Page 176 of Be With Me
I moved to stand beside her. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I’m going to get some air.”
“I’ll come with you,” Nina offered, already rising.
Fabi shook her head. “I just want a few minutes alone.” She reached for the fur shawl she’d wear during the ceremony—the chapel didn’t have heating, so we were all bundling up—and slipped out of the room.
The second the door clicked shut, we all looked at one another.
“Is it just me,” Zo asked, “or does she seem… off?”
“She is off,” Elena said, her jaw tightening. “But she’s not letting anyone in.”
“Something changed,” Nina murmured. “Since Gino Ferraro’s funeral. She’s quieter. Sadder.”
“I noticed it too,” I said, remembering that day vividly. I’d gone to the funeral with Romolo, and Fabi had stood beside Cosimo for most of the day. I saw them talk and, naively, thought it was a good sign.
But ever since, something in her had shifted. Whenever I asked about it, Fabi brushed me off.
I gave it a few more minutes before pushing to my feet. “I’m going to check on her.”
The farmhouse had an old-world charm that made you feel like stepping back in time—exposed stone walls, deep windowsills, and lanterns made of wrought iron and glass.
I followed the hallway past antique portraits and vintage rugs, toward the wide balcony where Fabi’s silhouette appeared beyond the glass doors.
When I saw she wasn’t alone, I halted.
Cosimo stood beside her.
There was at least a foot between them but it looked like they were talking. Didn’t anyone tell him it was bad luck to see the bride before the wedding?
I stood there for a moment, trying to decide if I should go back, when I felt a soft touch on my lower back. “Hey, you,” came Romolo’s voice.
I turned. “Hey.”
Gray eyes. Ink-black hair. A smile that was reserved just for me. The sight of him melted something in me. He had a way of making everything feel solid. Steady. Safe. His presence was a grounding force I’d desperately needed over the last month.
A month ago, he pulled me out of that apartment and into the wreckage of a life I didn’t recognize. Everything had fallen apart.
But with him by my side, rebuilding hadn’t been as hard as I’d thought.
One month.
It had been one month of living with him. Sharing his space. Learning his routines. Marveling at how seamlessly we fit into each other’s lives.
My business had exploded—in the best way. The Golden Circle referrals were still pouring into my inbox, weeks after I’d been sent out to the list. I’d onboarded ten new clients over the last week—the kind of clients I never would have thought I’d be capable of having.
And my father… Well. He was now under a federal investigation for fraud and collusion. After his spectacular plummet in the polls, the election had gone to the incumbent, Mayor Wilson.
Every time a story about Dad came on the news, Romolo would silently appear beside me, offering comfort and support.
I kept reminding him I was okay. I was done playing savior for those who didn’t deserve it. My father had made his own choices. His own bed. And now he could lie in it.
Romolo studied me now, his gaze warm and steady. “What are you doing out here, Berry?”
I nodded toward the balcony. “I came to check on Fabi. She’s out there with him.”
His brows lifted slightly. “Cos?”
