Page 76 of Violent Attraction

“I didn’t know he told you that.” I keep my eyes on her, not wanting to miss a single thing that she does.

Isabella nods. “Right before I moved to Austin. He said that Austin was going to be a good move for me.”

Even from the grave, the old man keeps surprising me.

“He was right. Austin was a good move.” She was able to grow into her own person and not depend on her father’s hand. Even if she did have me or Leo at her side most of the time.

Once again, she gives me a sad smile, and I hate it. I want the smile from only a few seconds ago, back.

I don’t move my eyes away from hers and she meets my gaze straight on.

As I get lost in her eyes, I think about what Camila said earlier. If only I had talked to Isabella, then I would have saved her a lot of heartache.

She’s right.

I think it might be time to talk to her.

A piece of dark hair falls out of the bun that she is wearing, and I can’t help but reach out and tuck it away.

Her eyes go wide at the action and even more when I slide my thumb along her cheek bone. But it’s the gasps she releases when I place my palm against her cheek that gets me, and I’m gutted even more when she leans into my touch.

“Do you want to go talk?” I ask, as my thumb moves back and forth along her skin.

Her wide eyes look back at me in fear. Fear that is probably there because she doesn’t know what a conversation between us might hold. Fear that will break her heart once again.

The brown eyes that I love so much stare at me for an endless amount of time until finally they close, and she nods against my hand.

I drop my hand but only to hand it out for her to take. There is hesitancy there, only for a second, but it was there before she finally places her hand in mine.

Once she is steady on her feet, she goes to pull away from me, but I don’t budge. I continue to hold her hand tightly in mine, not giving a shit anymore.

Isabella looks at me, as if she wants to ask what I’m doing.

Without giving her the answer she is looking for, I guide her out of the cemetery, avoiding the throngs of people.

Her hand stays in mine all the way back to the Morales Estate.

21

To say that I’m not a little shell shocked is an understatement.

I knew he was going to be at the celebration. He’s been going for the last couple years, albeit with me, but still, I knew that he was going to be there.

Did I think that he would find me at his father’s grave?

No. I thought that I could go over there, talk to Cristiano for a few minutes and then I would be able to make my way back to my mom’s grave.

But of course, that didn’t happen.

I was so enthralled with talking about how much I love my job, to telling the gravestone how much I hated my father for what he is doing to me, that I lost track of time.

When I heard him approach, yes, I heard the man approached. He has a very distinctive way of walking and even with dirt I can always tell when he’s approaching. Anyway, when I heard him approach, I tried to not show any emotions, well at least not any that will show that I was hurt or angry.

It was nice talking to him without any screaming matches or wanting to throat punch him, even if it was for a few minutes.

It also felt nice to just look into his eyes and get lost in them.

All of it felt sort of normal.