Lydia didn’t sound very sorry. On the contrary, her voice was filled with joy.
What the heck? Couldn’t she be a little more empathic?
There was a roaring engine in the background. Where was Lydia? Maybe Eleni had disturbed her in something important. She should really get a new car. But first she needed a job.
Eleni shifted the phone to her other ear. “If you can’t come, that’s fine. I can take the subway.”
“Oh, no. No, I’m on my way. Wait for me at the entrance.”
Lydia cut the line.
Eleni stared at the black screen of her phone. How utterly odd. What was going on with Lydia? That awkward moment in their kitchen two days ago came into her mind. Lydia whispering on the phone. Who was she talking to? Was she maybe cheating on Dad? Ridiculous. That couldn’t be.
Eleni shook her head and put away her phone.
She reached the bottom of the long staircase and sat down beside a large column in the middle.
A group of school kids rushed past, chatting loudly. One of them had a pair of fins peeking out of his orange backpack. Probably a trip to the swimming pool.
Eleni’s heart stopped, and she couldn’t breathe. She put her hands to her chest and started to rub at it gently.
Oh, goodness, what was she doing? She couldn’t continue like this. Each time something reminded her even slightly of Matteo, she risked having an anxiety attack. It’d been almost two months. When would her brain and her heart finally accept the idea that she wasn’t going to see him again?
She pictured Matteo lying on the hospital bed. Would it have been better to say good-bye in person?
She bit her lip. Who was she kidding? She could never have done it. Just the memory of his touch made her quiver with desire. If she had spoken to him, she would have confessed her feelings. And what good would that have done? None.
Eleni reached out and pressed her warm palms against the cold marble beside her. If only her job hunt could be more successful. Maybe if she could teach again, she would be able to focus on something else.
Not on what Matteo was doing or where he was. Not on whether he’d already found a location for his school. Or how dazzlingly blue his eyes were and how soft his lips had felt.
Eleni shook herself out of it. Dang, she was doing it again. Why couldn’t she at least be a master to her thoughts if not to her feelings?
Lydia’s silver Honda stopped in front of the building.
Eleni glanced at her watch. How did her stepmother get here so quickly? It hadn’t been more than five minutes since she’d called her.
Lydia got out of the car and strolled over to her with a bright smile on her lips. “Lenie, get up, you’ll catch a cold on those stairs.”
Eleni straightened up. A suspicious sensation settled at the pit of her stomach. There was something off in Lydia’s behavior. She looked, not only in a good mood, but disturbingly happy.
She narrowed her eyes. “What’s up with you? Why are you beaming?”
Lydia shook her head. “Why wouldn’t I? It’s a perfect day for a new start. Isn’t it?”
A new start? Eleni’s heart squeezed as she took in her stepmother’s neatly arranged bob and her wide grin. Poor Dad.
Eleni moved over to her stepmother. “Where have you been? You got here in no time. And what’s all this blabber about a new start?”
Lydia furrowed her brows. “Well, somebody is very grumpy.”
Eleni’s eyes widened. Did the aliens just kidnap her stepmother? Or was she really having an affair? Something was up. She needed to find it out now. “Of course I am. I just lost a job opportunity again. But you? What’s wrong with you? You’re acting strange.”
Lydia’s smile widened even more. “I think it’s for the best. Maybe your place isn’t in Boston after all. Maybe you should discover new places. Try yourself at life.”
Eleni poked Lydia with a finger. “Lydia, are you betraying my dad? That’s why you want me to go away?”
Lydia’s mouth popped open, then she chuckled. “Oh, silly, nothing like that. I just think you haven’t been happy since you got back from the island. As if you left your heart there. With that man. What was his name? Matteo?”
Eleni’s temples started to throb.
Why did she tell Lydia about Matteo? Her stepmother still thought there was a chance for Eleni to meet him again. Eleni didn’t need that kind of hope. No, what she needed was a new job and a stepmother who acted like she wasn’t high on coke.
Eleni’s eyes welled up. “I don’t want to think about Matteo ever again. I can’t. He doesn't love me. He didn’t—” Sobs bubbled up in her throat.
