Truth in Pieces

by RC Boldt

  But Luca doesn’t seem to mind me nodding off, and I certainly won’t complain about having his voice lull me to sleep. It’s the next best thing to having him here with me.

  If everything goes according to plan, however, I’ll carry off my surprise without a hitch in a few months.

  77

  Olivia

  Four months after moving to England…

  Luca: Your sister stopped by again. Swear to God, she has an aversion to actually being invited inside.

  Me: Oh, God.

  Luca: Yeah. Guess it could be worse. Still. Swear I’m gonna put a cowbell or something around her neck. She’s way too stealthy.

  Luca: Anyway, we talked about work and then of course, you. She cares about you. So do I. And I know Manny does, too. You’ve got a lot of people in your corner, baby.

  Luca: Hell, you know Kai’s got a soft spot for you, just for nicknaming him Goliath.

  Me: Trust me, the feeling is mutual.

  Once again, when I type the words, a bone-deep ache resonates within me.

  Me: I miss you, Luca.

  Luca: I miss you, too, baby.

  78

  Olivia

  Five months after moving to England…

  Luca: I know your favorite song, but do you have a favorite movie?

  Me: John Wick or The Punisher.

  Luca: I just fell in love with you a little more.

  Me: That’s all it takes?

  Luca: Pretty much.

  Luca: Know what my favorite thing is about you? Or things, since I can’t narrow it down?

  Me: Oh, boy. Let me guess… My breasts.

  Luca: That hurts that you think I’m so shallow.

  Luca: But now that you mention it…

  Luca: I’m kidding. I love your eyes. They make you, you. Don’t ever think any differently.

  Luca: I love how intelligent you are. And your resilience. No doubt about it, my woman’s a force to be reckoned with.

  Me: I hate that I have to start class in less than two minutes. Stop making me swoony!

  Luca: You know I’m not letting you go. You’re mine. Just biding my time.

  Me: Dammit, I really have to go teach this class. I love you, Luca. So much.

  Luca: I love you, too, baby. Have a great day.

  79

  Olivia

  Six months after moving to England…

  “So, we all know what brought me here.” Natalie grins before taking a sip of her beer. “I’ve been dying for you to finally share your story.”

  Natalie, a secondary education professor, has become a good friend. We met during our orientation at Manchester University and try to meet up for happy hour here in King’s House Pub.

  Sometimes, her fiancé, Jonathan, joins us. He tends to be on the quieter side, but he’s a sweetheart and utterly devoted to Natalie.

  They met during his study abroad semester while she was in graduate school at Boston College. After doing the long-distance thing for a while, she took the plunge, leaving her job in the States to teach here and be closer to him.

  I take a sip of my beer before answering. “I needed a fresh start.”

  It may sound like a canned response, but it’s an honest one all the same. I needed to discover who I am and face the painful truth of where I came from.

  I never felt like I fit in with my own family, and as time progressed, I’d felt similarly with my peers. Perhaps everyone else had a keen sense I was different.

  Now, I know it’s true. I am different.

  But I’m taking hold of these differences—the fact that my biological parents are both criminals—and moving forward. I needed to prove that though their blood runs through my veins, it doesn’t define me. That I didn’t inherit Johanna’s evil nature.

  All along, I thought my world was built on a rock-solid foundation—vibrantly colored and full of life—but I was wrong. It was a mosaic with the messiest and most jagged pieces that refused to fit together in the faintest semblance of an orderly fashion.

  It lacked in color and life because it reeked of betrayal and bloodshed. Poorly assembled lies had crafted my world, and I had to rebuild it the way I needed it to be structured. And this time, I had to construct it with the pieces I chose.

  I had to do this on my own, just as I needed to put distance between Luca and me so that he could have the same opportunity to gain perspective. If I had stayed, it would’ve only been a matter of time before rumors would’ve gained major steam. Especially with my continued visits to see Manny.

  I truly believe I was always meant to go down this path. To stumble and sometimes take a nasty fall but eventually discover the truth, even if only in bits and pieces at a time. I believe I was meant to find a man who made an effort to understand me. To help me heal.

  To let me go so I could heal the way I needed.

  I got my fresh start, and although it’s been rewarding and thrilling, it’s also…lonely. Sure, I get calls and texts from Camila and Luca, and I’ve come to look forward to my chats with Manny. More than anything else, this has enabled me to see how much I needed this change.

  I realized that I’m a damn good professor and friend. A good sister and daughter. And if things go according to plan once this semester ends in two weeks, I plan to prove that I can be a great girlfriend, too.

  “Honey.” Natalie’s voice draws me from my thoughts. She arches an eyebrow, features wary. “In my experience, when a woman says she needed a fresh start, that usually means she got mixed up with a married man.”

  Her response surprises a laugh out of me. “Not at all.”

  Her cell phone lights up where it lies on the lacquered surface of the pub table. She reads the text with a muttered, “Well, hell.”

  Her fingers dance along the screen frantically as she types, and I turn my attention to the door when it opens, a gust of icy wind accompanying the pub-goers.

