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MARIA

I never did take off my makeup after a show right away.

I liked to enjoy my new face after the hours spent on crafting the perfect look for the stage. It would be a waste to get rid of it all so quickly. But I got out of my costume with such detail to my movements, that it took exactly ten minutes to get out of my dress. Any stretch, tear or fallen jewel on such an expensive dress would cause a world war to begin in my dressing room.

When the filming was finally done that night, I went to find the rest of the people I was going to celebrate the night with.

The first person I saw was Luna amidst the mass of people backstage.

"Ria!" She cried out, running over to me. Her arms locked me against her and I loudly laughed, instantly feeling comforted by my sister's presence. I pulled away and gazed at my sister—she was stunning, her eyes were filled with exuberance. She was finally wearing that pink dress she'd been working on for months. My sister was truly made to be a fashion designer.

"Hey!" I laughed, tugging at the spaghetti strings. She posed playfully as we laughed, grinning before becoming another compliment donor of the night, "you were so cool! You did it, Ria! You danced your ass off on that stage! I'm so happy for you!"

"Thank you, Lulu!" I had to raise my voice over the loud ones surrounding us. We hugged again tightly before I noticed Luna's boyfriend approaching from behind her.

I smiled as I pulled away from my sister, "Hudson! Thanks for coming!" Hudson was the definition of being literally tall, dark and handsome. He walked like a model towards us, long strides and a perfect posture. Hudson held a genuine, dashing smile on his face as he congratulated me and handed me yet another bouquet of flowers. Luna and Hudson met a couple of months back and he treated her like a queen. I was happy for Luna and glad that she was in a healthy relationship.

"Maria!" The rest of my family were coming over from behind. My smile extended as Rosa came, pushing through the sea of dancers, her deep curls free and bouncing as she came closer. Rosa's hand was intertwined with her boyfriend's as she dragged him with her. That man being Marco.

Whenever I saw Marco, I instantly thought of my ex. They were a package deal back then. That was what I labelled him as for a while—my ex. At least if I kept his title as that, I wouldn't feel as emotional at the mention of him as much. He was my ex and had been my ex for a long time.

I tried not to let the thought of my ex even come to me. I pushed the corner of my lips even higher and hugged Rosa, the two of us exchanging endless congratulations and praise.

"Damn, we killed it!" Rosa exclaimed, her ecstatic eyes widening in glee. I laughed, squeezing her hand as a deep sigh of relief left me.

Marco's smile was unstoppable whenever Rosa was around. I was so grateful that he was with Rosa. She needed to be treated as lovingly as Marco was with her, his one and only joy in life. "You guys were magnificent! I never regret coming to a Dream production."

"That means a lot, Marco," I sincerely replied, my heart warming at his words. That was exactly the effect we wanted to have on our audience, that their evenings were well spent, that they'd come to another to enjoy all over again.

Marco's eyes met Rosa's as he sweetly added, "and I couldn't keep my eyes off you, dove."

"Aww, babe!" Rosa swooned, going to kiss Marco's cheek until his head turned and their lips collided. It took me some time to get used to seeing Marco being all touchy, he didn't strike me as someone who could be so cute in a relationship. I smiled at their cuteness.

I rolled my eyes with a chuckle as they didn't seem to wish to separate, turning to see Luna swinging her hands with Hudson whilst they sweetly talked. It seemed the performance was not only to support me but as a date night for the two of them.

Then I tried to find Iris, wandering around a little, just to see her lips also locked with Gabriel's. The two of them were definitely going to take advantage of a night without their child.

I felt like the most single person in the world with all the couples around me. It wasn't just them—the dancers were being all lovey-dovey too. Why did it feel lonely seeing everyone in a relationship but me?

I turned my head away and focused on the little ballerinas receiving hugs and kisses from their parents. To be a loved child was something I wished I had for years and years. It was heartwarming, seeing fathers pick up their little girls and cuddling them, mothers kissing their cheeks, the children laughing and smiling ear-to-ear at their deserved accomplishments.

Looking at all the families unwillingly made me feel even worse as if a dagger twisted in my heart.

With a slow exhale, I forced myself to keep my mood up. I tried to speak over the make out going on in front of me. "Ro, I'm gonna grab my stuff, then we can leave." It had been a long night and it was only going to get longer. The after party had been planned a lot quicker than the actual production itself, the whole ballet school was invited. It was a highly anticipated night for us all.

"Wait!" Rosa suddenly blurted out, her wide eyes on mine. I blinked in surprise at her sudden separation from Marco, who was trying to wipe the gloss off his lips. I stopped myself from taking another step, letting out a chuckle at Rosa's outburst.

