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I scanned the hotel grounds again but there was no sign of him and when I checked, there were no messages on my phone.

‘Samantha, sorry to rush you, but we must leave if we want to make it on time,’ Aldo said. My chest tightened. I looked at my watch again. He was now ten minutes late.

He said he’d be here. And I believed him.

Was I wrong to?

‘One more minute. Please.’

Just as I was about to call him, Romeo came sprinting through reception.

‘Grazie a dio!’ he shouted, as he raced towards me. ‘Thank God you are still here! I am sorry. One of the guests fainted and I had to wait until the nurse came.’

‘Oh my God, is the guest okay?’

‘He is fine. He is just sad to say goodbye to his match.’ He smiled. ‘I feel his pain.’ Romeo’s eyes locked with mine. He opened his mouth, then closed it again and I wondered what he’d wanted to say.

Aldo hovered, which was his polite way of reminding me I had a plane to catch. Although right now I wasn’t feeling very motivated to get to the airport on time.

If I missed my flight, I’d have to stay and me and Romeo could be together.

But sooner or later, I’d have to go back to London.

I had a decent job there. I was about to get promoted. I’d worked my arse off for years to get that opportunity. I couldn’t blow it. Staying would just delay the inevitable and fuck up my career prospects. I had bills to pay. Responsibilities.

As heartbreaking as this was, I had to rip off the plaster.

‘I should go before Aldo has kittens.’

‘Kittens?’ Romeo’s brows knitted together.

‘To have kittens means basically to shit yourself with worry.’

‘Mamma did not teach me that phrase.’ A small smile touched his lips.

‘There are loads of phrases for you to learn. Not as many as I need to learn in Italian though! You never did teach me all the swear words.’

‘I will save that for our next lesson. If I taught you everything all at once, you would have no reason to come back.’

‘I have more than enough of those, trust me.’ Our eyes locked again. God, this was so hard. I hated goodbyes at the best of times, but this felt impossible. The tears started building and I was determined not to start blubbing in front of Romeo again. ‘Anyway,’ I straightened my shoulders, ‘I better make tracks. Say bye to your mum and Biscotti from me and thanks for everything.’

I leant forward and gave him a soft peck on the cheek before quickly climbing onto the back seat and closing the car door.

Aldo got into the driver’s seat and after I put on my seatbelt, I heard a knock on the window. I put on my sunglasses so that Romeo wouldn’t see my tears, then pressed the button to lower the window.

‘Ciao, Sammie,’ Romeo said and then mouthed something to me.

‘Huh?’ I said, struggling to follow his words.

Romeo did it again, but slower this time as he waved me off.

I waved back and it was only when Aldo pulled away that I worked out what he’d said.

My heart bloomed and a massive grin spread over my face.

Romeo had mouthed two words.

Ti amo.