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Chapter thirty-four

Isabelle

The knock on my bedroom door is muffled by the blanket over my head.

“Belles? I’ve got coffee, can I come in?” Mom doesn’t wait for an answer, she just pushes the door open. “Oh sweetie.” I can hear the concern in those two words as she opens the drapes and sits down on the bed. “Talk to me, Belles. You’re scaring me.”

I’m honestly surprised it took her a full day of me hiding out in my room before she forced the issue. I push myself up to sit, blearily swiping my hair out of my face. Her gaze travels down, and I know she’s taking note of the oversized Tridents shirt I’m wearing.

Kai’s shirt, although she wouldn’t necessarily know it’s his.

I took it from his apartment before I left, after he told me he still loves me.

And didn’t let me say it back.

“Thanks,” I say, my voice sounding more like a croak as I take the coffee from her outstretched hand and blow on it before taking a small sip.

Mom lets me take a few more sips of coffee before she speaks again.

“You need a shower. And some food. And please tell me what the heck is wrong, because this isn’t you.

” She pauses, and what she says next has my stomach dropping to my feet.

“Would this have anything to do with a photo that’s apparently online of you and Kai Yamaki? ”

“Wh-what photo?” I stammer out.

Mom doesn’t look too freaked out, in fact, she seems weirdly calm. “Tony sent it to me. Kai has his arm around your shoulders and it looks like you’re about to kiss.” Her face falls into a frown. “Why didn’t you tell me you were seeing him?”

I lean back against the headboard and pat the space beside me. Mom moves into position at my side, the way we used to spend many weekends when I was growing up. She’d have her coffee, I’d have juice or milk, and we’d both read our books and have a lazy morning.

This time, there’s no books to read, but there is a story to tell.

“Kai and me. We were more than friends in college.” I have to clear my throat when my voice cracks. “We started as friends but it turned into more pretty quickly. We fell in love and dated for over a year and a half. Until…”

“Until you went to Italy?” Mom guesses when I can’t bring myself to say it.

I nod, moistening my lips with my tongue. “Yeah. When I first went, I truly did think I’d be back. I never planned on staying. But when I decided to move there, I knew I couldn’t stay with him.”

I brush a tear away, and take another sip of coffee, letting the bitter warmth seep down my throat.

“Wow. So it’s not just a right now thing. And you never told me. Why?” There’s a hint of hurt in her voice, but she covers it up well.

“Because you always said I should figure my life out before I let myself fall in love.” I swipe away another tear. “I didn’t listen and I fell in love with him. My life was not anywhere close to figured out, but I loved him so much. I couldn’t tell you that.”

“Oh Belles.” Mom wraps her arm around my shoulders, tugging me into her side. “I wouldn’t have been upset. Love is an amazing thing to find. I probably would have encouraged you to keep some focus on your own needs, but finding someone you want to spend your life with is never a bad thing.”

The fact that she’s already figured out exactly how important Kai was to me is proof of how well my mom knows me. She knows I wouldn’t claim to be in love with someone if it wasn’t a really big deal.

“Well, I screwed up, then.” Bitterness, much like my coffee, rises in my voice. “Because when I made the choice to stay in Italy to find myself, I lost him.”

She doesn’t answer right away, and I take the time to drink my coffee, even though it no longer warms me in a comforting way.

“Did you lose him, though?”

Silence falls again after her question, and I pick at the blanket covering my legs.

“Maybe not,” I say quietly. “He told me he never stopped loving me. And he wants another chance for us to be together.”

She nods slowly. “And how do you feel about him?”

This question is easy to answer. “I love him so much. I always have and I think I always will. He’s my safe place, Mom.”

“Then why the tears, sweetie?”

My head falls back again, hitting the headboard with a thunk.

“I’m just really freaking overwhelmed. I had my head in the sand for so long, thinking I could avoid this.

It was dumb, I know that now, because avoiding my feelings for Kai is like trying to hold back the ocean.

