The Photographer (Ignazio Boschetto Fanfiction)

Chapter 41

Chapter 41

       Early the next morning I thought I heard a faint knocking sound and someone saying my name, but I dismissed it as being my imagination and groggily pulled up the blanket to my cheek. It was quiet and dark and warm in the hotel room, and I was relaxed and comfortable lying on my side in the hotel bed. I started immediately to drift back to sleep after having been woken up, until I felt a gentle hand tenderly touch my head and slowly stroke back my hair.

          “Tamzin?” came Ignazio’s soft murmur, immediately relaxing me again, “Wake up, my dear.”

          “Hey,” I whispered without opening my eyes, comfortably feeling him slowly caressing my hair. “What are you doing in here?”

          He leaned over me and gently touched his lips to my cheek.

          “I’m sorry about coming in your room like this. The door was still unlocked, and I just thought it might be nicer than yelling for you from the hallway.”

          “No, sure, it’s fine.” I wanted to go back to sleep, but I opened my eyes and blinked up at him in the light from the crack in the door. He was dressed already, crouching beside the bed in his jeans and brown leather coat, even though it was still dark outside the window. “What are you telling me?” I asked groggily.

          “It’s time to get up.”

          “What? Why?” I swiftly propped myself up on my arm, squinting groggily at him.

          “We have to leave in a little while.”

          I stared at him for a moment, thinking, and then sighed and shook my head in exasperation as I lay back down and closed my eyes.

          “No, Ignazio, we don’t leave for Boston until tomorrow morning! Pay attention! I’m going back to sleep.”

          “Change of plans. We’re leaving today.”

          “What?”

          I opened my eyes again, and then kicked back the covers and pushed myself up to sit on the mattress.

          “Why?”

          “Get up and get ready to go. Our flight leaves at 8:30, so we’ve got be there at around seven at the latest. I got you up early so you’ll have enough time to get ready.”

          I turned and looked at the clock beside the bed, and yawned at the bright 5:30 on the screen.

          “Why didn’t Michele tell me? I’m going to talk to him.”

          “Wait!” I climbed out of the bed, and Ignazio stopped me from leaving the room. “You can’t. He’s busy. Just pack, and we’ll go when you’re ready.”

          “Why didn’t he tell me about this?”

          “Get dressed and get ready to leave, okay?”

          “Ignazio!”

          “Tamzin, do you love me?” he asked suddenly.

          “What? Of course I do! What’s going on!?”

          “I just wanted to hear you say it.”

          He stepped close to me and gave me a long, tender kiss, and then stepped back and went to the door. “I’m going to get my things. You get ready and pack up to go.”