"This is beautiful Evie."
"I hope you'll like it," she replied. "Gage Force."
He smiled at that and set the book back as she pressed her hands against his chest.
"I will. Is that what you called it?"
"Maybe."
He stroked the side of her face and gazed down at her beauty. The sun picked up the lighter green parts of her eyes and almost made them look transparent. "Last night was amazing Evie."
Her cheeks flushed with that rosy color he loved. "It really was."
"What do you want to do today?" he knew there was a lot she still wanted to see in Venice.
She leaned forward, kissed the center of his chest and came away with a saucy smile. "Spend the day with you."
"Doing what?" he liked this side of her, and the sexy look that filled her eyes. He liked that he had the privilege of seeing it and it was all just for him.
"Stuff." She blinked, eyes hot with desire displaying a fan of thick black lashes flickering over her cheeks.
"Alright Miss Evie, I am at your service one hundred percent. But you can't look at me like that and expect me to allow you to do lines of notes, or whatever. Not right now, as in this moment right now." He pointed to her notebook, and she laughed.
"The lines can wait." She giggled when he swooped her up.
They fell back on to the bed, and he enjoyed the privilege of taking her all over again.
They stayed inside that room all day, allowing themselves to be passions' slaves, losing themselves in the throes of mind-numbing bliss as if their lives depended on it. It saddened him even to contemplate leaving.
It was late when he realized just how late it was and called his grandmother to let her know they'd be back tomorrow. Since she sounded happy to hear that, he thought he'd fit in a quick trip to Milan the next day. Evie had been talking about buying shoes there, and he wanted to treat her.
They had such a good time together and being with her was like nothing else. It made him wonder how he could have existed without her, and why it had taken him all his life to realize that she'd always been the perfect woman for him.
It was late Sunday night when they returned to the villa. As he pushed the door open laughter filled the house, signaling that his grandmother wasn't alone.
Gage looked at Evie who brightened up at the sound.
"She sounds happy," Evie commented.
"Fingers crossed," Gage stated. "Hey, if that's Angelo in there we're going to Sicily."
"I would have no complaint with that." Evie giggled.
The laughter sounded again, and this time he could tell that the voices were both female so no chance of Angelo, or Sicily.
They made their way into the lounge where they found his grandmother sitting with an elderly lady with silver hair. His grandmother's face lit up when she saw them.
"Gage, Evie, this is Vanessa." She beamed. Joy rippled through her voice and practically beamed from her.
She stood up with Vanessa.
"Hi." He and Evie both said. Vanessa came up to them both and hugged them in that Italian fashion with a kiss on both cheeks.
"It's so good to meet you both," Vanessa stated.
"You too," Evie told her. Gage nodded agreeing.
They looked back to his grandmother waiting to hear the answer to the question on their minds.
Was Angelo alive? If so how did they find him?
When she nodded, Gage felt like he'd scored a winning touchdown.
"He's alive. Angelo's alive." Her breath caught as tears streamed down her cheeks.
Evie rushed over to her, throwing her arms around her for a rejoicing hug. Tears were in her eyes too. Gage watched them and saw the happiness that emitted from them, from the two women he loved most in his life.
Love.
He wasn't even thrown by the thought. Of course, he loved his grandmother, but Evie wow... love was only the beginning of the way he felt about her.
Her belief in his grandmother was enough to make her get on a plane and go to Italy with nothing more. There weren't many people who existed like that these days.
His grandmother came over to him and hugged him.
"I don't know what I would have done without you and Evie. This wouldn't have been possible." She smiled up at him.
"Anything for you Grams." He told her.
"Thank you, my sweet boy." She hadn't called him that in years. He smiled at her as she reached up and ruffled his hair. "It's been a crazy time hasn't it? I'm sure you can't wait to get back to your lives. To have normal again." She chuckled.
That should have sounded like the most wonderful thing ever. It had indeed been a crazy, stressful time. Normal should have sounded great, after nearly over two weeks on this wild goose mission not knowing where it was going to lead. But her words gripped him and flagged themselves to him.
Normal, actually didn't sound good at all to him. In his normal Evie didn't even exist. Gage lived in his bachelor pad in L.A, trained five times a week for six hours a day and did his best to be the star quarterback he used to be before his accident.
The star quarterback with all those admiring, loyal fans, and teammates. It meant nothing to him now. Not if he would be leaving the one woman who'd managed to make him feel like this. As if he'd always have happiness and everything that was good in this world if he had her.
He looked over at Evie and saw the wide-eyed look on her face. She looked like how he felt.
* * *
She wasn't ready to be without him. Evie wasn't ready. She was ecstatic for Lucy, thoroughly overjoyed and happy that Angelo was alive, but she never thought about the part where finding him would signal the end of their journey. It would mean going back to the world where she lived in New York, and Gage lived in L.A.
In that world, she hadn't seen him for five full years and even when she saw him before that it was just in passing.
Normal for her was not seeing him. Normal was...
Her heart ached at the thought of it.
