Page 44 of Irreplaceable

I shook my head, rubbing at the spot on my chest where it ached. It made me feel like a hypocrite. To have a tattoo about treating people with respect and yet doing the exact opposite. My dad would be ashamed of me.

And here was my chance to make amends. To apologize.

Perhaps sensing my attention, Harper looked up, our eyes meeting from across the room. It was her. She was here.

Whywas she here?

This was an event to shine a spotlight on LA sports teams and all the good they did around the city. Members of the Hollywood Heatwaves football team were in attendance, as well as representatives from the LA Leatherbacks and the basketball and hockey teams.

For a moment, all my anger, all my doubts faded away, and time seemed to stand still. I was Enzo, and she was my uccellina, offering me the same solace I’d found with her in Bali. The type of peace I hadn’t found before or since. Especially not since.

Her skin went pale, and I feared she’d faint. My feet moved of their own accord, each step bringing me closer to the woman who haunted my dreams and many of my waking moments too.

“Lorenzo?” Knox asked, halting my progress. He’d introduced me to a few people, but I hadn’t heard a word they’d said.

Unable to stand there any longer, I made a hasty excuse and walked away. But when I looked back to where Harper had been only a minute before, she was gone. Vanished.

I glanced around, frantic to find her. I hastened my steps, seeing her back from across the room. But when I tapped on her shoulder, the woman who stared back at me wore a pair of unfamiliar blue eyes. Not the emerald gems I’d hoped to see.

I spun around and still nothing. Had I imagined her?

I shook my head. Okay. It was official; I was losing it.

I needed some air, so I headed out to the patio. But when I spied a woman in a green dress standing at the railing, I stilled. Either I was losing it or… No. I stared at her back, knowing it was her.

When I stepped closer, Harper’s almond scent infiltrated my lungs, filling me with memories from Bali. I shook my head to clear it. As if I could somehow rid myself of the distraction she presented.

“Uccellina.”I placed my hand on her shoulder, and she jolted as if I’d electrocuted her.

“Oh my god. It is you.” She turned, putting her back to the railing and the city beyond.

I stepped closer, eager for an excuse to touch her. I had so much to say. To apologize for. I’d been so wrong about her. “Sì. Are you okay?”

She shook her head and gripped the railing, swallowing hard as she did so. “I, um, I—” She took a deep breath. “I didn’t expect to see you here. Or ever again, considering how things ended.”

Did she really have no clue who I was?

Wow.I am an asshole.

“Harper,” I said, softening my tone as I stepped closer. “I made a—”

My words were cut off when the door opened and several guests spilled onto the patio. Our privacy—or the illusion of it, at least—was gone.

I huffed, annoyed by the intrusion. “Have a drink with me. Let’s go somewhere we can talk privately.”

“About what? You made it very clear that we were done in Bali.” She crossed her arms over her chest, which had the effect of pushing up her breasts. My attention was momentarily diverted there before I shook my head.

Sensing she wouldn’t budge, I glanced around, afraid someone might overhear. “I just—” I huffed. “I want to apologize.”

She said nothing, so I found myself continuing, despite my reservations. “I’m sorry.” I held up my hands. “Truly. But you have to understand—”

She glared at me. “Understand? You had no right to do what you did. I offered to erase the photos of you. But you—” She shook her head, and it looked as if she might cry.

“I know. I know,” I sighed, frustrated with the situation and myself. I’d let my temper get the best of me that morning, and I vowed not to let it happen again. “Let me make it up to you.” I stepped closer and took her hands in mine. God, it felt so good to touch her after all this time. It felt as if my body had come alive again, and I wanted to do more than just apologize. “Please.”

She stepped out of my hold, putting space between us. It was as if we were doing a dance—one step forward, two steps back. “Why should I trust you? You yelled at me. You threatened me.”

“I know. I was… I shouldn’t have lost my temper. I’m sorry about the camera.”