But —” I pause and blow out a slow breath.

“Choosing him means giving up my life in Italy, my family and my dreams of owning the restaurant with Vito someday. I can’t have that and have him. ”

“Why not?” Mom nudges me with her shoulder. “You have family here, too, you know, or do I not count anymore?”

“Oh my God, of course you do.” I throw my free arm around her. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

She chuckles into my shoulder. “It’s okay, Belles.

I know. You’ve always wanted a big family.

I remember you used to pretend all your stuffed animals were your siblings and cousins and have sleepovers.

” She gives me a sad smile. “I’m sorry I couldn’t give that to you, but I’m glad your father could. ”

“But you’re my number one.” I sniff. “Don’t think I ever forgot that.”

“I know, sweetie. It’s okay to say that you would miss your family in Italy, though. It won’t hurt my feelings.”

I give her a watery smile, my fingers playing with the corner of the blanket draped over me. “Well, there’s also the whole job, career, future situation. Vito would be devastated if I don’t go back, and I’d have to start over in Vancouver.”

“Not necessarily, and you can cook delicious food anywhere,” Mom replies confidently. “Maybe talk to Gianni and Paul? They might have some ideas.”

I nod. “I’m meeting them at Piatti soon, I guess I could ask.”

She pats my leg. “Good. So that means you’re getting out of this bed? You really do need a shower.”

I push her hand away. “Gee, thanks. Can’t a girl wallow in overwhelming emotions without being harassed?”

“Nope. Not when she’s in love. Kai will be back with the team tomorrow. You want him to see you like this?”

I look down at the T-shirt and shorts I’ve worn for over twenty-four hours and cringe. “Good point.”

Climbing off the bed, Mom looks down at me.

“I’m happy for you, Belles. I know it feels overwhelming, and you think you can’t have everything, but you can.

I’m not just saying that as your mom, you know.

You deserve to have everything you want.

And if that happens to all be possible here?

Well, I won’t lie. I’d be thrilled. I would get my girl back. ”

I feel like a little girl again, needing my mom’s reassurance when I ask in a small voice, “You really think so?”

Mom bends down and kisses the top of my head. “I know so. You just have to be open to the possibility of everything working out the way it should. Let that man love you, and let yourself love him back, honey. You’d be surprised how everything else will be just fine.”

It’s easy to smile back at her, but it falls quickly. “Wait, is this going to make things weird with Tony? Me being with one of his players?”

Mom scoffs and waves her hand. “You let me handle Tony. It won’t be an issue, I promise.” She moves to the door, turning back and pointing at me. “Now, get in that shower.”

Okay, fine, the shower felt amazing. And with the water cascading over me, my mom’s words coalesced in my gut into something wonderful.

I can have my future, and Kai can be in it. Will it be easy? Nope. I might have to start from scratch in terms of establishing myself as a chef in Vancouver, but as Mom said, I have family and friends to help. And two of those friends are waiting for me.

As soon as I’m dressed, I drive to Piatti with the windows down, soaking in the warm, late summer sun.

I let myself in the back door and hear Gianni talking to one of his staff. I timed my arrival so that the lunch rush should be over, and the trattoria will be closing for a few hours to get ready for dinner.

“Bella!” Gianni abandons his staff member, walking over to me and kissing my cheeks enthusiastically. “You are glowing. What is different?”

I half snort, half laugh. “I washed my hair.”

His brow furrows in confusion, and I wave him off. “Never mind. Hi, I’m hungry.” I give him a grin, and he answers it with one of his own.

“Excellent. My two favourite words. Paul is out front, he’ll join us. We can take food up to the roof and enjoy.”

“Excuse me, what? You’ve had a rooftop space this whole time and never showed me?” I slap his chest.

“That’s because it was a total mess until this past weekend. Someone decided it needed to be cleaned up before you left,” Paul interjects, coming up and giving me a quick hug.

