Chapter 28

Alessio

Time stops. For a whole moment, I have to remind myself to breathe because it seems that the whole world heaved a great exhale.

Chiara stares back at me, her eyes reflecting the busy bright lights. Her palms go up from my shoulders to my neck, and she smiles softly as she curls her fingers on the back of my neck.

Every part of my body comes alive with her touch. As I stare at her in awe, all I can think about is how strange it is, to feel like we’ve been apart for so long but at the same time never apart at all.

I cup her face, tracing my thumbs over her delicate chin.

I want to apologize to her. For the night of the full moon, the party, the way we met . . . everything. But the emotions beating in my chest won’t allow me to utter a single word. They’re all just screaming for one thing and one thing alone.

I collapse in her embrace.

I hold on to her tightly like she’s my lifeline, an automatic response I didn’t expect. How long I hugged her, I don’t know, but by the time I bre