The Return of My First Love novel Chapter 36

Emily

The sun had set. I found myself in the bedroom, in the same arrangEmilyent as back in the Fanucci mansion.

Alessio lounged on the sofa, while I lay in the bed, and as usual it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

"We'll be leaving the day after tomorrow," Alessio broke the silence. His voice was casual, as if he was discussing the weather.

"Okay," I answered.

I wanted to talk more, to somehow end this unspoken thing between us, but the words just wouldn't come out. I even wanted to tell him we could just share the bed, I wouldn't even mind—but the thought of his rejection kept me quiet.

"They are nice people," I tried to keep the conversation going.

Alessio's response caught me off guard. "Are you sure? Because you looked like you needed saving from the daughter."

I thought of Pilar and her endless chatter at dinner. She did talk a lot, but there was something sweet and kind about it. "She talks a lot, but she's nice," I said.

Silence fell over the room again, and I knew I should ask him about sharing the bed before it got too late, but the words could still not leave my mouth.

"Do you—"

"Have you—" Alessio spoke at the same time.

"You go first," I offered, eager to hear what he had to say.

"No, you go," he insisted.

"It was nothing important, really," I told him, feeling my cheeks warm with Emilybarrassment. That was my one shot to ask him, and now I didn't have the guts to do it anymore.

"Have you thought about tomorrow?"

I hesitated for a moment before answering. "Yes, I would love to do something with you."

Alessio chuckled as a breath escaped from his lips. "Why are you being weird again? I thought we were past that."

"No, I'm not—I'm not being weird," I protested, defensively. "So, what are we doing tomorrow?"

"I was thinking dinner," he suggested.

"Sure, dinner sounds nice," I agreed, feeling a bit relieved it would be something as simple as eating, and nothing out of the ordinary. Bringing the spoon to my mouth and chewing seEmilyed like the right option.

When he didn't say anything in return, I took that as a sign not to talk anymore as he was probably tired. I turned over, settling into the bed before slowly drifting off to sleep.

~

After a relaxing morning by the pool with Pilar, Naty, and the kids, Pilar had whisked me off to the mall for a shopping spree. We were on a mission to find the perfect outfit for tonight's dinner with Alessio, and Pilar had taken me to an upscale boutique.

The shop exuded luxury, much like the place where I'd bought Naty's dress. It was clear this boutique catered exclusively to the wealthy, with Emilyployees who paid attention to customers' status and affluence.

In the changing room, I stood in front of the mirror, trying on my fourth dress. Pilar had turned up her nose at every one so far, but I felt confident that this dress would change her mind.

It was a short, black designer dress with a large bow at the back. Usually, something like this would be out of my comfort zone, but I couldn't help but smile at my reflection. It had been ages since I dressed up like this, and the feeling was invigorating.

I wasn't always like this. I used to enjoy my nights out with friends, even after Naty was born. Unfortunately, those days came to an end when Jason criticized my choice of clothes, accusing me of enjoying dressing like a 'slut' to hit on other men while he was 'providing' for our family.

I sighed, pushing those dark thoughts aside, and stepped out of the changing room, giving a twirl for Pilar's approval.

"Yes, this is it!" Pilar exclaimed, clapping her hands. "You look perfect!"

"Thank you," I gave her another twirl.

"Now we only need heels, a matching bag, visit a hairstylist, and do your makeup!"

"What?" I blurted, widening my eyes. This was supposed to be a simple dinner, not a red-carpet event.

"How much time do we have?" Pilar asked.

I checked the clock on the wall. "Too much time."

Pilar nodded determinedly. "But not too much to fix you."

We had managed to find a matching pair of shoes and a bag. For my hair, Pilar had managed to book an appointment with one of her friends, James.

As I sat in the chair, he began running his fingers through my hair. His frown of disapproval showed that he was not happy with whatever was going on, on my head.

"When was the last time you got a haircut?" James asked.

"Oh, well…uh," I struggled for an answer. It had been years. My hair, which was always in a ponytail, had been past my hips for as long as I could rEmilyEmilyber. Jason had told me that was the way he liked his women, and I obeyed without question, in an effort to please him.

"I think the last time was like ten years ago," I finally admitted.

"So James, can you fix it or not?" Pilar moved around, impatiently.

James nodded his head as he made an imaginary cutting motion with his hands just under my shoulders. "Everything below this is dead. It's gotta go."

I swallowed hard, accepting his words. Cutting off more than half of my hair felt terrifying.

"And," James wasn't finished talking. "I think we should go honey blonde. It'll make your features pop out."