“Miles!” shouted Lily, racing out of the kitchen. “Where in the hell have you been?”
He rounded the corner, and his mouth dropped open. “Pia? What are you doing here?”
Lily smacked him. “She’s here to see you, you tosser.”
“But…”
“She didn’t get your letter, so she came looking for you.”
Mylos glared at his sister. “Would you mind letting Pia speak for herself?”
“Sure, of course,” she said, shrugging and smiling. “I’ll just be in my room.” She silently clapped her hands and jumped up and down behind his back before she ran up the stairs.
Once she was gone, Mylos scrubbed his face with his hand. “Explain this to me once more.”
I bit my lip, wishing he seemed happier to see me. “Like Lily said, I didn’t get the last letter you sent. I wrote again, but when that went unanswered, I decided to come here. It was probably stupid, but…I had to see you again, Mylos.” When I took a step closer to him, he stepped back. Why was he acting this way? “I don’t understand. She said you went to Italy to see me.”
He pulled a chair out from the table, but didn’t sit in it. Instead, he put his hands on the back of it, almost like it was a barrier between us.
“I did, Pia, but when your fiancé was the first person I ran into, I saw the error of my ways.”
“My what?”
“Your fiancé. You know, the man you’re going to marry.”
“I don’t know who you talked to, but you must’ve misunderstood. I don’t have a fiancé, and I’m definitely not getting married.” I held out my hands as though showing him I had no ring would prove I wasn’t lying.
“Paolo—the guy you told me you broke up with.”
“Paolo?”
“That’s right. When he found me at the farmhouse, he told me I was trespassing.”
“This is crazy. I’m not engaged, Mylos. Not to Paolo or anyone else. If I were, I wouldn’t have traveled to England to see you.”
“Then, why did he say you were? Why was he even there?”
“I don’t know, and believe me, I intend to find out.” While I knew my father had hired Paolo to help at the winery, it made no sense that he would tell Mylos we were engaged.
When Mylos didn’t make any kind of move, I realized he still thought I was lying.
“I’m sorry I came.” When I turned to walk out, I saw Lily in the hallway around the corner.
“Uh-uh. No way. You aren’t going anywhere.” She pulled me back into the kitchen and stood in front of her brother. “This woman came all the way to London to see you. To see you!” She smacked the side of his head. “You’re a bloody idiot if you think she’d lie to you, and
if you do, then you aren’t my brother.”
When he didn’t say anything, Lily made a sound of disgust and grabbed my arm again. “Come on, Pia. You don’t need this crap.”
“Pia, Lily, wait…”
My eyes filled with tears, and I couldn’t turn around and look at him.
“Lily, give us a moment.”
“Do you want me to?” she asked.
I nodded.