More Than Once by Dominique Wolf

CHAPTER 25:

“W

ill you call me after?” I put my bag down on the counter and turned to Giovanni, “I'll be here for you for whatever you need okay?”

He pulled me into his arms. We spent the rest of our time in Valencia tangled in each other's arms. We were both seeking comfort in any way we could get it and I didn't want the weekend to end. I wanted to live in my bubble with him and ignore all the other shit we had to deal with. Unfortunately, we weren't able to do that and he had to drop me back at my apartment. He wanted to walk me up before heading out to meet his mom. He was about to have a terribly uncomfortable conversation with her and it wasn't my place to tag along. He needed to do this alone.

“I know, mi hermosa,” he kissed my hair. “Thank you.”

I pulled away and smiled up at him. “Thank you for letting me come with you. I needed to get away.”

“I'm glad you came with me,” he said as he pulled away but still held my hand. “Okay, I need to go and get this over with.”

I could see the pain and frustration in his eyes. He kissed me one last time before leaving my apartment, closing the door behind him. I sighed and pulled my phone from my pocket and dialed Reyna.

“Izzy,” she answered excitedly. “Where are you? Do you want to have lunch?”

I laughed. “Honestly Reyna, it's like we're the same person. I was just about to ask you the same thing. I just got back and thought I'd pop by your office.”

“Yes, please. These people are pissing me off today so I need to get out of here.”

I chuckled. “Okay, I'll see you in a bit then.”

“See you soon.” We ended the call and I went to get ready.

Thirty minutes later I was on a train to the city center. It was more packed than usual so I chose a seat in the far corner. I placed my earphones in. Reyna's office was a fifteen minute train ride away and I needed my music. I leaned against the window and swiped down to see my recent notifications. I still had missed calls from my mom and plenty of messages from her and Camila. I sighed and opened them.

“Isabella Avery, you better give me a call. I can't believe that you lied to us about Nate. We are incredibly disappointed and embarrassed we had to find out like this!”

I rolled my eyes. Being told they were disappointed didn't sting as much as the last time she said it. I guess I was used to it by now.

I opened another one.

“Isabella. Call me NOW!”

I swiped through it and opened one from my sister.

“Bella, please phone mom back. She's in a state about all this - everyone is asking questions and she doesn't know what to say. That's not fair on her.”

I rolled my eyes and shut my phone. They aggravated me so much. Not one of their messages asked me how I was doing with all of this. I know it was wrong of me to have lied to them in the first place but couldn't they see why I did? I wanted to avoid feeling like this. My phone buzzed again and I glanced down to see a message from Giovanni.

“Just got to my mom. I'll call you later. Thinking of you.”

I smiled and replied, “Good luck. I miss you already.”

I meant that. My heart was his and I missed him when he wasn't around. I had already become so accustomed to having him in my life.

Fifteen minutes later I stepped off the train at thestop closest to her office. I made my way through the crowds of people trying to get on and was greeted by the bright sun as I stepped out of the station. I breathed in the cold air and smiled. I would never be able to get enough of this place.

I turned down the street towards Reyna's office. She worked for a high-end media company in the city. She had started there as an intern after she graduated and was now one of the creative directors. It was a big company and she played an important role in the marketing campaigns they ran. I was a few minutes away so I removed my earphones and placed them in my bag.

Suddenly, I heard my name in the distance. I looked around to see who it was and I was surprised to see Lorenzo waving at me excitedly from down the street.

“Isabella!” he shouted again.

I waved back at him and walked to meet him. He was wearing a well-fitted navy suit and I was definitely attracted to this new look of his. He was smiling and I only noticed now how great his smile was.

“Lorenzo, hi,” I said and reached for a hug.

“Didn't expect to see you here,” he embraced me. “Do you work in the area?”

I shook my head and pulled away slowly, “My friend, Reyna, she works down the street.”

I pointed in the direction of Reyna's office and he nodded. “Well, I'm really glad I bumped into you. I tried calling a few weeks ago but I never heard back.”

He was referring to the time Giovanni answered my phone, he just avoided mentioning him. I averted my eyes and tugged at my lip like I always do when I'm nervous. Why was I being so awkward? Memories of the last time I saw Lorenzo came back to me and I couldn't help the warmth spreading across my cheeks. I didn't even know him but I still felt bad for how I used him that night.

“Well, you look great,” he continued. “I really enjoyed that night at the bar.”

I blushed, “Sorry about that. I felt really bad about just leaving like that.”

And for kissing you to make Giovanni jealous.I ran my fingers through my hair, the awkwardness I was feeling around him continued. Definitely a full 180 from the last time I was with him. Alcohol really gave me the confidence I needed.

He reached out and placed his hand on my arm, “Don't worry about it. I just haven't stopped thinking about you since.”

We locked eyes and there was this sudden lingering tension that wasn't there before. I pushed it out my head - What the fuck, Isabella? I couldn't deny he was attractive but surely there was nothing more.

“Listen, Lorenzo, I'm sorry if I led you on but I'm actually seeing somebody.”

