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After Sofia's husband had left, Maria had taken Leonardo's previous words seriously and hoped he would come back quickly in the evening.

She was sat on her knees in the bedroom, wrapping a birthday gift she had bought days before for Leonardo. A small smile crept onto her face as she stuck together the wrapping paper. Maria's hopes were increasing and she couldn't wait for him to see what she had wrapped.

After feeling content with what she had wrapped for him, another two hours passed by where Maria changed and intricately continued her soft makeup look. As she applied blush, she sighed, her eyes glancing at the ticking clock on the wall. Maria was anticipating his return and found herself getting excited at the idea of him seeing the surprise.

Maria had dressed up that night wearing a floral cami dress with some low white heels. Her jewellery was simple yet exquisite; she wore her extravagant, white pearls. Her fingernails were repainted with some baby pink gel polish and she smoothened down her dress, making strands of her hair slip over her shoulder, showing off the sculpted shape of her slim face. Maria had been complimented many times of for being a Greek goddess and that was exactly how she looked that evening.

A quiet but noticeable sound of an electric vehicle approaching the driveway caught Maria's attention. After confirming by peeking out the window, Maria was glad to see Leonardo's car coming in, her smile extending at the thought of him coming in.

Maria made her way downstairs as fast and smoothly as she could and found the cake made that afternoon. She lit the candles and gently sunk them into the cake. With the lights switched off and the curtains drawn, she was stood in the living room with her heart racing, partly from moving around so quickly, and the front door opened.

Leonardo's footsteps immediately made the hairs on the back of her neck stand, a mix of nervousness and excitement filling her as her own breaths got faster.

It was dark but Leonardo had still managed to slide off his shoes and groggily move into the house. It had been a long day for him, the last thing he had expected was what was waiting for him in the lounge. His hands were sore; punishing people that afternoon was longer than he initially thought. Leonardo slowly opened and closed his hands, the tingling, painful sensation radiating from his knuckles to his entire hands.

He sighed in tiredness; all he wanted to was sleep and he couldn't even have that. Leonardo was about to head straight upstairs until a thought came into his mind; it was too quiet to be living with Maria. Suddenly aware of the darkness, he felt a sense of fear and unfamiliarity.

His loud, heavy footsteps increasingly grew more immediate to Maria's eyes. She couldn't wipe off the smile that kept getting bigger across her face at the thought of seeing him. She was hoping he wouldn't go straight upstairs as he usually did.

When the footsteps abruptly stopped by the door, Maria felt as though my heart had done the same. "Maria?" His deep voice cautiously called out as though he knew she was in there. Leonardo didn't know what was waiting for him behind the door. He pushed it open roughly and as soon as he did so, the lights across the villa switched on.

Unable to contain herself any longer, Maria bursted out, "happy birthday!" Jumping out from the corner with the lit cake in her hands and a massive smile across her sweet face, Maria beamed at him in joy and excitement.

The shocked expression on his face was mixed with confusion. His eyes widened at the sight of her so loud and ecstatic. Leonardo's hand gripped onto the door handle, his heart missing a beat at how surprised he was.

Maria had never seen Leonardo look so astounded. His wide eyes landed on her first, they were frantically looking between Maria and the vanilla cake waiting for him to blow on. "Surprise!" She loudly added, waiting happily for his first words.

Leonardo blinked repeatedly, his hands slowly lowering and dropping the folder he was holding before with a loud bang on the ground, surprising her. In astonishment, his mouth fell open as his eyes took in all the fancy decorations Maria had put up with Sofia all afternoon. She was proud to see him looking over all her hard work.

"I know you don't like bright colours, so I chose darker balloons and banners. I was a bit skeptical that it wouldn't look good at first - but look! The colours are amazing!" Maria quickly blurted out, her chest still tense as she also took in the decor. His reaction was slower than she had expected. He wasn't saying anything or even doing anything. His face had somehow turned ashen, colour drained from him, and as his mouth closed, he stood still, stiff and silent. The birthday music playing quietly in the background was the only noise between the two of them.

"Leo. . ?"

He wasn't saying anything or providing any sort of hint to what he was thinking. Maria felt her cheeks begin to ache, the corners of her lips shaking. Sensing that something was wrong, Maria swiftly blew out the candles and quickly placed the cake down on top of the drawers. "Uhh. ." Maria quietly started, unsure of what to do. She pulled a strand of my hair behind my ear as she continued to try and engage with him, "do you want some cake? Are you hungry?" His face looked anything from happy from that moment onwards.

