I hold you close to me, my hands resting on your waist keeping you against my chest where your head is resting. You have your arms looped around my neck and my chin sat upon your head, my eyes just staring straight ahead as we dance side-to-side in the middle of the extravagant ballroom.

“I’m so sorry,” I whisper, just soft enough to where you can hear me over the violin music. but none of the other guests can.

I’ve never fallen for someone like this. Never in my life. Which is why I was never in any hurry to tell you about my lifestyle or explain how my money isn’t exactly clean. But time went on, and I realized I wanted more with you than anyone before. I wanted a life, and more importantly, I wanted you to be safe. So I didn’t tell you.

That backfired pretty quickly tonight.

I brought you to a fancy Gala in Italy, telling you it was for a work thing. Which was true. But I left out the part where I would have to disappear for a few minutes, have a meeting in the garden, shoot someone point blank in the skull, then come back in like nothing happened.

Didn’t go so well when you accidentally watched the whole thing happen from the window right before we had to get back to the party.

I exhale softly, nestling my nose in your hair as my eyes close briefly. “I can get you a flight back home in an hour, if you’d like. Never even have to see me again.”