Memories In Italy

Chapter 17

Three days later

Last days I didn't really feel welcome anymore. Gianluca didn't say much. He asked me sometimes things like 'how do you see our future?' or 'when did you know I was the one?'. I just answered with the truth. When Piero and Ignazio or his parents and Ernesto visited him when I was there, the atmosphere became more fun again. I couldn't blame anyone of course, definately not Gianluca himself.

Gianluca's POV

I didn't know what to do anymore. I was feeling so much for Aline but I was not planning on hurting someones feelings. If Chiara spoke the truth, it was sure I must have been a big jerk, a liar, a betrayer. I didn't want to be like that. Not at all. But I didn't know who I really was...

The plan Chiara had for us was simple but still very mean. It didn't feel right and I was not planning on doing that. At least not today.

"You were going to leave her for me. You only had to say that you didn't feel the things you used to feel for Aline anymore, that you're too different and that you need someone Italian, just like yourself. Off course she would cry, but she will get over it, just like a few years ago."

I didn't know what she was talking about with that thing about 'a few years ago" so I asked her. "She had someone else for a while but then you found out and left her, right at the moment she decided to be only yours again. She felt bad about what she had done but you didn't want her back. Unfortunately you were still in love with her too, so you can guess what happened next. You were a couple again! But at that moment you already met me. And you loved me too. So we were planning on taking revenge. You would leave her and be with me instead." That was a lot too swallow at once. I thought about it, in this story, the bad one was indeed Aline.

I read in the book of Aline's memories. She decided to give it already to me because otherwise I would have to wait for it way too long. I wasn't complaining about that. On the page about 'the difficult period', she only wrote we both had a hard time and that everything luckily had a happy ending. But she didn't wanted to think about it anymore. So she didn't write the details of it. Not even in general what had happened. It wasn't a complete contradiction with Chiara's explanation, but definitaly not the same either. My heart started breaking. I loved this girl and I already trusted her. But after hearing all of that, I didn't know wether I should trust her. Simply because I just didn't know anything about all of this. I didn't know myself, so how could I know those girls.

When the girls visited me, not at the same time of course, I mentally took a big distance between us. They both didn't seem too like that very much, but there was no other choice. Meanwhile I was thinking about a solution. How could I know the truth?

One hour later

"I just spoke the doctor. You can leave in a week or two!" Piero said enthusiast, but I wasn't quite happy with that news. Where did I have to go? "He also said we need to trigger you to get your memories back. Like something related to a strong emotion. But I don't know if it will help, since the one person who's theoreticaly the best trigger, is Aline. And you still don't know her." I stared in the distance, so Piero just talked further about something else. "Oh, I have some nice news for you!" he said happy. "I mean about me and the end of my 'forever alone story'," he said overjoyed. I looked to him, trying to smile but worrying more about my own love life. "I met a girl yesterday!" he said. "She is just gorgeous! And sweet! And friendly! Very friendly! Are you listening?" he asked. "Yes!" He came closer. "It doesn't look like that! But I forgive you because of the situation," he laughed. I couldn't laugh anymore, the story about me and Aline kept spinning around in my head. Without thinking much, I just asked my questions to Piero. "Am I a person that would cheat on his gitlfriend?" Piero looked amazed by that question. "NO! I can say that with my hand on my heart! But why do you ask that?" I hesitated a bit but decided to keep it for myself. "Nothing special." But then I asked further. "Is Aline a person that would cheat on someone?" Piero was even more amazed now. "Why are you asking all of this?" he wondered. "Of course she wouldn't do that! She is one of those girls you meet and you think, she is a very good person! And in your case, 'she is the one I want to share the rest of my life with!'" I didn't say much after that, only thinking about how stupid I must be to betray a girl like her. Since Piero didn't say Aline had betrayed me, I decided to tell him the truth. Because the more I thought about it, the more I found Chiara very suspicious. And some parts of her explanation could possibly be proven by Piero or someone else. So I told jil about it, wether Chiara liked it or not!

During my explanation, Piero kept nodding his head in disbelieve. Apparently he was a 100 procent sure, Chiara was lying all the way. He kept saying things like: "No, not possible!" "Don't believe that false woman!" and "She's a liar!" He wanted to know when she would come back. Unfortunately, I couldn't tell that. "She only comes when nobody else is here." Piero wanted to stay untill she would come. But I wasn't sure she would do that, with him still in the building. "How does she look like?" Piero asked, like he was really going to be the detective right there. "Tall, blond hair and very beautiful, like a model. Oh and very friendly, but still not as special as Aline!" Piero laughed with that last. "You just fell out of your role. Nobody knew if you really liked Aline again, or if you just acted like that. But now I know for sure!" he said proud. I laughed, feeling a bit betrayed indeed. "Well done mister detective!"

A few hours later

Chiara still hadn't come. Instead everyone else did. I asked Piero not to tell anything about Chiara. Definatelly not to Aline. He doubted a bit but then agreed. But I was not sure he would keep his promise. I still kept a distance between me and Aline. I could see it hurt her. But there was no other option. I didn't want to hurt her even more. Untill I knew the truth. The real one!
"I am going to sleep a bit!" I told Piero, because my eyes were closing without my permission. "Wake me when there happens something!" I said before I was asleep. "Buona notte!" Piero said, when he sat back in his chair, waiting for someone who wasn't going to come any time soon.

8 hours later

"Wake up! Wake up Piero!" I shouted from my bed to the chair, clearly not close enough he would hear it. "PIERO!" I yelled, almost surprised myself from the noice I was able to make. "Hu, what!" He sat up from his half lying/half sitting possition in his chair. "Welcome to earth again! Did you find Chiara in dreamland?" I laughed. "Oh crap!" He hit himself hard with his hand in the face. "I. Am. Stupid!" I only laughed with it. "Very stupid, but at least I had a nice laugh!"

Unfortunately, that plan was not going to work. If she came that night, she obviously saw Piero lying comfortable in the chair. If she didn't came, it was longer than other times, so she knew Piero was in the house. "Plan B!" Piero said short. "What's that?" I asked curious. "Wait and see!" he said when he left the room.