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She set the plate down on the table with a bang “What do you want, Matteo? Why am I here?”

“You’re here so I can say sorry” The words came out quickly—almost automatically

She blinked “Well, you’ve said it I’ve heard it”

He tried to reach for her hands again but she brushed him off “Please, Phoebe”

“Please, Phoebe, what? What is this? What do you want lad she has a healthy baby I know you sold the house in Roreat And, as for why you don’t want to sell this place?” The anger was starting to dissipate from her voice She looked around the room “That’s entirely up to you Maybe this place just needed a face lift” She shook her head, “Maybe you just needed to open the shutters” She couldn’t help the metaphor

Matteo shook his head “What I needed, Phoebe, was you”

She stood up and walked over to the glass doors looking out over Mecox Bay Matteo was right behind her and he gently laid his hand on her shoulder “And maybe, what you needed was me”

She spun around to face hiainst her heart “How can you say that? How can you? You were the first person I kissed since Jason died The first person I actually felt so for it But it just happened And I thought you were right there alongsideit I made a fool oflouder and louder “Is this just to remind me about the time we spent here? Is this just to rub my face in it? Because you’ve still not told me why I’m here You’ve still not told me what you want”

Matteo reached up and touched her cheek “Because what I want is you, Phoebe I want you to giveyou behind I’ht with you I want to make this work Ever since I’ve met you, I’ve felt differently You’re like no one I’ve ever ood in people You walk into a rooain “I love being around you, Phoebe I’ve always been a workaholic and I’m not like that with you When I’m around you, all I can think about is you” He pressed his hand against his heart “I love you, Phoebe I’ll say it I’ll say it out loud for the world to hear I don’t care I’ve only known you for a couple of ht about is you Every day I’ve wanted to speak to you—to e you”

“Then why didn’t you?”

He reen eyes “Because I hadn’t done what I should have You challenged me before I left Rome You told me I had to be honest with my sister and brother I couldn’ttheht, to come back and ask you to be part of ed me to take You’d faced your fears, Phoebe” His voice dropped “I hadn’t”

She sucked in a deep breath “You thought I wouldn’t want to be with you until you’d told your family?”

He closed his eyes for a second “I thought I probably didn’t deserve you if I hadn’t I was still so worried I atching Brianna the whole time What if she had become ill? How fair would it be to ask you to be part of a fa with health proble time?”

She tilted her head to one side “And how fair would it be to ask you to be part of my life when my mother has just finished her cancer treat her for treat care of her Do you see how ridiculous that sounds, Matteo? Family is family What if you’re ill? What if I’ that should matter is hoo people feel about each other”

He nodded “You’re right You’re always right, Phoebe It seems that even when I plan to tell a wo too”

She was frozen to the spot She wasn’t sure how to respond Her heart elling in her chest Partly because of his response, and partly because she was still cautious

Matteo stepped in front of her “I did plan so else” He held out his hand toward her “Will you come with me?”

As she lifted her hand toward his, he paused “Wait a minute—do you want to slip off your coat?”