Chapter 22. Open your eyes, babe.

Stephanie Miller.

I stood silently staring at my laptop screen, unable to articulate a single thought or word.

Vincenzo stands still behind me, his hands on my shoulders, and I feel his grip tighten. I breathe quickly and notice that my heart is beating fast.

I clear my throat and touch his hand as I say, “Are you okay?”

He seems to snap out of his shock and responds, “yes, I am, although I should be the one asking you that. Are you okay?”

I sigh, still looking at the screen. I tell him, “Can you leave me alone, Vicenzo?”

He tells me, “I’ll be in the living room, in case you need me, baby.” Then, he kisses my head and leaves the office.

I sigh again, deciding if I should open that email or not. Inside my stomach, thousands of butterflies beat their wings at the same time, while my heart seems to have a life of its own.

Three months have passed since I last saw the man, I thought was the man of my life, my traveling partner.

Without further ado, I decided to open it. For a moment,