“Giovanni Velázquez?”

I nodded.

“Wasn't he dating that model?” He didn't bother hiding his very obvious contempt for Giovanni. They both had the same reaction to each other. I knew it had something to do with Lorenzo's sister but I really didn't want to know more about Giovanni's past. I'd heard enough about that.

“That's over now,” I answered quickly.

It seemed like everyone was aware of Giovanni and Casey's on-again-off-again relationship. I pushed my jealousy aside and reminded myself to control that. I couldn't get upset every time someone mentioned the two of them. That was in the past now.

Lorenzo looked apprehensive but he shrugged. “Well, I certainly hope so. He better treat you right.”

I smiled. “He will, he does.”

He reached out and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. I held my breath at his unexpected touch. There was something different about Lorenzo this time round. My obvious emotional state last time around clouded the very obvious tension between him and me. It was unexpected and I didn't like it. I was focused on Giovanni and me right now.

“Listen, I have to go now,” he started. “But I really hope to see you again. Take care of yourself, beautiful.”

“Bye, Lorenzo.”

With one last look, he turned and took off down the street. I let out a breath and recalled that incredibly strange interaction. I was definitely attracted to Lorenzo but not in the way I was attracted to Giovanni. That was all-consuming. Lorenzo didn't even bother hiding his interest and while I was flattered, I didn't reciprocate that. Hearing about Casey again left a bad taste in my mouth but I pushed all of that out of my mind and continued heading to Reyna.

I dialed her number as I started to approach her office.

“Are you here?” she answered.

“Yeah, I'll wait downstairs for you.”

“See you now.”

We ended the call and I slipped my phone into my handbag. Her office building looked just like every other building in Barcelona. Skyscrapers and modern architecture were scarce in the city - it didn't need it. Reyna strolled out of the building, handbag and cellphone in hand. She was wearing a smart long-sleeve pencil dress and her thick hair was pulled into a neat bun. She had a way of carrying herself that showed she meant business. She smiled when she saw me and pulled me in for a hug.

“I feel like I haven't seen you in forever!” she shrieked.

I chuckled. “I know. I've missed you.”

She pulled away. “Where do you want to eat?”

“This is your area. What do you recommend?”

“Follow me. There's a great Italian restaurant down there.”

We turned in the direction of the restaurant and fell into a comfortable rhythm side by side. Winter was starting to creep in but it was great to have the sun shining on us bringing some warmth to the day.

“So?” I asked. “How was Madrid? How are your parents?”

“It was great, Izzy. You know how much I love going back home. I don't think I mentioned to you that Katrina is still there.”

“No, you didn't. How long is she there for?”

“No idea, but I know she really wanted to introduce Sergio to our parents so he's flying up to meet her this weekend.”

“Meeting the family?” I was surprised but happy for her. “That's serious.”

“Oh yes. They're definitely in love. My parents are going to come down for a weekend next month and I really want them to meet Diego.”

“That's so great!” I exclaimed.

We got to the small little Italian restaurant Reyna was referring to. We chose a table inside, away in the back corner. They were pretty busy so we wanted to keep our distance from the other tables. It was a sweet little family-owned restaurant. This was evident by the artwork and storytelling quotes they had on the walls of the place. I breathed in the aroma of basil and garlic and my stomach reacted. I was hungrier than I realized. We slipped into our seats as a cute waiter came to take our order

“Hola, hermosas.” He smiled.

He must have been just shy of eighteen years but you could see the confidence he exuded. He was definitely attractive but in a youthful way. Reyna ordered us a round of cocktails to start off with and he nodded.

“Coming right up.”

Reyna turned to me. “So back to Diego. I really want to introduce him to my parents. I feel like this could be something great.”

Her eyes twinkled as she spoke about him. She was completely smitten and this was the first time I had ever seen her like this. I reached out for her hand and squeezed it.

“Diego is great. They're going to love him.”

“I think so, too. You know me, I don't introduce anyone to my parents but I've also never felt like this before.”

The waiter was back with our drinks and placed them in front of us. I didn't know what it was but I trusted Reyna's judgment on this.

“Can I get you ladies anything to eat?” he asked.

We scanned through the menus quickly and both settled on a simple margarita pizza to share. He took the menus from us and was off again.

“Don't think you're going to get out of explaining to me what went down with your family, Izzy.” She raised her eyebrow at me.

I rolled my eyes. “There isn't much to tell. Cats out the bag - they know for sure now that I was lying and I've been avoiding them since I last spoke to Camila.”

“How do you feel about Nate being engaged?”

“Well, I was fucking surprised by it. I didn't even know he was seeing anyone and you know why he broke up with me so it just doesn't make sense to me now that he's doing exactly what he told me he didn't want to do.”

“Yeah, it was surprising for me to hear too. I didn't expect that from him. Do you think there was something going on with that woman while you were still together?”

“The thought definitely crossed my mind but I have no idea and I'm not going to ask him. I know that he was feeling the pressure from my family about the whole getting married thing - I was feeling it too, but we just weren't right for each other.”

