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‘This is beautiful!’ she said as she flicked through the pages, then laughed at a selfie of us pulling silly faces on the beach.

‘Youare beautiful.’ I took her head in my hands and kissed her like it was the first time, whilst still hoping that it would not be the last.

Sammie pushed her mouth against mine, our lips crashed hungrily.

The kiss evolved into something softer and deeper. As her fingers raked through my hair, I felt something wet on my cheek and pulled back.

‘Merda,’ I said. ‘Do not cry, Sammie. This is not the end. I promise.’ I wiped her cheeks with my thumb. ‘We will speak every day. And we will be together again.Va bene?’

‘Va bene,’ she croaked, her eyes still watering.

Sammie had always shown such a confident, hard exterior, so I knew that being vulnerable around me was a big deal and something that I did not take lightly.

‘I must go, but I will see you later. Do not forget to eat the rest of thepasticciottofor breakfast.’

I kissed her forehead softly, then headed towards the door. Just before I stepped through it, I turned to look at Sammie again.

She was still crying and my heart shattered.

I had told her I would find a way for us to be together again.

I did not know how, but I had promised.

And I would not let her down.

45

SAMMIE

So this was it.

As I locked the villa door for the last time and wheeled my case to reception, my stomach churned. I felt sick. And I’d cried more this morning than a hungry newborn baby.

I wasn’t normally a crier. Especially not over a guy.

But as I’d told myself many times, Romeo was no ordinary man. He was out of this world. And in less than five minutes, he’d be out of my world, for good.

My thoughts turned to his kindness this morning. When I went in the kitchen, he’d left me a bag of thetarallisnacks we’d eaten on the boat that I’d loved with a note to say he’d got them for me in case I got hungry on the plane. So sweet.

Then there was the amazing memory book. It was so unexpected and I hadn’t realised just how many beautiful photos we’d taken together. Definitely a million times better than those awful ones of me with shithead Edward. And that was because Romeo was my perfect match. We were meant to be.

I wanted to believe what he’d said earlier: that we’d find a way to be together again. I really did, but wanting something wasn’t enough to make it happen.

My heart was breaking now, but the pain that would come when we realised in weeks or months that we couldn’t make it work would be even worse.

I was gonna need a whole cupboard full of chocolate to get me through this.

‘Sammie?’ Aldo called out as I approached his Mercedes. ‘Are you ready?’

‘Er…’ I scanned the reception area looking for Romeo. He wasn’t here. I looked at my watch. It was a few minutes past the agreed meeting time. Had he already come and left?

The churning in my stomach intensified. I knew we’d already said goodbye, but I was really hoping to see him one last time.

He said we’d see each other later. Had he changed his mind?

‘Could we wait a few more minutes,per favore?’

‘Va bene,’ he nodded, putting my suitcase into the boot.