0039|sob

ARABELLA ARMANI

Arabella lay awake that night, staring at the ceiling of her bedroom. The soft glow of the city lights filtered in through the large windows, casting shadows along the high walls of the mansion. The laughter and warmth of dinner had faded, leaving her alone with her thoughts—the ones she had been trying to avoid all evening.

Her phone sat on the nightstand, Alessio's name still lingering in her messages. She hadn't answered him. Not yet. But she knew she couldn't ignore him forever.

A knock at her door startled her.

"Yeah?" she called, pushing herself up on her elbows.

The door cracked open, and her father, Emilio, stepped in, his silhouette outlined by the dim hallway light. "Can't sleep?"

Arabella sighed, rubbing her temples. "Something like that."

Emilio leaned against the doorway, crossing his arms. "You seemed... off at dinner. Even Carter and Sarah noticed." His gaze softened. "What's going on, sweetheart?"

She hesitated. This was her dad—her protector, her safe place. And yet, the one thing weighing on her most was the one thing she couldn't tell him.

"Just life," she said finally, forcing a small smile. "Nothing serious. I promise."

Emilio didn't look convinced, but he nodded anyway. "Alright. Just know you can talk to me. About anything."

She swallowed the lump in her throat. If only that were true.

"Get some sleep, Bella," he said softly, stepping back into the hall. "Love you."

"Love you too, Dad."

As soon as he left, she exhaled shakily and reached for her phone. Her fingers hovered over Alessio's name before she finally gave in and opened the message thread.

BABYDADDYALESSIO👅💍💍

You're really not going to answer me?

I know you're reading these.

Bells, I just want to talk.

Please.

Her heart pounded as she typed out a reply.

my angel💍💍

What do you want, Alessio?

The response came almost immediately.

BABYDADDYALESSIO👅💍💍

You.

She closed her eyes, her fingers tightening around the phone. She should shut this down. She should tell him to leave her alone.

But she didn't.

The next morning, Arabella found herself at a small café downtown, waiting. She had agreed to meet Alessio, against her better judgment, but something inside her needed closure. Needed answers.

The moment he walked in, she felt it—the pull, the weight of everything between them. Alessio was as effortlessly striking as ever, dressed in dark jeans and a fitted black button-down, his presence commanding without even trying.

"You actually came," he said, sliding into the seat across from her.

Arabella exhaled. "I need to know what you want from me, Alessio."

His eyes searched hers. "You already know."

She shook her head. "No. You don't get to disappear, to leave me with all these questions, and then come back like nothing happened. My life isn't a game."

His jaw tightened. "I never meant to hurt you."

"But you did." Her voice was steady, but her heart was unraveling. "And I can't keep pretending that none of it mattered."

Alessio leaned forward, his voice lower, more intense. "It did matter. It still does. You and I, we're not done, Arabella."

She swallowed hard. "You say that like it's your choice."

He smirked, but there was no amusement behind it. "Tell me it's not."

Silence stretched between them. Arabella wanted to deny it, to tell him he was wrong, that she had moved on. But the truth sat heavy in her chest.

Alessio reached for her hand, his touch searing even through the smallest contact. "Come with me," he murmured. "Let's figure this out. Together."

Arabella looked down at their hands, torn between the past and the future. Between what was safe and what made her heart race.

"Say yes," he whispered.

Arabella's fingers curled into her lap as Alessio's hand brushed against hers. His touch was familiar—dangerously so—but she didn't move away. Not yet.

"You think it's that simple?" she asked, her voice quieter now. "That we can just pick up where we left off?"

Alessio's gaze darkened, frustration flickering beneath his usual confidence. "I don't think anything about us has ever been simple, angel . But that doesn't mean I'm willing to let you go."

She let out a hollow laugh, shaking her head. "You already did."

Alessio exhaled sharply, leaning back in his chair. For a moment, he just studied her, like he was trying to figure out how much damage he had really done.

"I made a mistake," he admitted, his voice lower now. "A mistake I regret every damn day."

Arabella stiffened. "You mean Sophia."

His jaw tightened at the name.

"Say it, Alessio," she pressed, her heart pounding. "Say her name. Acknowledge what you did."

His fingers drummed lightly against the table, a rare sign of nervousness. Finally, he spoke. "I won't lie to you. Yes. It was Sophia." His voice was calm, measured, but his eyes held something deeper—something that almost looked like guilt.

Arabella swallowed hard. Even hearing him say her name felt like a knife twisting in her chest.

"How long?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Alessio hesitated, but only for a second. "A few months."

A sharp breath left her lungs. "So, the entire time you were telling me you loved me, telling me I was the only one—"

"You were the only one," he cut in, his voice rough. "Sophia was—she was a mistake. A stupid, meaningless mistake."

Arabella clenched her fists. "Meaningless?" She let out a sharp, humorless laugh. "So what, Alessio? You just happened to accidentally sleep with her for months? That's your excuse?"

His expression hardened. "It wasn't like that."

"Then tell me how it was," she snapped. "Because from where I'm sitting, it looks like you were playing both of us."

Alessio exhaled through his nose, running a hand through his hair. "I never wanted her," he said, his voice quieter now. "Not the way I wanted you."

Arabella shook her head. "That doesn't make it better."

He leaned forward, his voice dropping lower. "I know. And if I could take it back, I would. But I can't. All I can do is tell you the truth and hope—" He stopped himself, his jaw tightening.

"Hope what?" she pressed.

His eyes met hers, raw and unguarded. "Hope that it's not too late for us."

A sharp, painful silence settled between them.

Arabella's chest ached, but she refused to let him see it. "You broke me, Alessio," she whispered. "Do you even understand that?"

His face twisted, like the words physically hurt. "I never wanted to hurt you."

"But you did." Her voice cracked despite her best efforts. "And now you think you can just show up, admit to everything, and what? I'll forgive you?"

"I don't expect you to forgive me," he admitted. "I just—I need you to know that you weren't replaceable. You weren't just some temporary thing. It was always you, Arabella."

Tears burned at the back of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

"I don't know if I believe that," she said honestly.

Alessio swallowed, his gaze never leaving hers. "Then let me prove it to you."

She exhaled shakily, torn between everything she wanted to say and everything she actually felt.

She should tell him to leave. She should walk away and never look back.

But when she looked at him—at the man she had once loved more than anything—she felt something she wasn't ready to admit out loud.

Something that scared her.

So instead, she whispered, "I don't know if I can do this again."

Alessio reached for her hand, his touch tentative. "Then don't decide right now. Just... let me try."

Arabella hesitated.

Her heart was screaming at her to run.

But her hands... they didn't pull away.