  I tug at the edge of my blue cowl-neck sweater and recross my legs, thankful for the thick tights beneath my skirt that ward off the incessant chill. Miami spoiled me with its sunshine and warm climate, that much is certain.

  “I’m so sorry.” I turn to find an apology etched on Natalie’s face. “I totally forgot that Jonathan’s mom was stopping over tonight.” She winces. “She already thinks I’m a spaz because I left off the cheese on the shepherd’s pie I made for dinner once. I’m sorry, but I have to skip out early.”

  I laugh and wave at her. “Go on. Don’t worry about it.”

  Her expression is torn, but she pulls out some cash to cover her tab. “I’m sorry, Liv. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.” She slides on her coat and slings her purse over her shoulder. “We’ll do dinner next time. My treat.” She plants a loud smack of a kiss on my cheek before rushing away.

  Absently, I trace a fingertip around the rim of my beer glass and let my eyes skim along the crowd of people celebrating the end of the workweek. Aside from the atmosphere and the reasonably priced drinks, there’s another reason I prefer to come here.

  The jukebox.

  Tucked against the far wall, it has a great variety of song offerings. Of course, there’s one in particular I haven’t been able to bring myself to play. I’ve walked over there a handful of times, prepared to punch the buttons for it, but chickened out.

  Now, not only does that song hold the power to elicit memories of my childhood but it also makes me think of a certain man. One with glittering golden brown eyes. Lips that have kissed a path over my entire body. Arms that have held me through my tears and made me feel safe.

  Tonight, that jukebox has been getting a lot of action. A smile tugs at my lips as I gaze at it. I take another sip of my beer just as my phone lights up with a text.

  Camila: Happy six months of living in England! I have one request: Please never tell me you’re going to the loo. I’ll have to slap you.

  I grin and type back, Thank you, and I’ll never tell you that.

  Camila: Are you happy?

  I frown
at the abrupt shift. Yes.

  Camila: Sure about that?

  My brow furrows. You’re being awfully cryptic.

  She doesn’t immediately respond, and another text comes in.

  Luca: How’s my favorite professor doing?

  Warmth unfurls in my chest, and I smile down at my phone like a smitten fool.

  Me: Good, now that it’s Friday. Was grabbing a beer with a friend, but she had to leave. I’m heading out soon.

  I hit send and wonder what he’s up to. It’s a little after one in the afternoon in Miami.

  Luca: Not too soon, I hope. Gotta enjoy your beer, at least.

  Me: I will. It’s been an exhausting week and this beer is much needed.

  I take a sip and glance around the pub. The jukebox changes out, and when the first few notes of the next song begin to play, my hand trembles as I set my glass down on the cardboard coaster.

  “What A Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong.

  A smile tugs at my lips, my mind instantly drawing Luca to the forefront.

  Luca: A beautiful woman like you shouldn’t be sitting alone in a pub on a Friday night.

  Me: Worse things could happen. I could be getting hit on by some random guy.

  Luca: Yeah, we don’t want that.

  Luca: He’d probably tell you how gorgeous your eyes are or something.

  Luca: Especially in that blue sweater you’re wearing.

  Every muscle in my body goes still, my eyes locked on the screen. I blink twice, certain that I’m misreading his text.

  Especially in that blue sweater you’re wearing. Holy shit. There’s only one way he’d know that.

  I snap my head up in time to hear a familiar voice ask, “This seat taken?”

  Staring into the golden brown eyes I’ve dreamed of for months, I drink in the sight of him, noting the thick dusting of dark scruff covering his jawline. The sight of Luca standing before me acts like a powerful burst of life, rejuvenating the barren part of my heart that hasn’t been functioning as a whole without him here.

  I part my lips to respond, but shock has stolen my voice, so I just shake my head. My heart leaps within my chest as a torrent of emotions barrels through me—happiness, longing, love, and hopefulness.

  He slides into the chair Natalie vacated earlier and offers a small smile. “I’m Luca. I hope you don’t mind that I played that song on the jukebox, but the woman I love has an affinity for it.”

  Playing along, I clear my throat and ask, “And what happened to her?”

  His brows slant, his features intense. “I was an idiot and let her walk away. I let her think that my job was more important than she was—is—to me.”

  “She just…needed to get away from everything. Get her head right.”

  “If she manages to do that, do you think she’d still wanna be with me?” His expression turns a shade bashful. “Because I moved here and got a job as an analyst at Interpol. I won’t be doing fieldwork anymore. Going the safe route from now on.”

  My mouth drops open in shock. “Luca, that’s fantastic! Congratulations!”

  I slip off my chair and round the small table to hug him. He rises and enfolds me in his arms in a way that’s so natural that it kicks my heart into overdrive.

  Neither of us makes any move to break the embrace, and I tighten my hold on him, recognizing the peace that washes over me at his touch.

  He speaks against my ear, voice heavy with emotion. “I missed you, Olivia.”