Gianni shrugs, his expression looking mischievous. “I want to throw you a party. Show you everything you are leaving behind when you go home.”

I clear my throat. “Ah, about that.”

They both look at me with slight frowns. I reach down into the wine fridge that’s conveniently in front of me and pull out the first bottle my hand touches. “Let’s talk over lunch. And wine.”

Gianni grabs a platter from the fridge, and Paul a stack of napkins and some wine glasses. Then we all traipse up a staircase I never knew existed until Gianni manages to open a door one-handed onto an outdoor oasis.

“Oh my God, this is incredible. You could do so much with this! Private parties, weddings, or just overflow seating.” My brain is already envisioning all sorts of ideas as I take in the space. It’s empty, for now, but clean, with a raised concrete ledge around the perimeter.

So maybe oasis is a stretch, but the potential is there, in front of us, in the shape of the amazing view.

“You’ve got the mountains, the water, and the city.” I spin to Gianni. “How have you not made use of this before?”

He shrugs and sets the platter down on a small table Paul procures from somewhere. “We haven’t had the time. When I took the restaurant over from my parents, it was essentially a storage space. Then things became so busy, we forgot about it, to be honest.”

“But a party to say goodbye to our new friend was the perfect motivation to clean it up.” Paul sets up three folding chairs. “Just say yes, and we’ll handle the rest.”

Gianni scoffs. “She cannot say no, I’ve already ordered half of the food.”

I sink down on one of the chairs, tears brimming in my eyes again.

“I’m not going back to Italy,” I blurt out, and two sets of eyes land on me. “At least, not right away. I’ll have to at some point, but I won’t be staying.”

“What are you saying?”

“Pour some wine, would you?” I ask Paul with a shaky laugh.

He does so and hands me a glass. I take a large sip before continuing.

“So, I’ve told you about Kai.” They both nod.

I confessed my past with Kai to them over a platter of oysters and one too many glasses of pinot grigio a few weeks ago.

“Turns out, we’re both still wildly in love with each other and I don’t think I can leave him a second time.

So I’m staying. Don’t suppose you need a dishwasher?

Because staying here means I’m also out of a job. ”

I finish and look at my friends, only to find them staring at each other, smiles growing wider and wider on their faces.

“Yes, mi amor ,” Gianni says in answer to a question I never heard Paul ask.

He nods as well, then at the same time, they turn and face me.

“We will not hire you as a dishwasher, Bella.” Gianni’s somber tone is at odds with the excitement etched on his face, or the way his leg is almost vibrating. “But we would like to offer you a partnership? Cook with me. Run the restaurant with us. Please?”

My mouth falls open as I stare at them in shock. “What?” I never anticipated this. Sure, a part of me had a fleeting hope that maybe they’d offer me a job, but this? This is beyond my wildest dreams.

Paul takes over, reaching out and taking one of my hands in his.

“We’re serious. We’ve actually been talking about it over the last week or two.

About how well you fit here, how easy it’s been to connect with you and work with you.

There’s a lot of details to consider, and maybe it’s smarter to do a trial basis, or something less major of a commitment than partnership.

” Gianni scoffs, but Paul keeps going, ignoring him.

“But we want this. We want to work with you. We just didn’t know how we’d ever convince you not to go back to Italy. ”

My free hand lifts to cover my mouth, as my brain catches up to what they’re saying.

Everything I’ve worked for, finding my passion, honing my skills, figuring out my goal in life.

And the two men in front of me, my two dear friends, are offering me the chance to have it all, here.

The place I know I need to be, because I need to be with Kai.

“I would be thrilled to work with you both.” We raise our glasses and clink them together again, all three of us beaming, but perhaps none as wide as I am. I take a sip of the wine, then look to the two of them. “But first, I need to figure out a good way to tell Kai I’m staying.”

Gianni gets a look in his eye that promises he has an idea. “I think I know how you should do that, Bella.”