CHAPTER 53

Lisa's POV

I saw him fumbling with his words. I listen as he describes everything in detail, leaving no detail untouched.

I want could hold him in my arms, comfort him, and assure him that everything will be well as I watch him struggle to keep from crying in front of me.

They claim that time cures all wounds.

Damien is already recovering, although he is unaware of it. During the whole year, I worked for him, I was unaware of his struggles with anything this significant.

He struck me as being nasty, gruff, and vicious. I had no idea that he was still struggling with the trauma of having his wife pass away in his arms only a minute after they had an argument.

I want to weep about it. I'm trying to control my tears, however.

A tear escapes from my eye when I am unable to contain it any longer. Damien notices it before I can wipe it off, and he regretfully grins and stops talking.

How can I reassure him?

It makes me feel as if I was there that evening, watching from a distance as he and Gabriel labored to bring her back to life as blood spurted from her skull and her bulging tummy stopped breathing.

I saw myself sobbing uncontrollably and pleading with her not to go. I see myself sobbing and pleading with her to wait till the baby is born first. She departed, however, and Damien despises infants.

I found myself quietly telling him, "You have a chance for a new story," while balling my fist to calm my anxiety and stop the tears from threatening to fall down my cheeks a second time.

He raises his head to cast a lifeless gaze my way. "A brand-new story?"

Damien shakes his head when I say, "Helena would want you to be happy.

I quickly take his hand. I keep my hands on him despite the fact that it is chilly. Instead, I warm his icy hand by rubbing my two hands over it. It is frigid, much like a copy of his heart. To rewarm and revive it, he needs something.

She cherished you. If a woman loves a guy, she would want him to be content all the time. She will undoubtedly be happy if he is happy. Currently, you are healing. I have never seen someone speak about their grief in the same manner as you do without experiencing immediate healing. Damien is the guy I am now dating. The guy I am seeing is on the cusp of letting the pain of his past go and never allowing it to affect him ever again. a person who isn't prepared to allow their emotions to be ruled by their history. All I see is a powerful guy who has spent a long time clinging to the past.

Lisa, you're missing the point.

Because I've never experienced true love? I snipped him off. I guess that's all. He believes the reason my words are pouring out so easily is because I have never been in love. He may believe that since I don't have a deceased guy in my life who I really loved, I won't realize how difficult it is.

"I may not have felt love from a man, but I have felt love and I understand what love is."

He raises his head once more and removes his hand discreetly from my grasp. He's becoming a little heated, so I release him.

"My folks. Is there a kind of love better than unconditional love? He makes a head motion. "True, pure, unconditional love is what you felt for Helena, and I felt the same way for my parents. However, they passed away, so I can relate to you.

His eyes become smaller as he says, "I'm so sorry," and he seems really regretful.

I shoo it off. "It's okay. It's been so much time. But I'm over it now.

"Really?" I nod. The question "How did you do it?"

I hum. I quickly chuckle, "I almost didn't make it." Though I did. I was able to get through it because of my perseverance. Although I wanted to pass away and go meet them, I reminded myself that it wouldn't be worth it if they didn't live. They obviously want me to be content. In order to take care of Grandma and make them proud, I made the decision to be strong, work harder in school, and obtain a job. Despite our losses, we are together now.

"Wow!" Some new respect for me may be seen in his eyes. He probably never considered the possibility that I had experienced the period he was going through.

I'm willing to assist him since it seems similar and familiar, which is why I'm so committed to his situation. It will have been worth the year spent with him. I'm certain that he will have fully recovered from the pain of the past by the time we are prepared for a divorce.

You can only advance by giving up on looking back. Even while the past counts a lot, it doesn't always matter. The long run does. It is tougher for you to go on the more you reflect on the past, particularly on your failures. Your healing process will be more challenging the more difficult it is for you to move on. You won't be able to return to your usual self and battle the nightmares and trauma if you don't recover.

He agrees by nodding.

"All you have to do is give it some time and make the decision to let go; that's all. I'll always be there if you need me.

The question "A shoulder to cry on?" He asks me in a lighthearted tone, and I chuckle in amusement. He engages.

I find Damien's humor to be absurd. I was unaware that he was humorous. When we were working together, he always seemed serious.

He grins and says, "Thank you, Lisa, for wanting to be my shoulder to weep on. However, I believe that your shoulder is too little to hold my tears.

I smile broadly and say, "I'll let you have the other shoulder too," to which he shakes his head.

"Too little. I guarantee you, you won't be able to bear my sobbing when I start, so if I need a shoulder to weep on, I'm going to need a lot of them to hold in my emotions.

I cannot respond to him since I do not comprehend what he is saying. Is he attempting to convey that he tears often, or what?

He gestures to me with a laughing expression, and I want to know what he's trying to say.

"I've got you!" I squint my eyes. I anticipated your confusion or worry.

"Whatever!"

We pause once more, and I look around the little home while grinning slightly. It's a wonderfully beautiful and peaceful spot.

I want to walk outdoors and touch the ocean, but leaving Damien behind would be unthinkable. He probably brought me here because he needs companionship and I need to be with him till he eventually starts working again.

When he resumes work, I'm certain he'll be himself again. I will miss assisting him when his assistant brings work home, however.

She gives me a strange look, but I don't think anything of it. She is already known to me. I would have worried about how she looked at me if Damien hadn't informed me that she was the one his mother wanted him to marry.

I'm not, however. At the end of the day, she could very well wind up with Damien. Damien will need a lady when I go in a year, and because his mother desires her, they may be together.

The question "What are you thinking?" His inquiry catches my attention and jolts me out of my daydream.

I grinned without looking at him. He may deduce that I'm lying. "Nothing."

"Really?"

"Yep."

"OK. Do you really want to travel to Verona?

Of course, I'd like to do it. Don't worry, I'll contact Alejandro before October when I obtain his phone number from you. I want to research it and determine my financial capacity. I informed him.

Since Alex mentioned Verona during our dinner conversation, I have been considering the city.

Well, I hadn't given it much consideration until that evening since I had never anticipated being able to earn money quickly, but now that I can, I can at least take a trip with it.

Going on a journey with Alejandro as the tour guide will be very lovely.

He reminds me that October is coming up.

"Yes."

Wow, I never thought of that. Tomorrow, I should probably contact Alejandro. Or should I look online instead?

I turn to him and say, "Let's call Alex." Alex will provide him with accurate details about it.

His eyebrows rise. "You've already given him a moniker, right? Alex?"

It's not a moniker. I only abbreviated his name, I remark carelessly.

"Do you really like him that much?" Still wrinkled are the brows.

"Of course, yes." Do you not also like him? He's a good dude.

He throws out a sign before picking up his phone. I'll pay for your vacation to Verona and any other Italian destination you want, but you have to return in two weeks.

In shock, I open my mouth. I never imagined he'd offer me the opportunity to visit there. I had previously considered coming up with the ideas on my own, after which I would inform him and convince him to let me go using Alejandro.

Did he just suggest he'd pay for my travel expenses?

He glances up when he realizes I am not speaking. This is when I realize that this is really happening and that I am traveling to Verona, the city of love.

I suddenly leap to my feet and rush to hug him.