Believe Read Online Free Page B

and soft, in his hands. “Never.”
    She gazed at him. “I don’t understand.”
    “You’re not just another woman, Lita. You’re everything. We’ll find a way. I know what you want. I want a chance to give that to you. But I need time, to change, to make a plan.”
    Lita nodded, a quiet smile making her more radiant than ever. “I can wait. We won’t tell anyone yet, that’s all.”
    He kissed her. It was dangerous, not being honest. But he’d been truthful with Lita. And she mattered most.

 
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Three
     
    Lita closed her eyes as Lorenzo held her, trying to gather her stray thoughts like she used to organize the unruly stacks of papers on her father’s desk. She imagined grasping the thoughts and crumpling them, unneeded paper in an already crowded stack. She couldn’t grasp this, what was happening. Lorenzo had said he wanted her, wanted to be part of her dreams. She felt like she was dreaming now. But the possible complications weren’t dreamy.
    While in the bathroom, she’d checked her phone. Lee had texted her. Panic had seized her. If Lee found out where she was, it would ruin a fourteen-year friendship. Or, if Uncle Enzo discovered she’d spent the night with Lorenzo, no matter how innocent, it would cause a rift between the people she held closest to her heart. She couldn’t be the cause of more family tension, disappointment, and estrangement. She’d already experienced those separations, and so had Uncle Enzo and his family. They were finally experiencing some happiness again—Lita didn’t want to do anything to hurt that happiness.
    Of course, being estranged from her mother, Jane, was no real hardship, since Jane hadn’t been any kind of mother to Lita. But Uncle Enzo was capable of long estrangements—he’d only recently reconciled with his son, Sal. Lita didn’t want Uncle Enzo to cut Lorenzo out of his life. Family was everything to Uncle Enzo, and maybe to Lorenzo too. When Lorenzo spoke of his mother’s family, or when he was around Uncle Enzo, he wasn’t as hard and cynical.
    Lorenzo squeezed her hands again, harder. Lita whooshed out of her thoughts, back to Lorenzo. Lorenzo, Lorenzo, Lorenzo. His warm, strong grip, his handsome, manly face, his dark, brooding look…She softened like ice-cream-filled profiteroles newly drizzled with hot chocolate sauce.
    “Are you sure you want to keep this, us, a secret?” He laced his fingers in hers.
    She nodded. “Just until you make your plans.”
    “Just a day or two, then.” Lorenzo spoke briskly, like he already had ideas. “For breakfast, we’ll go to D’Angelo’s Market. Celeste still bakes almost every morning—you’ll like it.” Lorenzo picked up her coat, helped her slide it on. He held out her purse.
    “Thanks.” She clutched her purse. “I’ve heard about D’Angelo’s.” Uncle Enzo had gotten married to Celeste D’Angelo a couple of weeks before, after a tumultuous months-long engagement. Lita had wanted to be back in time for the wedding, but there were too many loose ends in Italy for her to tie up, or cut off. Like her last boyfriend, Aldo, who hadn’t understood the meaning of loyalty, faithfulness, or “we’re done.” Had said she wasn’t woman enough for him because she wanted to wait to have sex, but yet had hounded her for months to get back together with him. A shiver made her tremble. She was here now, home, safe. She was with Lorenzo. She had family. Yesterday, Celeste had welcomed Lita alongside Uncle Enzo—Celeste was a warm, calm, loving, grandmotherly woman, beautiful inside and out. Lita loved her already.
    “Yeah. The owner, Frank, still doesn’t like us.” He meant the DeGrazias, Lorenzo’s mom’s family. Celeste’s son, Frank, had been the most vocal in his disapproval of his mother marrying Uncle Enzo.
    “It’ll work out.” Lita needed to believe in la grazia dell’amore. Uncle Enzo and Celeste had gotten married, and her granddaughter, Gina, was newly