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CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE NOTES

Paulie and Luca were on their way into the city by the time I was done in Valentino’s office. Nic had tried to attack Luca again, and then a call had come through about a logistics meeting with a Marino emissary ahead of next week’s peace talk. I wandered upstairs feeling incomplete, and a little anxious. Luca had said he loved me and I didn’t get to say it back.

I paced back and forth in my room, and ate an entire bag of Cheetos. I didn’t want to go downstairs – Nic was there, and I wasn’t ready to have that talk with him, and it was more than obvious he wasn’t ready to have that talk with me. Luca wasn’t due home until much later.

I decided to go back to basics.

I was going to leave him a note.

A poem.

But I was going to out-gesture him and make my own.

I opened my notepad and started scribbling, and before I could talk myself out of it, I slid the note under his door and scurried back to bed.

Luca, I think it’s time I told you something true, Like how your eyes are the most amazing sapphire blue, Or how your smile makes me giddy and silly and shy, How I love your voice and the way that you sigh. I swear my heart jumps whenever I’m with you, Because you are my favourite, and I love you, too. P.S. I almost forgot this last message from me, I will still never respect your authority