His Untamed Heart

Chapter 28: The Goodbye

A sap run is the sweet goodbye of winter. It is the fruit of the equal marriage of the sun and frost.

-John Burroughs

Willow Kinsella's POV

The ride back to Ragusa was enveloped with painful silence. After his unexpected phone call from his officers requesting him to return to their base and probably there was already a mission waiting for him once he return to their camp.

I swallowed hard fighting off the tears that starts to blur my vision of my plane window. I would not shed tears from this goodbye. I should have expected this when I agree to extend my vacation here in Sicily when the whole reason for this trip was primarily closure to whatever unfinished business we have back in North Carolina when he suddenly depart with his family.

Now once again we're facing another goodbye but this time I would make sure that this would be the last one. No more regrets after this despite my heart had another thing to say about this matter. But right now I don't have time to listen to it.

From the corner of my eye, I saw him studying me intently but I choose to ignore him and continue to stare at my plane window sightlessly.

I heard him sighed deeply, rubbing his forehead to ease his frustration. "My officer inform me that they already sent a formal letter requesting for me to return at the base last month but I didn't receive such letter. I think Cesare intercepts that document."

I gave a non-committal sound while I rested my chin in my hand and my eyes still fixed outside. I don't want to talk to him at the moment but I couldn't help to give a snide remark. "Well, they personally call you now. You don't have to worry about your uncle."

"Willow..."

For the first time, I let my gaze wander in his direction. There was something in his eyes that gave me a pause. Sadness? I couldn't tell.

"We can't end like this." He said almost in a desperate tone. "I will not let this thing between us end like this."

"Our two weeks are almost over, Enzo," I stated without a hint of emotion in my voice. "I need to go back to my old life in North Carolina. The country girl needs to go back to her old life her fairy tale vacation is over. And you need to return to once you've been before we met."

"Willow...please..."

I shook my head, not giving an inch for my heart to betray me and do something really stupid here. "It may sound cliché,  but thank you for the beautiful memories you shared with me. I will treasure them as long as I live."

"Willow!" In an instant he was on my side, crossing the distance between us. "Please don't say that. Don't end this so heartlessly." He cupped my face with his large hands demanding me to look at him. "Just give me a little time. I'm sure my superiors knew that I am still recovering from my injuries. I will ask for an extension to my vacation just don't leave Ragusa yet."

I shook my head again. "The sooner we accept that there's no future for us—"

Before I could even finish my sentence his mouth came down crashing on me. These weren't his usual playful kisses. This one was hard and demanding like some pure possession silently reminding me of all the time we spent together. The way his mouth demand access in my mouth left me breathless. This was the side of him that I didn't know yet. This was the soldier in him who wants to win his battle always.

"Stop..." I managed to tear my mouth from him. I saw the hellfire in the depth of his dark green eyes.

"This isn't over, Willow." He stated coldly. "I will not let you leave Ragusa without getting a promised from you that whatever we have between us is far from over." I remained silent avoiding his gaze my hands locked together in my lap. "Just give me a few weeks or a whole month at the least. I will just sort out something in the camp and then I will come back for you."