"Mi amore?" Maria softly pressed again. Leonardo's eyes were darting all over the place, his body rigid and yet his large hands began to shake. His shocked face blanched. Maria's smile immediately faded as she realised the surprise had not gone to plan.

His darkened eyes slowly reached hers, a cold and empty gaze was cast upon Maria suddenly changing the atmosphere in the room. ". . .what's all of this?" Leonardo couldn't contain the anger beginning to seep out from inside. He never, ever celebrated his birthday after his sister died and he never, ever bothered to remember it was his birthday. Every year, he would bury himself in work and force himself to forget. He had long removed the privilege of having a birthday since she passed.

Maria, unable to read his thoughts, tried to maintain a happy tone, "it's for your birthday! Don't you. .like it?" Her words had ticked something in him.

Leonardo's jaw tightened. Maria could feel the rising rage radiating from him, making her face fall. He slowly exhaled, his eyes locked with hers with a burning, uncomfortable stare. He sharply responded, "I did not ask for this." Leonardo was struggling to keep in his fury. Maria roughly swallowed and glanced down at the cake awkwardly, as she sensed the tension.

"I know you didn't. That's the point of surprise," Maria pointed out calmly in a quieter voice. Her eyebrows lowered as she noticed that he only seemed to become more and more infuriated. Maria could no longer maintain a happy face. She unexpectedly felt uneasy; Maria had never seen him like that in a long time. She began questioned her actions. She thought he would feel better with the surprise but Maria recognised she had offended him. "Look, I know this morning-"

Maria didn't get to finish as Leonardo's rage had taken over. He turned and began tearing down the decorations Maria was excited for him to see all day.

With each pop of the balloons, she flinched, her lips parting in shock as she felt her strong walks inside, holding in her hurt crumble down and release the pain she was feeling at his harsh actions. Her eyes began to sting, her vision blurring as she watched him tear down everything she had built for him that day.

The living room was turning into a mess and before he could destroy it any further, she agonisingly bursted, "Leonardo!" The sadness in her was quickly being replaced with indignation.

"Did you think you'd receive an applause for this? Did you think that I'd praise you, thank you?" Leonardo suddenly snapped, facing her once again. His eyes were filled with such hatred that she struggled to maintain eye contact with him.

She narrowed her eyebrows back at him, forcing in the tears. "What am I? A fucking dog? No - I at least expected that you'd be grateful and not destroy what I made for you all day! Do you know how long it took me-" Maria didn't get to finish her swift response filled with umbrage.

He let out a loud scoff, making Maria look at him incredulously at his unfamiliar behaviour. "Have you always been this selfish?" Maria almost snapped back in the worst possible way, she was holding back a mass of retorts and harsh words that her temper was begging her to force out. His words were like stabs to her heart - how could Leonardo ever think of her in that way, especially after what she had done for him?

She could feel her blood begin to boil in her veins but she bit down her frustration and calmly and honestly empathised, "are you angry at me because it's not just your birthday today?" Maria's voice was shaking with seething hostility threatening to break out in hurtful words.

"Is that why you called me, the person who's trying to cheer you up, 'selfish'?" Maria scoffed too as she folded her shaky arms. She clenched her jaw before maturely adding, "if you're mad at me, just say it. Don't hurt me with words you don't mean."

Leonardo was barely hearing her through a mind filled with strong emotions whirling around in him. He felt his face grow hotter and hotter. He found himself approaching her as he fumed, "you act like you care about me but you fucking don't. Why would you do this? Why would you do this knowing what today is!" His deep raised voice made Maria lift her eyebrows, her eyes slightly expanding as her ears couldn't believe the tone in which he was speaking to her in. Leonardo never spoke to Maria like that.

Maria's eyes, in direct contact with his, felt the stinging again. Maria knew what she had to do. She pushed back her emotions and humbly replied, "I am genuinely sorry that I-"

"I should've never-" he began, his voice low and wrathful as his dark eyes stared into hers, his face right in front of Maria's.
"-have agreed to do any of this. To take you back into my life."

Whatever apology was about to come out was forced right back inside. Her eyes blinked rapidly to force down the tears. His menacing tone was unrecognisable to her. "This is the most you've ever passionately spoken to me. This isn't just about this today, is it?" Maria challenged, a strong yet piercing tone coming from her. "What else, Leonardo? What else do you have to say?"