How was she ever going to put her heart back together? It was as if the mention of Matteo’s name had destroyed the weak wall of self-control she had managed to build up. It was all shattering.
Lydia pulled her into an embrace. “Shhh, my dear. I think you’re quite wrong about that.”
Eleni glanced up at Lydia’s face, tears running down her cheeks. “About what?”
“About Matteo. About him not loving you.” Her stepmother stroke Eleni’s hair.
Why was Lydia telling her this? What would she know? She needed to stop infusing Eleni with false hopes. It wasn’t helping.
“And how would you know that?” she snapped.
Lydia cupped Eleni’s face, smiling. “Oh, it’s quite simple, my sweet Lenie. He told me so himself.”
Chapter 36
Matteo pressed his nose to the cold car window. Fricking tinted glass. He couldn’t see well enough. What was Lydia telling Eleni?
Bianca pressed her hand to his knee. “Relax, brother, it’ll all go well. I can feel it.”
Matteo threw a side-glance at his sister. His heart leaped. Whatever happened today, he was still lucky. He was blessed with the best family.
“Thanks, Bi’. I hope you’re right.”
Bianca pointed at the window. “Look, I think it’s time.”
Matteo’s eyed darted outside, and a cold feeling invaded his stomach. Lydia was looking in their direction. His moment had finally come. Everything that he’d been preparing for in the past two months was either going to make it or break it.
His heart raced so fast that its pulsations vibrated in his skull. He recognized this feeling. He had it before each dive. But this time the intensity was a billion times stronger.
It wasn’t only his life at stake, but also his heart.
His glance moved over Eleni. She looked so fragile and sad, like a porcelain doll in the arms of her stepmother.
But Matteo knew the truth. Appearances were deceiving. Eleni wasn’t weak. She was the strongest and bravest person he had ever met in his entire life.
Was his offer going to be enough for her?
He drew in a deep breath and stepped out of the car.
* * *
The door of Lydia’s car creaked, and Eleni snapped her head to the side. Her jaw dropped, and she grabbed at her chest.
Matteo? That couldn’t possibly be. She was dreaming. Her eyes flicked to Lydia’s face.
Lydia grinned at her. “I told you that you were wrong.”
Lydia cocked her head toward Matteo and wiggled her eyebrows. She let go of Eleni’s arm and took a few steps back.
Eleni’s pulse quickened. Heat crept up her neck, and her breath hitched. Was this really happening?
Matteo caught her stare and approached. His blue irises were fixed on her. “Hi, Eleni.”
Eleni had to swallow twice before she could master a sound. “Hi.”
Oh, even this one came out muffled. She brushed through her hair quickly.
Matteo’s eyes followed her movement, and his lips twitched slightly. “You wear your hair down now.”
Eleni bit her lip. “Yeah, I do.”
She couldn’t possibly tell him that in her dreams she hoped he would turn up one day. And that she wanted to look her best for him.
Matteo smiled. “I think you look beautiful. I always thoug
ht so.”
Eleni’s heart thudded.
Why was Matteo here? Lydia had said that Eleni was wrong about his feelings. Could it be true?
“Matteo…uhm…” Why did her voice have to sound so husky? She cleared her throat. “What are you doing here? In my mother’s car?”
Matteo’s eyes moved to Lydia’s face for a second.
Her stepmother nodded encouragingly at him.
He turned back to Eleni. “I came to speak to you. I received your letter. In which you said you came back with Connor.”
He paused and worked his jaw.
Her letter? Oh, no. She had intentionally made it ambiguous as to why she decided to travel home. It had seemed like a good safety measure at the time. Was it still?
She lowered her gaze. “I did come back with Connor and Laura. But I haven’t seen him since.”
Matteo’s jaw relaxed, and his lips curled up. “Yes, so I’ve heard.”
Lydia. Eleni’s eyes drifted over to her stepmother. What were these two up to?
She blinked at Matteo. “I was just about to ask. How do you even know my stepmother?”