  “I missed you, too.” My voice cracks. “So much.”

  He eases away, his eyes locking with mine. “Fuck if it didn’t take longer than I wanted to get things in order, but I don’t want a life without you in it. I’m yours, Professor.”

  Eyes gleaming with vulnerability and want, he swallows hard. “I’ll always be yours. Nothing’s gonna change that. I’ll love you till my last dying breath. And then I’ll love you some more.”

  His eyes search my features. “I’m willing to wait till you figure things out, but I wanna be here for you. In whatever capacity you’ll let—”

  I cut off his words by fusing my mouth to his and pour my emotions into the kiss. Gratitude. Love. Happiness. Contentment.

  Hoots sound around us, and I reluctantly break the kiss, just barely, and speak against his lips. “I loved you when I thought you were a criminal.” My throat threatens to close from the emotion clogging it. “And I never stopped.”

  His mouth curves into a hopeful smile. “Yeah?”

  I gently dust my lips to his. “Yeah. So, you want to get out of here?” With another soft kiss, I add, “Come back to my place?”

  “For the night?”

  I sober, recognizing the weight of his question, and reach up to trace the fullness of his bottom lip.

  This man respected my need for space yet never let me go. I know with an inherent certainty that if I were to tell him I still need time, he’d maintain his patience.

  Eyes locked with his, I confess, “I planned to come see you in two weeks once this semester wrapped up.”

  Hope gleams in his eyes. “You were?”

  I nod. “So, why don’t you ask me your question again?”

  His throat bobs, tone husky and brimming with emotion. “For the night?”

  “Forever.”

  Those eyes crinkle at the edges, gleaming with love. He draws me to him, a tremor rolling through his body as he lowers his lips to my forehead. “I thought you’d never ask.”

  80

  Luca

  Five Years Later

  MIRASOL RESORT

  KEY LARGO, FLORIDA

  If anyone had told me I’d meet the love of my life while undercover, acting like a cocky motherfucker in charge of a powerful cartel, I would’ve laughed in their face.

  Yet here I am.

  Kai lowers his voice to an exaggerated whisper. “Got the car ready, just in case you wanna bail.”

  I narrow my eyes on my best man, and he grins. “Just kidding.” He taps his big fist against my shoulder. “You got this.”

  Turning my attention to the path Olivia should be walking down any moment now, I grin. “I know.”

  Silence descends as soon as the doors open. The single violinist begins to play while Camila strides into the waterside ballroom overlooking the ocean, taking her place on the opposite side of the officiant. She winks at me, and I smile back. The resemblance is still uncanny, but she doesn’t hold a candle to my woman.

  It’s confirmed the moment Olivia and Manny emerge.

  Holy fuck.

  “Breathe, man,” Kai mutters, amusement in his voice.

  Damn if I don’t need that reminder because the sight of Olivia robs me of all breath. She’s stunning.

  Her strapless dress has white lace patterns on the top layer, and beneath is flesh-toned. It flares into a hint of a train in the back. Shoulders bared, her hair is in loose waves, and her lips are painted red.

  Yeah, she’s gorgeous as hell, but the moment our eyes lock cements everything. This is it. I’m about to make this woman officially mine. God knows, I’ve been hers from the start.

  Olivia Nicochávez. Damn, I love the sound of that.

  I wonder if maybe her parents—Liam and Beth—and my mom are looking down at us and smiling. I’d sure like to think so.

  Manny walks Olivia down the aisle, her arm tucked in his, and the man preens. He’s a good guy, and he’s made a solid effort to support his girls, which I’m grateful for.

  Because he’s on probation after serving his five years in prison, he’s the main reason Olivia wanted us to come back to the States to get married.

  When he guides her closer to me, my lungs grow tight. My emotions turn turbulent and my eyes burn. Goddamn. This woman’s about to marry me. Smart, beautiful, funny. She’s choosing to spend the rest of her life with me. I drag in a much-needed breath and blink a few times against a sheen of tears.

  As soon as they draw to a stop beside me, Manny shakes my hand and drops a quick
kiss on Olivia’s cheek. He moves to his designated seat while Olivia hands her bouquet to Camila.

  I take Olivia’s hands in mine and whisper, “Hey, Professor.”

  Those blue-green eyes shine with love when she whispers back with a smile. “Hey.”

  Once we exchange vows and it’s time to seal them with a kiss, I don’t hold back. I kiss the hell out of her while our friends and family cheer us on.

  My favorite part of the evening comes when we have our first dance as husband and wife. We chose a song that serves as a reminder to cherish our blessings and never take a day for granted.

  To recognize love even when it approaches you in disguise.

  To understand that even when you feel broken, even when life plants seemingly insurmountable challenges along the way, if you look hard enough, you’ll be able to see it: a truly wonderful world.

  I peer down at my woman who came out of everything stronger than before, who knows exactly who she is. Although…she may not realize that I’ve gotten to know her even better.

  Bringing my lips to her ear as we sway on the dance floor, I say, “I’ll love you forever. You know that, right?”