Her heart ached, and there was a hollow feeling inside her, but she had to be realistic. He played for a national team, and he was busy all the time. Lucy didn't even see him as often as she wanted, what room was left for her?
As Lucy said they could go back to their normal lives, Evie looked over at Gage and saw the uneasy expression that washed over his face. Then he looked at her, and it seemed that he was thinking the same thing she was. She could tell he was, from his eyes.
Evie had never been in love before, but she knew she was now. She was certain of it. Love stared her right in the eye and waved itself to her every time she looked at him. Gage held her mind, body, and soul. They were all his. Treasured keepsakes of her. No one had to tell her that she'd only ever feel this way about him and no other. Evie knew. But what control did she have over their lives?
She tried to keep her worries at bay while she listened to Lucy and Vanessa talk. The whole incidence of all that had happened was one of excitement and wonder. From Lucy receiving Angelo's letters, to where they all were right here and now.
Vanessa explained that her caretaker had gotten in touch with her yesterday and told her Lucy had been looking for her. On hearing that she came straight here and informed Lucy that Angelo was very much alive and living in Bacoli, a city on the coast of Naples. He lived there with his family, and he still painted.
Lucy switched between tears of joy and tears of sadness, particularly when Anna was mentioned. Anna had sadly, died a couple of years back.
Vanessa practically filled them in on what had happened over the last seventy years, and of course, the plan now was to take the nearly seven-hour journey to Bacoli tomorrow. It was understandable that Lucy didn't want to wait another minute before she saw Angelo. Evie would be the same too if it were Gage.
They all talked for a long time, but Evie and Gage took the first chance they got to excuse themselves so they could spend time together. She went back to his room deciding it was where she would stay for their last night
here. They both knew that in a few days everything would change, going back to how it used to be.
When she woke up in the morning, he was already awake, lying on his back staring up at the ceiling, looking troubled. It was just after six.
"One last walk on the beach?" he asked rolling over and cupped her face.
She nodded, too choked up to talk.
The sun welcomed them with is usual brilliance, bathing them in its light. He held her hand as they walked along barefooted leaving their footprints behind them in the sand.
Before they went back inside Gage knelt in the sand and picked up a sharp looking pebble from the rock pool. Evie watched in complete awe as he drew a heart in the sand and wrote their names inside. She did her best to hold back the tears that threatened to flow, especially when he took both her hands and kissed them as he stood. Instinctively, she reached up to his broad shoulders and pulled him towards her for a sweet kiss that she wished could last forever.
* * *
Although they could have potentially made the journey to Bacoli a little quicker by taking the train back to Rome it was easier and more straightforward for them to drive.
Vanessa had been in touch with Angelo's family who was now expecting them. Angelo, on the other hand, was staying at their summer home in Procida, an island just over an hour away from Bacoli. Gage was told Angelo went there at the start of the summer to catch the essence of the season in his paintings. Since he refused to be disturbed by things like phones he was completely unaware of their mission to him.
It would take them the whole day to get to Bacoli then they'd have to catch a ferry to Procida in the morning. It was understandable that while his grandmother was glad to finally have news of Angelo she was also eager to see him. Gage could see that hearing she'd have to wait another day to see him made her sad.
Everyone could see it, and it was Vanessa that succeeded in cheering her up before she left, and they began their journey.
Evie sat in the passenger seat and from time to time he'd hold her hand for a few brief moments. When he caught his grandmother's eye in the rear view mirror and saw the pleased expression on her face, he remembered that she didn't know about them. Although, he knew she must have suspected something. She was very intuitive, and he hadn't exactly held back on showing Evie affection since coming back from Venice. He decided he'd tell his grandmother everything after they saw Angelo.
Until then, Gage had a lot to think about, so the long drive was good for him. When he woke up this morning, he realized that there were changes he would have to make to his life to make it better. Changes only he could make because he couldn't go back to a life without Evie, a life where he was already quite unhappy, to be honest. He'd tried to patch his grief up after that accident by getting lost in his training and trying to be the guy he used to be. But some things couldn't be patched up. It was only a matter of time before disaster struck if you tried to fix a thing that couldn't be fixed. Why fight so hard to keep things going when they weren't working? Surely it was better to fight for life to be better, for something that mattered. That made more sense to him. When he looked at Evie, it seemed like the only viable choice.
It was Angelo's son that greeted them first. Gage noticed how his grandmother brightened upon meeting him. According to her, he was the splitting image of Angelo, and so was his daughter. They were both in their late fifties and had children and grandchildren of their own, some of whom were there. The family had gathered for a meetup. The house they were in was the family home they'd grown up in. A vineyard surrounded it but since it was night the true beauty of it couldn't be fully appreciated.
Evie sat next to Gage as they got to know the family. Everyone was intrigued by the story of how they got here. Again he felt happy for his grandmother, and saw how eager she was to see Angelo. He wondered what she would do when she saw him. She hadn'ttravelingmentioned what she planned to do after.
He doubted that it would just be a general catch up like she'd had with Vanesa. He supposed he'd have to wait to find out.