Marco and Rosa exchanged a quick glance that was too fast for me to decipher. Rosa asked, "Ria, when you go, could you also grab my phone? It's in the room where all the leftover costumes are. The one next to yours."

It didn't bother me at all, in fact, I was glad. It gave the couples all the loving time to themselves before I came back. "Okay," I nodded with a smile. "I'll meet you guys near the entrance." There seemed to be a delighted look in her eyes as I left.

I realised on my way to my dressing room that for the first time that night, I was alone. I had been surrounded by makeup artists, designers, cameras and all sorts of other people and their jobs. But I hadn't yet been by myself, able to piece together my own thoughts.

It felt refreshing walking down all the emptier corridors and abandoned dressing rooms. Everyone was so busy further down the building and the staff hadn't come yet to clear things out. It was quiet. Unusually quiet, but I didn't mind.

I grabbed my two duffel bags and swung them over my shoulder, still holding the flowers from Hudson. The pain radiating through my feet was becoming a lot more apparent. I couldn't let it affect me too much, the night was still young and a lot more dancing was waiting for me.

I held back a yawn and began walking down the empty hallway again until I remembered Rosa's ask for her phone.

The door next door to my dressing room was shut. I twisted the handle and opened the heavy door, the warm light from the inside of the room creeping out.

Surprised the light was still on, I took a step in and instantly, I gasped as I dropped the bouquet.

The whole room was filled with white roses.

Fairy lights were draped all over the white walls, pearl petals were scattered across the ground and my eyes followed the trail until it reached a pair of legs. Then my breath hitched the moment my eyes landed on the figure of a tall, muscular man. His shoulders looked so broad and strong beneath his black blazer. It was only one person that he could be.

Then the man turned and I froze.

My eyes blinked rapidly with incredulity as I stared in complete stupor. My eyebrows raised as I slowly drew in a sharp breath, my lips seperating in utter shock.

A much larger, and sturdy build that made his clothes always look like they were either too big or too small for him. His expanded muscles pushed against his dark, tailored clothes and his brawny physique added to the power he was radiating.

I knew who it was without even needing to see his face but when my eyes finally reached there, my chest tightened as my breath was taken away.

My ex.

"Leonardo," I couldn't even believe that I had managed to utter his name and there he was, stood in the same room as me.

My ex boyfriend—or my ex fiancé—or even my ex best friend—or whatever we were back then—was gazing at me. His glowing eyes, woven with shining threads of blue, green and brown, studied me. They held a look of shock before they met mine again, those swirling colours of his irresistible eyes mesmerising me.

It had been so long since I had seen him. We hadn't met or spoke since the break up. I could feel the tingling spreading from my nose to the rest of my face, my heart racing as I began to feel the pain of losing him once more. That agonising, piercing feeling in my heart of having to let go of the love of my life. I still loved him—I would always, always love him and it hurt even more seeing him again after so long.

"Maria."

Hearing him speak instantly made me let out a shaky breath, one that I'd been keeping in for too long. His voice was so deep that it made me shiver, remembering what he sounded like; attractive, alluring, gentle. His masculine and husky voice still always managed to be so calm and sweet. My eyes expanded. He was real, he was actually there talking to me. I felt my legs begin to weaken, my whole body stiffening as my heart pounded inside, a mixture of fear, relief and uncertainty hitting me.

"What are you...what are you doing here?"

I couldn't hide my stupor, feeling wobbly. My mind spiralled out of control—what was he doing there? Too many questions surrounded me without a single answer. Shallow breaths left me as I stared at him. Leonardo had changed. He really looked different; his longer dark hair, his trimmed stubble, his bigger body. The muscles hadn't stopped growing and I was sure he had gotten a lot more tanned than before.

Then he smiled, an endearing and captivating expression that automatically made my heart warm at the sight. That smile unlocked the rest of the handsomeness on his face. "To surprise you. But you're early." My eyebrows lifted at his words before my eyes dropped to the cellotape roll in his hand and a few unused balloons in the corner. I pieced it all together; Rosa's phone, Marco and Rosa's gaze.

Then I averted my eyes to take in the rest of the room. I had really interrupted my own surprise. "Surprise?" I repeated quietly, feeling my heartbeat through my chest. I blinked a couple of times, taking in what he'd said.