“When I received your letter, I thought you’d gone back to Connor.” Matteo tugged at his light-blue shirt collar. “I mean gotten back with him. My sister—”
“Bianca?”
How did Bianca get involved in this?
Matteo nodded. “Yes, Bianca. She told me I was mistaken. But before I could dream any further, I needed proof.”
Dream any further? What did that mean? Eleni’s stomach grew hard, and a small glimmer of hope started to spread in her. What if Lydia was right?
No, she had to wait and hear Matteo out. She couldn’t allow herself to wish too much.
Matteo pointed at Lydia. “I retrieved your contact details from James and called your home. That’s how I got to know your stepmother, who is a lovely person, by the way.”
Eleni gulped. “You did what? And James just gave you my file?”
Matteo’s mouth moved into a sly grin. “Oh, James and I are best pals now. Ever since news about the Pearl got out. He claimed that he participated in your rescue mission and, hence, in the discovery of the cave.”
The cave. The glistening cavalcade of blue stone walls flashed through Eleni’s mind. “Right, the Pearl. But why would James bother to associate himself with it? I thought it was only famous among free divers.”
A strange expression settled on Matteo’s face. He pressed his lips together, as if he was replaying the words he wanted to say in his head before actually saying them. When he spoke, his eyes burned with pride. “The Pearl turned out to be much more than that. Those blue stones we saw inside. Those are apparently menadits. A precious material that was transported with meteorites into our atmosphere. There’s only one other place on Earth where it can be found. Its discovery became breaking news. Our sponsors loved it. Luke collected more money than we ever hoped.”
Eleni gasped. So Matteo didn’t just achieve his dream. He went way above.
Maybe her fall that day was meant to be. She had never considered it in that light, but maybe it was all fate. She’d helped Matteo achieve what he desired.
She rubbed her neck. “So this means you got what you always wanted. Did you open your school?”
Matteo’s eyes darkened. “Yes, I did. And, no, I didn’t.”
“What does that mean?”
Matteo stepped closer to Eleni and took her hand. “It means I opened my school, but I didn’t get what I desire. Not yet, at least.”
His warm breath tickled Eleni’s cheeks, and his touch sent shivers up her spine.
Eleni swallowed. “And what is it you desire?”
She raised her gaze, and her eyes locked with Matteo’s.
His pupils were large, the vibrant blue only a tiny circle around the ebony color. “My sweet Eleni, isn’t that obvious? Why do you think I came to Boston? I came for you. You’re all I desire. All I’ve ever truly desired. Only I didn’t always realize it.”
Eleni’s knees became weak. “Me?”
Matteo’s hands released hers, and he grabbed her waist. He pulled her to him, so close their bodies touched.
His face was only an inch away. “Yes, you. I’m in love with you. It took me a moment to come to my senses, but I have. I love you. Madly. So there’s only one question left. Do you love me, Eleni Whitemaker?”
Eleni’s heart pounded with the force of a drum. Yes, yes, yes. Ten thousand times, yes.
She licked her lips. “Yes, Matteo. I love you, with all my heart.”
Matteo’s lips moved into a smile, and then his gaze dipped to her lips.
The joy of anticipation spread through Eleni, filling each and every cell in her body with the yearning for his touch. Matteo leaned in, raising one hand behind Eleni’s nape. Their breaths met before their lips did.
Eleni’s bones turned to butter as Matteo’s skin brushed her lower lip. This wasn’t a dream. It was actually happening. Matteo had come for her. He wanted her. Just like she wanted him. She reached up and tangled her fingers through his thick hair.
He moaned. Then his mouth captured hers and he deepened the kiss. Matteo’s hands squeezed her, and his heat permeated her body.
This was a kiss that could turn the stars in the sky. It was like a free fall, a dive into the depth of the ocean, losing themselves in the unknown.
It felt so different than any of their previous kisses. It wasn’t a stolen moment of happiness or the rapture of a desperate longing. It was a promise. The promise of a happily ever after.
After a bit, Matteo drew back slightly. He was panting, but his eyes sparkled. “There’s one more thing I need to ask.”
