Chapter 17: Chapter 16

“You're finally awake.”

Olivia must have sensed his mood because her smile reflected it. Her lips barely curved up, and her cheeks puckered as she suppressed a yawn. Her eyes darted around the room before finally settling on him.

She took a moment to make sure her voice would hold up before speaking. “Oh. Yes. I'm up.”

Rinaldo could tell by her tone of voice that she didn't mean to sound sarcastic. His face broke out into a smile in response. “You're in good spirits. It's a good sign.”

Olivia sat straighter, and the sheet draped over her shoulder as she raised her arms.

Rinaldo took a moment to enjoy the sight of her upper body. Her skin was warm and pink; her eyes a soft, shining blue. As she examined him, her ears poked out of her long hair. Her lips puckered slightly as she bit her bottom lip.

She looked at him for a few more seconds, then opened her mouth to speak. “What time is it?”

Rinaldo glanced at the clock on the wall. 11:40. Time had flown by since they had arrived at his mother's house. He had been too preoccupied with thoughts of the cultists' attacks to pay attention to the time, but now it was all he could think about.

He cleared his throat. “It's 11:40. I guess we've slept in a little, huh?”

Olivia chuckled. “Yes. I was just about to get up.”

Rinaldo held his breath as Olivia struggled to pull herself out of bed. She took a moment to pull herself upright and stand carefully. Rinaldo looked down at her. Her lithe body moved gracefully and fluidly. Her eyes still looked tired, but there was a youthful radiance to them that was captivating.

She ran her fingers through her hair and then checked her outfit. Her mind went back to the attack and her crumpled clothes. Smoothing the sheet down over her body and pulling the sheet up to her chin, she glanced over to Rinaldo and spoke in a low voice.

“You did an outstanding job protecting me last night. Thank you.”

Rinaldo felt his heart swell with joy and pride at the words. He gently raised a hand and brushed a strand of hair from her face. Her eyes moved to his hand, as if trying to see his face through it. His fingers brushed her cheek, tucking the stray hair behind her ear.

“I'm sorry I let you get hurt.”

She leaned forward, her face close to his. “It's not your fault, Rinaldo.”

“I know, but I'm very sorry about that.”

“Rinaldo, there's no need to apologise. It's just a scratch. There's nothing to be sorry about.”

He almost laughed at her lightly teasing tone, but he held on to his composure, his hand brushing against her cheek once more.

“I apologise, Liv.” He leaned in toward her, their lips about a millimetre apart. “Can I call you that?”

She closed her eyes, leaning toward him, her mouth only a breath from his. “Of course you can.”

He sighed deeply, closing his eyes as he fell into the sensation of her warm breath on his face. Her lips were warm and inviting, and he couldn't stop himself from leaning forward and capturing them with his own. His mouth covered hers, holding her in place so she couldn't move away from him.

Rinaldo felt her hands at his neck, fingers gently tracing the crevices of his collar, then moving around to his back. Her hands reached behind him and pulled him closer, guiding him toward her and welcoming him with an equal level of gentleness.

He allowed his mouth to trail from her lips down to the curve of her neck. His lips moved to the side of her throat, across the delicate skin, eliciting a soft moan from Olivia as he did. He traced the lines of her delicate skin with his lips, delighting in the delicate feeling of her skin beneath his lips.

Finally, Rinaldo pulled his lips away from her throat and his hands from her neck. He sighed as she melted into his body, resting her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. “Liv…”

Her chest rose and fell as she took in a deep breath. “I love you, Rinaldo.”

Olivia's words stunned Rinaldo. He could have sworn he had heard her wrong. He tilted his head back, looking into her beautiful eyes. They were shimmering with emotion, shining with a warmth that could melt the strongest hearts.

“Liv…” He whispered, awestruck by her words. “I love you, too.”

She tightened her embrace around him, and with tears in his eyes, Rinaldo buried his head in her soft hair, closing his eyes as he absorbed the emotions coursing through his body.

She kissed the top of his head, whispering. “I love you, too.”

Rinaldo rested his hand on her hip and held her close to him. He wanted to shout his joy, to dance through the streets and tell everyone that he loved this fantastic woman. However, he was afraid he might ruin his extraordinary moment, so he did the only thing he could think of: he held her closer.

He kept his eyes closed, his nose buried in her hair, inhaling the scent of her hair, skin, essence, absorbing the magic of the moment. He breathed in her scent and let it wash over him like a wave, caressing his skin.

“Thank you for being you.” Olivia didn't reply, but he could hear her body shaking in his ear. “You're everything I've ever wanted. And you're everything that's ever meant to me.”

Rinaldo took a deep breath, drawing in her scent, and warmth as he did. He held her, holding his breath to keep the memory of this moment, to keep the memory of how much he loved her, of how much she meant to him.

Eventually, he felt a softening in his chest, and as he allowed his mind to drift away to the happy memories he had of the two of them together, his face moved slowly toward her shoulder. He let his head drop onto the shoulder of his dearest love, and she hugged him back, holding him close to her.