She didn't let him speak. "I'm selfish? I understand, you didn't want today - fine," Maria exasperated, waving her hand, "but you're an inconsiderate jerk for coming home-"

"Sienna," Leonardo's sharp voice began, his eyes moving away from hers momentarily. She couldn't speak, her words caught in her throat at the sound of the word her struggled to say. "Her birthday is today. And you. . .you want me to celebrate it? Like I have a fucking right?"

Maria inhaled deeply, composing herself before articulating, "I understand, as I said before, why you're unhappy." She was trying her best to maintain a calm, respectful conversation without more harsh words being said. "Why don't we talk about it instead of arguing?"

Leonardo wanted nothing to do with her anymore that night. His hands rubbed his face as he let out a frustrated exhalation. "I don't need therapy, your pity, your fake concern! You're constantly acting like a fucking counsellor as if I'm going to throw myself out a window every second! Stop acting like you care!"

"Of course, I care!" Maria exclaimed, unable to hold down her frustration as her hands waved in the air. "You're being a fucking jerk! I'm trying to figure out your mind every second because you don't share or show me your feelings, and when you do, it's short-lived." She was unable to lower her elevated voice which was annoying her even more, she hated yelling. He was barely listening to what she was expressing.

"So you admit it? You're trying to get into my head and I fucking hate it! You want to know my weaknesses, you want to expose my thoughts. You're annoyed because I don't want to?" Leonardo strongly retorted, a provoking tone coming from him.

Maria finally released her frustration, "I know I shouldn't be angry, I know I shouldn't be frustrated. But you're not fucking easy and I don't mean I expected you to be a sponge and release everything you think. I try with you constantly and you always push me away. Your walls are so strong to knock down that it hurts me in the process. Your words, your actions keep me away. I don't know what the hell I'm doing half the time, that's why I made a mistake like today, hoping that I could make you feel better!"

She more quietly said, "I'm drained. I'm drained in always fighting for you."
Maria suddenly felt a wave a tiredness and pain run over her. It was the first time she had been honest to him since they'd met again about her feelings. Honest to herself about the constant challenges she'd faced. Maria finally recognised how tired she was.

"I'm pushing you away? You're annoyed because I don't want this? You've turned everything upside down, you've made me. . ." She could no longer listen.

Maria felt too empty, her eyes losing their focus on him. Maria wanted to cry, she wanted him to comfort her, to apologise, to say how he really felt. Maria knew he was hurting her to protect his true feelings inside. But she couldn't take it anymore. She painfully recognised that whatever barriers Maria had broken down in him since they'd met had immediately come right back up in the space of minutes. Her heart had torn into pieces. She no longer wanted to fight for Leonardo.

"I'm. .I'm done." Maria's hands momentarily covered her face as she closed her eyes, wishing she could disappear from the room. There was a pause between the two of them, both breathing deeply, calming themselves down.

Maria removed her hands from her face and gazed at Leonardo, her eyes solemn and distraught. He couldn't look at her, still quietly exhaling in frustration. They were keeping their emotions inside as though they had both realised they had been carried away too much.

"Maria. .why do you do this?" Leonardo genuinely asked in a more relaxed tone, his head hung low slightly. "Why do you look at me so gently? Comfort me, let me hold you to sleep?" He sighed, swallowing before continuing, "why do constantly ask about how I'm feeling? Why do you smile and laugh like that around me? Why do you do all these things that no one - no one has ever done for me before? Why do you have such high hopes in me? Why? Why do you this to me?" He sounded desperate, desperate for an answer, his hazel eyes seriously stared into hers as though he could see her into her brokenness.

Maria almost broke down in front of him. She squeezed her eyes closed, inhaling sharply as she fought back her intense emotions building in her. "Because I love you." Her words pierced Leonardo's heart. "Don't you understand?" He looked at her with such pain and remorse, his hands shaking again.

Her grey eyes struggled but she would not let a tear fall. "I told you, I love you. Leonardo, I love you more than words can say, more than actions can do. You will never, ever comprehend how much I love you." Maria sniffed, blinking quickly. She wiped her left eye smoothly before a tear could drop, she refused to break down before him.

Leonardo lost eye contact again. A similar stinging sensation began to tingle at the back of his own eyes. His heart was pounding, he swallowed the lump at the back of his throat, "I don't deserve it," he quietly said, fighting back his own emotions too.

Maria shook her head. "We've been through this." She could feel the heat on her face. "Leonardo, you will regret how you live your life if you continue to go this way. I warned you. You have to live for yourself."

