She didn’t have that kind of money. Not that he’d accept it even if she did. The only important part was that she was safe. He’d be lost without her. The words teetered on his tongue, but he couldn’t vocalize them. Telling her that would just be cruel. He refused to get her hopes up and have her think they were going to have a happily-ever-after ending. That simply couldn’t happen.
Stifling his emotions, he said, “I still don’t understand why you took the car without asking.”
She turned and stared directly at him. “I told you. I tried to call you but it went straight to voice mail. And I couldn’t be late. Otherwise they would have closed.”
“Who would have closed? What was so damn important that you almost got yourself killed?”
Pain flashed in her eyes. “Listen, I know you’re worked up about your car, but I was trying to do you a favor.”
“A favor? You call totaling my car and scaring me doing me a favor?” He rubbed the back of his neck. His words were coming out all wrong. His gut continued to churn with a ball of conflicting emotions.
Lizzie glared at him. “I told you I’m sorry.”
“But that won’t fix anything.” And it wouldn’t ease the scare she’d given him.
The groan of the motor hauling his car up onto the back of the tow drew his attention. The bent, broken and cracked car was slowly rolled onto a flatbed. It was a miracle Lizzie had escaped serious injury.
If this worry and agony was what loving someone was about, he didn’t want it. He didn’t want to have to care so deeply—to depend on someone. The price of loving and losing was too steep. He didn’t care if that made him a wimp or worse. He wasn’t going to end up a miserable old man like the rest of his family—with only memories to keep him company on those long lonely nights. No way.
“Stay here.” He wanted to keep her in sight just in case she started to feel il
l. “I need to speak to the polizia and the tow driver.”
In truth, he needed some distance. A chance to think clearly. He had to break things off with Lizzie. It was the only logical thing to do. But why did it feel so wrong?
* * *
What was his problem?
Lizzie had never seen Dante in such a black mood. Did he really care about his car that much? She glanced over to see broken bits of the car being cleaned up. Okay. So she had totally messed up today. She knew it was her fault, but did he have to be so gruff? This wasn’t the man—dare she say it—the man she loved.
After he spoke with the tow driver and the polizia, he returned to Lizzie. His face creased into a frown. “I’ll call us a taxi.”
There was no way she wanted to spend any more time around him. She already felt bad enough and had offered to pay for the damages. There was nothing else she could do to make things better. “I’d rather walk.”
“You aren’t up for walking.” His gaze wouldn’t even meet hers. “You were just in an accident.”
His body was rigid. A vein pulsated in his neck. He was doing his best to bottle up his anger but she could feel it. And she couldn’t stand it. He hated her for wrecking his car. “Just say it.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I’m calling a taxi.” He placed the call, ignoring her protests. “The taxi will be here shortly.”
She wished he’d get it off his chest. If they couldn’t even talk to each other, how in the world did she think they were going to have an ongoing relationship? Her mind was racing. She had to calm down. Everything was under control...except Massimo’s birthday party.
And that was when she realized that the gift—the whole reason for this illuminating calamity—was about to be hauled away inside Red. Her gaze swung around to the damaged car atop the tow. Anxious to get to the truck before it pulled out, she took off at a brisk pace. Her heeled black boots kept her from moving quicker.
“Lizzie!” Dante called out behind her. “What’s wrong? Would you talk to me?”
She kept moving until she was next to the truck. She reached up and knocked on the window. When the driver rolled down his window, she explained that she needed a package out of the vehicle.
“Couldn’t this have waited?” Dante sighed.
“No. It couldn’t.” Lizzie stood there ramrod-straight, staring straight ahead. She refused to let Dante get to her. Instead she watched as the driver climbed up to the car and retrieved the large package.
When the man went to hand it down, Dante intercepted it. “Let me guess. This is the reason you couldn’t wait for me.”
She nodded. “It’s the gift for your grandfather.”
The tension on his face eased. It was though at last he realized she’d been trying to do something for him and she hadn’t taken his car for a joyride.