𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑩𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒆'𝒔 𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝑾𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝑰𝒔 𝑩𝒂𝒄𝒌!

Italy. Fiv

planned to spill esp

in her favorite corner of the book

ered, catching the cup

trying to mop up the mess

dama

harp jaw. And a stare that

hould've w

ness, the shadows under his eyes-

merican,"

ou're

w. "You're sitti

the building, t

turned-and paused.

tiff

graced business magazines, Forbes lists, and tech ex

your napkin,"

ask. But thanks for

uard. Then-an exhale tha

y intact and a strange tightness in her che

Same table. Black coffee.

after th

Don't you have somewhere better to

taly. We mind each othe

d find a n

ould find a

e that. Light jabs, dr

er outside, struggling with

need

this day

out asking, and neither o

banter, near-silences tha

media. Didn't like small ta

r a literature program. Lived alo

't mean

ke she was real in a wo

stared like it was a lan

ow burn. No grand gestures. No long-win

pulse and

in the

he dark aisle of a

g each other

," she whispered once, his

faint smile. "I

unsteady. "You're not cold. You p

against hers. "Don't

hy

eeing through me, I wo

ng. Not then. But her

matched the storm in her chest, sh

t, like it meant something sacre

ou'll

ied her face. "Then

hed, awkwardly. "

not j

e've known each other

days," he sai

t ready to believe him

riends, Vivienne. I've never wanted

ant to...

ements. Just you and

, unsure. "So..

said. "The world doesn

ted. "This

ood thi

mped apartment they'd made theirs for a few weeks. "You're Dominic Wolfe. There's an

er, arms sliding around her waist, "you're

e him. "You're no

. It's not for th

n them. The kind that te

zy," she fi

"That makes

-

ing. Not one of luxury or flash,

missed but locals knew like secrets. The cobblestones were uneven. Th

cheap red wine. She wore a faded blue dress and flowers in her ha

the stars, eati

ripts and childhood dream of being a

and the loneliness of boardrooms. S

he fell asleep

p. He just held her and watche

ried on a ra

ts. No

yond a signatu

t barely spoke English. The papers were signed in t

s eyes carried the kind of

the answer to a war he di

or a

as e

pipes. She wrote in the mornings. He made coffee like it was science.

ghts of passion. Days where the wo

ring at her like she was a pu

his face just to remin

ng he would stay. He n

a flight risk - even when

e borrowed tim

it

lway