"I'm done begging you," Maria lamented, sighing gently. "I'm done begging and begging for your love. I've lost myself in wanting you to love me. It's not healthy, it's not fair. I can't force you to change, to want me, to reciprocate love for me. I just can't." Leonardo's eyes finally looked into hers, a sudden feeling of uncertainty filling him. He was losing her.

Maria further explained, "I will always care for you, want the best for you. That will never change. Leonardo." She felt her chest tighten the more she spoke. "I thought. .I thought you'd grow to love me. I was wrong. You don't care about me." She looked up at him and rephrased her words, "no, you do. But you won't put me first. You put your past first. You're living in it."

Leonardo said quietly as he looked down, "I can never atone for what I did."

Maria sighed in dissatisfaction, her eyebrows crossed and her face frowning. She pushed his shoulder gently, as though to wake him up. "Leo!" She groaned, biting her bottom lip. She reminded herself that it wasn't his fault. "You're so scared of the present that you're ruining the future. You push away Vincenzo because he reminds you of Cris? Doesn't he?"

Leonardo's eyes widened. He should've felt angry, but he couldn't. Leonardo let out a breath, shocked that she could read him better than he even knew himself.

"They were close, Cristiano and Vincenzo. They acted the same too," Maria slowly added, she was cautious, treading on ice. "I don't know what happened with Cristiano. But I'm right, aren't I? Your past is hindering your relationship with Vince."

"But you can't see that Vince looks up to you," Maria divulged, "you can't see it. You're getting better but Amalia still lives with her Nonna. It's because you're scared you're not going to be a good father, aren't you?"

Leonardo's eyebrows narrowed at the mention of her and he took a step closer, "don't-"

Maria wasn't phased. "And me? Me?" Maria ran her hand through her hair with a deep sigh.

"Leonardo, you've done it," Maria softly told him, shaking her head. "You've pushed me away." She slid off the ring she bought for herself all those months ago and let it fall onto the ground as she stared at it blankly. "You don't have to bother with this any more."

The words hung in the air momentarily before Maria could no longer bear being there.

Maria forced herself to walk away. Leave before she could cry, before she could turn around and hug him, before she could take back everything she had said and make it all work again. A fantasy. Her hands were trembling as she moved, she could barely rub her face with those shaky fingers. She felt hot, uncomfortable, suffocating in that room, her chest was tighter than before and she felt a lump rise in her neck.

She rubbed her neck as though to push the lump out, finding her breaths increase faster and faster as she fought to reach the front door, Maria needed to escape. Her hands gripped the door, clutched onto it as hard as she could as she pulled but it wouldn't open. Maria hadn't realised her shaking hands were affecting her strength. All she knew was that she had to get out.

He knew what he had done. He realised the moment she left. He couldn't handle her kindness, her love. It was overwhelming how much someone like her could love someone like him. So he pushed it away, exactly as she said.

Leonardo's hands were on the top of his head as he sighed, lifting his head to face the roof, his eyes shut in regret as a million thoughts and questions circled around in his mind.

He heard something by the door. He lowered his hands and moved at the sound of the noise, quickly making his way towards the noise whereby his eyes landed on Maria, struggling to open the door to the outside.

"Ria." Leonardo rushed to her. He could immediately tell she was panicking. He turned her small body around to face him and her legs nearly gave out, making Leonardo hold her tighter, lifting her gently so she could lean against the wall.

Her hands pushed on his large shoulders, too weak to move him away. "Leo. . .leave, I'm fine, please just. .just go!" Maria's breathing was laboured, her fingers curled and gripped onto his shirt as she pushed. "Please. .go!"

Maria was embarrassed he could see her like that, tears streaming down her cheeks, unable to control her own body. She shut her eyes, heaving as she stopped fighting, allowing him to pull her to his chest, engulfing her entire body into his arms.

The intimacy brought more tears down to soak his shirt, she held onto him and sobbed. "I'm sorry, vita mia, I'm so, so sorry." He stroked her head, feeling his heart shatter into a thousand pieces, tears beginning to run down his own cheeks.

The guilt poured into him; he had just lost Maria.

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~ Author's Note ~

That was, I think, their biggest argument - and it said a lot about what they were both keeping from each other this whole time!
Was there a side to be taken in this?

Will this argument make or break their relationship?

Thoughts on this chapter?

Please vote, comment, share and follow.

Votes and comments really help me know how the story is being received and helps boost my confidence for more updates :)

Thanks for reading!

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