‘Is everything OK?’
Sam turned around to see Gabi behind him, a dusting cloth in her hand. ‘Has she gone?’ he asked urgently.
‘Cesca?’ Gabi asked. ‘Yes, Sandro’s taken her to the airport. She’s booked on the early flight to Heathrow.’
Sam glanced at his watch. It was almost seven o’clock. The early flight always left at seven-thirty. Even if he jumped into the Ferrari and put his foot down all the way, there was no way he could catch her.
‘She didn’t say goodbye,’ he whispered, as much to himself as Gabi.
‘She wanted to leave quietly. She had a lot on her mind,’ Gabi said.
Sam looked at her, trying to work out if she knew more than she was saying. ‘Did she . . . did she leave anything?’
Gabi shook her head. ‘She came like she arrived, with one suitcase and not much else. It’s such a shame, we’ll miss her. She was like a ray of sunshine around here.’
Sam swallowed, torn between opening up and hiding away. ‘She was,’ he agreed.
‘I think you’ll miss her too,’ Gabi said. ‘After all, it was just the two of you for a long time. You must have become close to each other.’
‘We were friends,’ Sam said. He was feeling light-headed, and had to lean on the wall for support. ‘Until I upset her.’
‘You did?’ Gabi raised her eyebrows.
Sam moistened his lips with the tip of his tongue. The ache at her leaving was a nagging pain in his gut. How the hell had he managed to mess everything up again? ‘I didn’t treat her very well.’
‘Why not?’ Gabi looked almost embarrassed at her question. ‘Oh, I’m sorry, Signor Carlton, that was very rude of me.’
Sam sighed, rubbing his face with his hand. ‘Don’t be sorry. You sound exactly like her. Apologising for something that’s not your fault. It isn’t your problem I’m all messed up, and it isn’t your problem I shut down every time somebody gets close. It’s mine.’
Gabi looked more confused than ever. And he didn’t blame her, he must have sounded like a crazy man. But there was this need to talk, to confess, to work out how the hell he managed to get so tangled up. Gabi just happened to be there to listen.
‘I liked her,’ he said, his voice quiet. ‘No, that’s wrong. I fell in love with her. But I panicked, got scared, and pushed her away. It’s all my fault.’
‘You love her?’ Gabi asked. ‘You love Cesca?’
‘Yes.’
She clapped her hands together. ‘Well that’s wonderful.’
He shook his head. ‘No it isn’t.’
‘Why not?’ Gabi asked. ‘Love is always wonderful. You’re both single, you’re both beautiful. It’s perfect.’
‘Because I messed things up,’ he told her. ‘And now she’s gone and probably never wants to see me again.’
‘Of course she does. That’s why she looked so sad when she left. I thought it was because she was going to miss Varenna, but now I know it’s because she’s in love with you.’
‘She’ll never forgive me,’ he said. ‘And she shouldn’t. I was an asshole to her.’
Gabi’s eyes sparkled. ‘Girls are more forgiving than you think,’ she told him. ‘Sandro is always doing things that drive me crazy, and yet I let him make it up to me anyway. It’s amazing what a bit of love can do.’
Pushing himself off the wall, Sam turned to look at her. ‘So what should I do?’
She smiled. ‘You fight for her. You fight for her like you’ve never fought for a woman before. And if she’s kind enough to give you another chance, you make sure you don’t mess it up.’
Fight for her. He could do that, couldn’t he?
For the first time, he really thought he could.