"You did this?" I spoke my own thoughts out loud, the pain in my chest worsening as I gazed at the surplus white roses. I let my bags slip off my shoulders, the two of them falling with a thud as I exhaled slowly. Then I couldn't control it anymore, the tears sprang to my eyes as I felt my inferences and gut feeling telling me that his surprise was meaningful. Meaningful to me.

"White roses?" I could only whisper to contain my stinging tears. Then I met his beautiful eyes again, biting my bottom lip for a second before continuing, "you brought white roses?"

Then he took a step forward which spiked up my heart rate. Leonardo's voice was so heartwarming when he replied softly, "everlasting love and new beginnings." I quickly wiped away the stray tear running down my cheek, holding back the rest. I could remember every single part of our last conversation about us, how hard it was to let go.

"And a new start," he quietly finished, those warm hazel eyes of his glistening under the fairy lights. "That's what you told me, remember?"

I couldn't reply, swallowing as I felt my throat closing. I fought to keep my tears inside. My hands began to warm as they curled slowly into a soft fist, feeling my heartbeat through my hands. My insides churned at my nervousness.

Leonardo's words were giving me inferences I didn't know whether or not to trust. I didn't want to get all my hopes up. But the minute he pulled out a compact black box, it confirmed to me everything that my anxious mind was eating away at to be false.

"So, I..." My eyes widened, my muscles tensing up at the sight. A black box. Then my jaw dropped as he lowered himself to one knee.

It was really happening. Leonardo's tender eyes stayed locked with mine, a small but clearly nervous smile on his entrancing face. He glanced down at the box before lifting it slightly, clearing his throat. "I've never done this before," he said in an uplifted tone. An assured look was held on his face, like he was confident in what he was doing. "Despite us being engaged twice."

"But I know for a fact that this is meant for you. I've been wanting to do this for a long time."

I absorbed what was going on and the minute I did, the tears started to fall uncontrollably. I silently let them go, dabbing away as much as I could while I began to face the immediate reality. Leonardo was proposing to me.

"Maria, we've talked about this for a long time," Leonardo began, his ears turning redder and redder by the second. He gripped on the box to stop his hand from shaking. My heart warmed, he was nervous too. "Making this real for us, not a fake arrangement but a real proposal. And we always knew that we wanted this for us but we just weren't ready."

"All this time without you has been hard," Leonardo expressed slowly. "It's been difficult. But that torture of being without you is was what pushed me to work harder at myself. To make sure that one day I can come back to you."

I shook my head, a quiet whimper leaving me as I sniffled, a lump forming in my throat. Only he would know how hard it had been for us to be separated. Hearing that, after suffering alone for so long was comforting. Not anyone else could understand that constant feeling of longing that would never go away.

"And to be able to be the best version of myself for you."

"I brought these white roses for you, to tell you that I love you and I want to start again with you."

A soft breath left me as the tears began to run down my cheeks, those words comforting me, like it was all I needed to hear for so long.

Then I noticed the single tear rolling down Leonardo's cheek. His voice became emotionally heavy as he continued sincerely, those loving eyes of his never leaving mine, "I've missed you so much."

"And I have loved you for a long time. I always will. I'm sorry for not trusting you, I'm sorry for pushing you away. I'm sorry for making you wait for so long, for all these years we've spent in and out with each other. I'm sorry for breaking your heart, Maria."

The back of my shaking hand was unable to keep dabbing all the tears streaming down my cheeks and I couldn't contain myself. I was crying in front of him, all the memories of our past together running through my mind, how much I yearned for his love, how much I worried about him. It was all coming back to me. Hearing his apology was like him piecing together my wounded heart, words I needed to hear after a so long.

"I've changed for myself and for you and I swear, amore mia dolce, that I will love you forevermore, care for you and do everything I can to protect you." Leonardo's magnetic eyes never left mine, "I trust you with all my heart and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

"As a symbol of my love for you," Leonardo delicately opened the lid of the box, a polished and dazzling ring. I quietly inhaled as my eyebrows raised in astonishment. It was everything that I wanted—not a rock too big or too small. It was perfect. "Would you take this ring? Can we start anew again? With trust on our side?"

"What I'm trying to ask is...Maria," Leonardo's deep voice said, his warm eyes filled with anticipation. "Will you be my wife? Can I marry you?"

I had dreamed of that day for a long time and it was nothing like how I imagined it to go—it exceeded way about my expectations. The day had actually come. Leonardo was proposing to me. I was being proposed to. It was unbelievable, I couldn't think for a second. My life was going to change by a single decision, one that I would never, ever regret in my life.

