled, clapping her hands together.

"Thank you, flower." I said, taking my lip between my teeth.

"What is so bad about that? What's higher than your position now?" She questioned, her head cocking to the side the slightest part.

"Well you see, they have an up and coming hotel in Florence. It'll be mine if I decide to take it." Her face dropped before a quick smile appeared on it.

"What does that mean for you?" I hate this question already.

"That'd mean I would leave here and move to Italy. For at least two years." I told her and she nodded her head, taking in everything I was telling her.

"You're obviously going to take it right? This is your moment, my love." She said and I know it was supposed to make me feel happy but it honestly hurt me.

"I haven't made my mind up. Would you come with me?" I asked her and she looked away from me.

"I don't know, Seb. My family is here." She said and I already knew her answer before she spoke it.

"I know." I say.

"I don't want you to make your decision based off me. You've got to take it, Sebastian Lake. This could be something so wonderful for you." She said, her hand resting on my knee as I sat next to her.

"We can figure something else, I could visit every so often until I decide that I want to move.." She began and I shook my head.

Already regretting the words that were about to spill out of my mouth.

"Rosalie, you don't understand. I don't and won't do long distance relationships. They never work out. Knowing that you're mine and I won't see you for weeks on end, maybe months. That won't work for me." I told her, my saliva starting to taste of copper.

"Are you breaking up with me?" My heart and head hurts.

"No.. I don't know. I don't want to leave you, but you deserve better. I know that once those two years are up, I'll be off somewhere else. I can't promise you a life of settling down." Tears pooled in her eyes and all I wanted to do was hold her and tell her that she's all I need.

"But, I want you. I love you, Seb. We can work something out, I'll move wherever you go, I will!" She said

"Flower... I love you, I always will. But that's not what you want, you can't follow me around forever."

I wish she would