Eleni searched his face. What else did he want to know? “Tell me.”
Matteo tilted his head and he brushed his thumb against her face. “How would you feel about leading a dance school on your own? A place where you could teach the way you want? Just like I do with diving.”
Eleni wasn’t sure she heard correctly. How would she feel about it? This had been a fantasy tucked away in the corner of her soul for eternity. But she knew it wasn’t possible. Not with the financial resources she had.
“It sounds like a dream. But a pretty unachievable one.”
Matteo beamed at her. “Not anymore, my love. Not anymore.”
He waved towards the car.
Lydia’s Honda opened again, and this time Bianca stepped out.
Eleni stifled a cry. “What the heck? Is Lydia hiding your whole family in that car?”
Matteo threw back his head and laughed out loud. “No, no. Just Bi’. She wanted to come and see how you react to the idea of D & D. The name was her idea, to be fair.”
Eleni’s brows shot up. “D & D?”
Bianca walked over to them, smiling. “Dive & Dance.”
Lydia approached too and patted Bianca’s shoulder. “This young lady and her brother have gone through a lot of trouble setting up these plans. I’m so delighted they did. This is your destiny, Lenie, I can feel it.”
Eleni’s eyes bounced between their faces. “What is Dive & Dance?”
Bianca took out her phone and clicked on the pictures. “Look, it’s all here.”
Pictures of a sleekly designed, white building appeared. It stood at the seaside. On its entrance, the slogan “Dive & Dance - come and explore your unknown” was written.
Matteo glanced at Eleni. “It’s a free-diving school and a dance school together. The building has two parts. The bigger side hosts the dance studio. It’s on the Amalfi Coast, in Italy.”
Eleni’s heart skipped a beat. “In Italy? You want me to move with you to Italy?”
Matteo’s smile disappeared. His eyes grew serious. “Yes. But if you’d rather not, and you prefer to stay here, then that’s what we’ll do. Luke can take care of the school alone. He would find a dance teacher. We’ll do whatever you want.”
Eleni couldn’t believe her ears. Matteo was ready to renounce of all thi
s for her? “You would do that for me?”
Matteo didn’t blink. “In a heartbeat. The most important thing for me is that we’re together.”
Lydia shifted her weight, and Bianca cleared her throat.
They were all waiting for her to decide.
Could she do this? Launch herself into a new adventure again? Not knowing the land or the language?
Her eyes flicked to Matteo. He was offering her a dream, something she deep-down always desired. So what if she had to take some Italian classes. She could master that. She could do anything as long as she was with Matteo.
She inhaled. “I want to come to Italy with you. I want us to make this dream come true. Together.”
Matteo’s eyes widened, and then a grin spread over his face. He hugged Eleni again, this time lifting her from her feet. “Eleni Whitemaker, you make me the happiest man alive.”
Lydia and Bianca broke into cheers, but Eleni didn’t quite hear them anymore.
As Matteo’s lips found hers, the outside world disappeared.
Everything became a blur, except for Matteo’s eyes. Those blue imprisoning depths, in which she was happy to lose herself—forever.
Epilogue
Matteo hugged Eleni’s shoulder as they stepped out of the D & D’s building. His eyes fell on the blue water in front of them. His shoulders relaxed, and he sighed.
This had been another great season for the school. They had grown so much. Students were not only coming to them from the surrounding areas, but also traveling from abroad to take advantage of their intensive short courses.
His eyes flicked to Eleni. Her golden mane glistened in the afternoon sun. His heart skipped a beat. None of this would have been possible without her. Even after two years, the idea that this amazing woman had decided to join him in this wild adventure didn’t cease to warm his soul.
He was truly the luckiest man. And he would be even luckier in three days.
He kissed the top of Eleni’s head. “What time are your folks getting here?”
Eleni glanced at her watch. “Their plane should land in three hours.” She furrowed her brows. “I’m still annoyed that they didn’t get the flight last week. They won’t have much time to get over their jet lag before the wedding.”
Loving The Boss (Gems 0f Love Book 1) Page 20