* * *
Since the first ferry was at nine, Gage managed to do a few things before he snuck Evie away for a walk in the vineyard. He wanted some time with her away from everyone so they could talk. He had important things to discuss with her. She seemed more fragile than yesterday, and he didn't want her to worry unnecessarily.
He looked at her as they walked through the beautiful vineyard that appeared to stretch on endlessly. She wore a light blue summer dress that showed off her golden legs and shoulders. The tan she'd gotten since being in Italy only served to enhance her beauty. It gave her that sun-kissed glow. Her hair had changed too. The sun lightened it, and every time the bright morning sun caressed it, it sparkled. He stopped with her and sat on a bench in the middle of the vineyard. They had about an hour together before they had to leave.
"I'm going to your next game." Was the first thing she declared. She looked over at him and smiled. "And the one after that, and all the others after that too."
He smiled at her and took hold of her hand. It looked so frail and small against his. "That would be really nice Miss Evie. I know football isn't your thing."
"It is if you're playing it." Her smile widened then faltered. "It's going to have to be if I want to see you."
It touched his heart that she'd been thinking of ways to see him too.
"You'll see me." He assured her.
"Gage." She adjusted herself on the bench so that she was facing him. "I don't want things to go back to normal."
The tears Evie had been holding back ran down her cheeks. She tried but this was too much, and since Gage hadn't said anything she was only left to assume what their next move would be.
She decided to take things into her own hands and make the next move. Evie would go and see him in L.A. That was the best she could do. After all, he'd traveled to New York on several occasions - unknown to her - to see her concerts and listen to her play.
She covered her mouth to keep hold the tears in, but it didn't work. Her emotions got the better of her, and she could no longer control them. He pulled her into his arms and held her, stroking her head in that loving way she'd grown accustomed to.
"Princess please don't cry. I can assure you you'll see me," he said.
"But when. You live in L.A, and you train every day. When you aren't training, you're travelling. You don't have time for me." That was the reality of it. Aside from being busy, he wouldn't have time to see her.
He took a lock of her hair and curled it around his finger then he held her gaze for a few moments and smiled. "Evie," he began. "I've decided to move to New York."
She straightened up quickly and looked at him, not quite sure she'd heard him properly. "What?"
"I'm moving to New York," he smiled. "I decided that that was the best thing I could do to see you."
All she could do is stare in complete shock, and when she found her voice, she could barely move her mouth. "Gage you can't do that. What about football?"
"I called my agent this morning. He's contacting the Giants as we speak to talk about a trade. I don't like to seem prideful, but since I'm so well sought after anyway, I thought I'd use it to my advantage. New York is where I want to be. I want to be wherever you are."
Evie couldn't believe what she was hearing. She just couldn't believe that he would go to such lengths to be with her. She was filled with gratitude, appreciation, and love, but she didn't want him to do something that would affect what he loved most. "I'm utterly speechless and grateful that you'd do all that. But Gage, you love playing for the Gladiators and living in L.A."
He chuckled. "Okay then Miss Evie, you move then. Come to L.A and leave your precious Philharmonic Orchestra in New York."
That was supposed to be a sarcastic joke to highlight the absurdity of the thought, but she shocked him when she said, "okay," without any thought at all.
The smile fell from his face when he looked at her and saw how serious she was.
She supposed that she probably surprised herself too.
"You would give up an actual dream, your actual dream of being a violinist for the New York Philharmonic Orchestra just to be with me?" He said it like it was completely farfetched.
"Yes," she replied, again without any thought to it. Evie would do it in a heartbeat if that's what she had to do.
He leaned forward and kissed her.
"That means everything to me. But, I can't, let you do that. I can play anywhere, and even if I can't that is what I accept. Your music is another story, and there is only one New York Philharmonic Orchestra, so that's where we'll be."
The words seemed to flow from his heart. They flowed straight from his heart and into hers. She threw her arms around him and hugged him.
"Thank you. You're the very best thing that's ever happened to me."
He held her close to his heart and kissed the side of her head. "No Evie. It's you. It was always you. You're the very best thing that's ever happened to me."
* * *
The fog had cleared substantially across the sea front by the time the ferry pulled into the docks in Procida. The sun was just beginning to warm up the place and revealed its beauty. It was breathtaking to look at, and Evie could feel Lucy's excitement and anxiety.
She felt anxious and excited for her too. Evie wondered what Angelo would be like, and how he would react when he saw Lucy. She wondered what would happen next.
It took them about fifteen minutes to get to his house. It was one of the cottages by the pier and overlooked a lighthouse. The scene reminded her of a painting with its intricate structure and artistic design. A beautiful garden of roses adorned the front and sides, looking similar to Lucy's in Chicago except there were roses of different colors and types.
"Are you okay?" Evie asked her. Lucy had her arm linked in with Gage's.
"I'm nervous." She smiled. "But I can't wait to see him. I can't believe I'm here. I can't believe we're here." She chuckled.
"Well, we certainly made it," Gage stated with a bright smile.
They stopped at the entrance to the garden path.
Hearts Entwined Page 13