It made him feel like the last hurdle in this relationship was clear. Olivia looked as happy as he felt at the moment. It was a moment to remember, treasure, and hold forever.

Rinaldo was sure they would never again have such an intimate moment, such a romantic gesture. So he wanted to hold on to the memories and feelings they had shared. He wanted to ensure that Olivia knew how much he cared for her, and how much she meant to him.

He stroked her hair softly, keeping a light hold on her as he spoke. “I have to tell you something.”

Olivia lifted her head from his chest, a curious expression on her face. She didn't move from his embrace, but held her position.

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“This will not be easy for me, and I know you might not want to hear it, but I have to say it.”

She nodded, watching him with calm eyes. Rinaldo continued.

“I'm in love with you, and I don't want to imagine my life without you. I want to be with you forever. But…”

Her face crumpled slightly, and she bit her bottom lip. Rinaldo held his breath, dreading what was about to come.

“I can't. I can't live without you. I can't imagine my life without you in it. And it's killing me.” He took a deep breath as he spoke, trying to keep himself calm.

“I've never been in love before, Liv. Not since I was younger. I never thought it was possible to feel like this, because I didn't feel the way I feel right now. It was just… I don't know how to explain it, but it's different.”

He let his head hang back, closing his eyes. He waited for Olivia to say something, anything. But all he heard was the sound of his own breathing.

“I've loved no one like this before, and I don't think I ever will again. You… you're in my heart. You're my one and only. I don't know what I would do without you. I don't want to live without you.”

Olivia let out a slow, sad sigh, as if she had expected his words. She said nothing at first. Rinaldo waited for a reply, but the silence continued.

He couldn't hold it in any longer. He had to say something. “Liv, please say something. Talk to me.”

She slowly turned to face him, and Rinaldo almost cringed. Her expression didn't seem quite right. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he felt something in his chest. Something was wrong.

She gave him a warm smile and looked into his eyes. “I know what to say, and what to do.”

Rinaldo nodded as he waited for her to finish. He waited for her to finish a sentence, but she just looked at him with a smile. His mind raced, and he tried to see what was going on. He knew she loved him, but he hadn't seen her this upset before. Her eyes were watery, and she looked like she was in pain. What was happening?

“Rinaldo, I… it's just that… I don't know how to explain it, but I….” She shook her head, as if trying to clear it. She glanced down and away from him, turning toward the window.

Rinaldo took a step forward. “What is it? What's wrong?”

Olivia closed her eyes and took a deep breath, her expression changing from pure happiness to pain. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

“I'm sorry.”

He was suddenly standing beside her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. Rinaldo held her as she cried, keeping her on the same level as him so she wouldn't feel so small. He could feel her shoulders shaking as she cried.

He tried to comfort her, to offer her the solace she needed. She needed to talk to him about it, to tell him what was wrong. He felt that in her body language.

They stood there like that for a long time until Olivia's tears stopped. She had told him she was sorry. He knew she would stay with him. The question was, would she stay with him forever?

As the moments went by, it became more difficult to see. The more time Rinaldo spent with Olivia, the more he doubted. There was too much sadness in her eyes when she looked at him. She was never that upset about anything. What could she possibly be upset about?

All he could see in his mind was Olivia's smile, her joyous laugh, the sparkle in her eyes, and the warmth in her embrace that said she loved him with all her heart and soul. And it seemed as if she didn't feel the same about him.

The truth of the matter made Rinaldo feel as if he was a part of a terrible crime. What did he do?

Olivia confessed to being in love with him. Was she kidding? Was she playing with him? How could he be so stupid as to fall for that? And why? Did it matter what he did?

Why was this happening to him? Why? He needed to talk to her. Rinaldo had to know what had made her say what she said. He had to know.

“Liv, what's going on?”

Olivia looked up at him. “Rinaldo, I'm sorry.”

He shook his head. “You can't apologise to me, Liv. It's not that. What's wrong?”

She shook her head. “I can't tell you. It's… it's hard to explain.”

Rinaldo wrapped his arms around her. He could feel the tension in her. She was fighting something. He didn't know what it was. What was she so ashamed of?

“Tell me.” He shook her gently. “Tell me what it is. What's wrong?”

She looked at him, her eyes glistening with tears. She shook her head slowly, and it looked like she had changed her mind.

Rinaldo stepped back from her, letting her go. He didn't want her to walk away from him. She was so vulnerable right now.

“Tell me, Liv. Please.”

Rinaldo sat down beside Olivia. His body tensed up with the fear of the answer he was afraid of.

Olivia looked down at her hands, and then back up at him. She wanted to say it, but couldn't find the words. What went wrong? What did she have to be so ashamed of? She looked back down at her hands and looked away.

Rinaldo could see her struggle, and he wanted to lessen her burden. He leaned forward, waiting for her to say something.

“I can't say what it is, Rinaldo. I'm sorry. I just can't. I don't want to ruin our relationship.”