I sipped on my drink and was pleasantly surprised by the tangy grapefruit flavour that came through. Nate and I weren't right for each other and I was okay with that now. Hearing that he was engaged definitely came as a shock but it also brought me the closure I didn't realize I was seeking.

“I was worried about you,” Reyna admitted. “This has been a difficult year for you and I know how crazy your family can be.”

“Yeah, they definitely didn't care at all about how I was actually doing. They're just so angry that I lied and put them in such a difficult situation because everyone is asking questions and blah blah blah.”

Reyna scoffed, “That's the Avery's for you.”

She was right. My family has always been like that and Reyna has been around enough times to see them live in action.

“How was your weekend in Valencia?” She changed the subject and I was thankful for that. I didn't have much else to say about Nate and my parents.

“Oh, there was some drama,” I said as I brought my drink to my lips and continued to sip in between explaining. “Giovanni and his dad got into a fight.”

She choked on her drink, “I'm sorry, what?”

I chuckled, “Yeah it was madness.”

“Spill the beans.”

I knew Reyna wouldn’t share this with anyone else - that was part of the best friend’s code of conduct.

“We went out for dinner and decided to go for a couple drinks at this bar before heading back to our hotel. Turns out Giovanni's dad was at this same bar but with a woman that wasn't his wife.”

Her jaw dropped. “No! Fucking! Way!”

The waiter arrived with our pizza and placed it down in front of us. It was a large one but it was perfect for the two of us to share. It smelled amazing and I couldn't wait to dig in.

The waiter lingered and smiled at Reyna with his boyish grinning. “Can I get you anything else?”

“We're good, thank you.” She smiled and he left us to enjoy our meal.

I reached for a slice and brought it to my mouth. The tangy tomato and basil taste was the perfect combination with the copious amounts of cheese they had spread throughout.

“The nerve of his father to do that again,” Reyna commented, shaking her head. “What a pig.”

“Yeah, Giovanni didn't take it well. He ended up punching his father but he also got hit in the process. I met his mother, Marcia, the other day and she was just the most wonderful lady.”

“It's always the good ones that end up with shit like that,” she shook her head. “So how's Giovanni handling all this?”

“Not well,” I admitted. “He's actually at his moms right now telling her what happened. I can't imagine that's an easy conversation for him to be having.”

“God no, that must be awful.”

“He still harbours a lot of anger from the last time that happened. He was telling me how he was the one who found his mother after the news broke the first time and it was devastating for him to witness.”

“I can't believe his father would put their family through that again.”

“I told Giovanni to call me once he's spoken to his mother. It didn't feel right for me to tag along.”

Reyna brought her drink to her lips and sipped slowly. “How's it going with the two of you?”

My mind lingered back to this past weekend with him and the heat spread across my cheeks.

“Oh my God, you're blushing already.” She laughed.

“I can't help it,” I admitted. “I think I could really fall for him.”

Reyna rolled her eyes and smiled, “I think you can admit to me that you've already fallen for him, Izzy.”

I didn't want to say that out loud but she was right. Saying I could fall for him gave me the sense of security that I could stop that at any point. I could stop before I hit the bottom but the truth was I was no longer in control of my feelings.

“He consumes me,” I explained. “I have never had passion like this with anyone before. He excites me and for the first time ever I feel comfortable to be who I am. There are no hidden agendas. He was never part of the plan and that's what I love. He completely took me by surprise.”

I downed more of my drink and continued, “And it's not just that he's incredibly hot, he's got a soft side to him too. He's opened up to me and I feel like we truly get each other. He really makes me feel like I belong.”

I looked up at Reyna who was smiling at me across the table.

“What?” I asked.

“You're in love with him,” she said as a matter-of-fact. “I can see it in the way you talk about him. Your eyes light up with this thing I've never seen before.”

“I'm not in love with him.”

She scoffed, “Izzy, you don't have to lie to me. It's okay to admit it.”

I shook my head, “I can't. The minute I admit that I lose all control over this and I can't afford to do that.”

“Control over what? Your relationship with him?” She asked. “Does he feel the same about you?”

“I think so,” I murmured. “I know he cares about me but I also know that he's never been in love.”

“He's also never made the kind of effort that he's made with you.”

I smiled. Everyone was so quick to make me aware of Giovanni's lack of commitment but he wasn't like that anymore. I refused to believe he wasn't committed to me. Our relationship became a lot more serious very quickly. I was there for him with what happened now with his dad and he wanted to lean on me. He opened up to me and I believed him when he told me that he cared about me. I could see it in the way he looked at me. It took my breath away at times.

“It's okay to love him, Izzy.” Reyna reached out and squeezed my hand.

We continued our lunch and her words repeated over and over in my mind. Was I in love with him? Already? How could I tell? I used to think I was in love with Nate but the feelings I had for him were nowhere close to what I was feeling for Giovanni. It didn't even crack the surface. It terrified me to feel this way about him. I pushed that from my mind.

“I couldn't love him already - there's no way.”

“Who are you trying to convince here?” Reyna asked. “Me or you?”