Don't Hold Back (Love Hurts 4)

“What about your real father?” I ask tentatively.

“I’ve never met or spoken to him.” He says it with a shrug, like it’s the most natural thing in the world. “That was an easy decision. Either he knows about me and never made the effort to contact me, or he doesn’t know and approaching him will create a whole lot of drama I don’t want to deal with.”

He resumes the movie, but I don’t even pretend to watch it. I’m too caught up in my own thoughts. I pull out my phone and open it to Messenger, clicking on Calli’s number. Apart from a quick message letting them know I arrived, I haven’t spoken to anyone. Cade is right about one thing—I need to keep in contact, let them know that I’m okay.

Even if I’m not.

Chapter Fourteen

Erin

Our hotel in Venice is nicer than the one in Rome, if that’s even possible. I lucked out with my hotel choices, though I’m sure it’s eventually going to bite me on the arse. After checking in and unloading our luggage, we head off exploring. Venice is one of the places I’ve been most looking forward to seeing, along with Paris, so to be here kind of feels surreal.

“I could quite easily get lost here,” I muse. Every laneway leads to another, and they all look the same. I have no idea where we are going. I’m working on the assumption that we will end up back where we started eventually.

We pass a stall full of masks. I stop, in awe of the work in each and every design. They’re all different, each one beautiful in its own unique way.

“These started my love affair with Venice,” I mumble, fingering a pretty light pink one. I take it off the shelf and hold it up to my eyes, smiling at Cade.

“Beautiful,” he murmurs.

Embarrassed, I set it back down. “I might get it tomorrow.”

“Why not now?” he asks. “I mean, chances are we’re not going to remember how to find this stall again.” He glances around. “I thought I was good with directions, but this place is insane.”

I laugh, because he has a point. “Okay,” I say. “You’ve convinced me.”

I hand over my money and wait for the woman to carefully wrap the mask in tissue paper. She places it in a bag and hands it to me. I thank her and place it in my handbag.

Eventually we stumble back upon the hotel. The sun has set, giving way to the most beautiful light display over the glistening water of the canals. My heart swells. This is what I wanted to be able to experience.

“You look so happy,” Cade says, observing me.

“How can I not be?” I ask. “It’s beautiful. More than I imagined.”

“Sure you don’t feel like a dip?” he asks mischievously, motioning towards the canal.

I laugh, hugging my arms around me. It’s freezing, so the last thing I want is to be immersed in water.

“Why don’t you take a dip,” I say. I narrow my eyes at him, a smile forming on my lips. “I think I remember you owing me for that god-awful movie? Consider this your punishment.”

“You’re hurting me here, Erin,” he says, placing his hand over his chest. His wounded look is almost convincing. “You’re going to make me swim in freezing temperatures—”

“Naked,” I add with a grin.

“Naked?” he growls. “Is this just a ploy to see my junk? Because I’ll show you that for free.” He glances around us. “Okay, let’s do this then.”

Taking my hand, he leads me across the road. He strips off, lifting his shirt above his head and tossing it at me. I catch it and laugh. He smirks at me as he unbuckles his pants.

“I can’t believe you’re making me do this, Erin. I mean, have you seen the water? I’ll probably end up sick. Or worse, dying.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “You think that’s going to work? Get in there, Wilson. Stop being such a pussy.”

He chuckles and kicks off his jeans, flicking them through the air at me.

“You know how often they clean these canals?” he asks. He turns around and lowers his boxers.

I breathe in sharply, my eyes not leaving his perfectly shaped arse.