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“Phoebe, did someone hurt you? Is that a bruise?”

She shook her head as she lifted her own hand to her cheek “Don’t panic It’s aze, alet started thisI fell out of bed I hit my face on my bedside cabinet”

Matteo didn’t speak He just kept staring Then he glanced down at her hand She could see the tension across his shoulders and the tic at the side of his jaw “Is there someone in your life, Phoebe?”

She jerked and sat back in her seat, herHe’dtoo nosey, but now she could feel the intensity of his gaze She could see both the sympathy and revulsion in his eyes He’d ju She didn’t doubt for a second what Matteo Bianchi would do to ahis wife

Tears pooled in her eyes But for none of the reasons that Matteo was obviously assu She opened her mouth to speak but the words stuck in her throat Why were they so hard to say?

“Therethere’sno one in my life, just me” She shook her head as the tears threatened to fall “Can’t blame anyone else for my clumsiness”

His shoulders fell a little but the crease in his brow remained

The waitress appeared at that second, gave thelance and put their plates on the table “Anything else?”

Phoebe shook her head quickly “We’re fine,” replied Matteo

They sat in silence for a few seconds Phoebe staring at her potato chowder The smell that had seemed so delicious earlier, now just seemed to make her stomach do uncomfortable flip-flops

Matteo lifted his fork and picked at his oh and put his fork back down, sliding his hand over the table and letting it cover hers

“Is there anything you need to tell me?”

She shook her head as one tear finally slid down her cheek The lurown to epic proportions Her other hand was still auto her soup

Matteo pressed his lips together for a ers had never felt quite so cold Up until a few o she’d felt fine Now, she just felt soempty