"You're the love of my life, Leo. My best friend, my everything," I wept, sniffing as I blinked back the tears. I exhaled, trying to calm myself down as I gazed at him in so much joy. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me." His head lowered for a few seconds, his eyes squeezed shut as he contained his tears.

Then a euphoric feeling ran through me as an enthusiastic and ecstatic smile extended across my face. "So, yes," I wholeheartedly agreed, making his head snap up again and his wide eyes to lock with mine. His lips parted with a mixture of excitement and shock, a soft exhale of relief leaving him.

I came closer, sniffing as I went down to my knees in front of him, finally being close to Leonardo again. A gentle laugh left him as we studied each other's faces in a matter of seconds, having gone without seeing each other for so long.

"Yes, of course, I'll marry you, mi amore."

"Maria..." He let out a whisper, in so much shock that it took him a second to remember to slide the ring on my finger. I let out a small laugh, gazing at the dazzling diamond before me, still stunned by what happened.

I couldn't hold back and I threw my arms around him and hugged him, my body small against his. In a blink of an eye, Leonardo had lifted me up, my legs wrapped around his waist as he spun us around. "Leo!" I exclaimed, laughing, a wave of happiness running over me.

I had never been so joyous in such a long time. Our excitement overtook the moment. Leonardo's love was endless in kisses across my cheeks, and strong, much needed, hugs. He roared with laughter and showered me with affection, the two of us spinning around the room with happiness.

"Oh, mi amore," I whispered as our foreheads pressed gently together, one of his hands cradling my cheek. I felt instantly relieved, finally being in the arms of the person I had wanted for so long. My body relaxed against him, my arms tightening around him. I didn't ever want that moment to end.

"I've missed hearing that," Leonardo murmured, his thumb caressing my cheek. I smiled, closing my eyes and taking in his existence right there with me.

Then I started getting all emotional again, holding back some more prickling tears. "I love you so much, Leo. I can't believe you're here. That you really came. I never would've thought that you'd be here..."

"I had to. I can't live without you," Leonardo gently chuckled as I closed my eyes with a quiet whimper, feeling the tears leak out.

"You're ruining all my makeup," I laughed a little, meeting his beautiful eyes once more. I didn't even want to imagine how messy I looked.

He shook his head, leaving a kiss on my cheek. "You look like an angel."

His warm fingers brushed against my cheeks as he wiped away the tears staining my face before cupping my face. "Crying doesn't really suit angels." His warm gaze ran across my face as his finger rubbed my cheek.

My eyes wandered down to his lips. "I think there's something that will make me feel better." I could feel my heart hammering against my chest as he leaned in without hesitation, closing the gap between us by wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling my body against his. I quietly inhaled, anticipating his touch as my eyes darted between his darkened eyes and tempting lips. With a simple peck, I was drawn into his spell and as he deepened our kiss, my hands slid up his chest, resting over his shoulders. I smiled against his lips, savouring every second we spent losing ourselves in each other.

I mumured against his lips, "you have no idea how much I've missed you."

He planted a lingering kiss. "I missed you day and night. I don't want us to be apart any more, mia regina. Never again."

"Me too," I whispered genuinely, my hand squeezing his shoulder. "Me too, honey." My chest tightened at the thought of ever losing him again. Never again. "We're in this for life."

My hand moved upwards and I let my fingers run through his soft hair, my smile widening. "You've grown out your hair a little more, Leo. It suits you."

"You're still so handsome." He looked away for a second, shy at my compliment. "You look different too," I remarked, my hand squeezing his massive shoulder again. "You've clearly been working out."

Leonardo chuckled, seemingly proud that I'd noticed. He pecked my lips before deflecting from himself and instead noticing, "you look different."

"I do?" I then remembered why—I had gained weight. A lot of people had mentioned it. My change in physical appearance. I softly chuckled, "I haven't dieted in a long time and I eat more than three meals a day."

His lips reached mine again, small, sweet kisses all over as I giggled, kissing him back. I felt like I was on cloud nine, the loneliness I felt before completely washed away.

Leonardo hummed before telling me, "you did great, mia cara, you did so amazing on that stage."

"You watched?" My eyes lit up at his words. I was completely unknown to his presence there.

"Of course. I had to see Maria Amante's comeback performance. That's a once in a lifetime opportunity." We laughed. I was still in shock that he was there.

I raised an eyebrow. "Amante?"

Leonardo deeply chuckled, "Romano." He leaned in, whispering sexily, "Maria Angelina Romano."

I smiled with a small chuckle, "I like the sound of that."

He pressed a kiss against my neck as my hand weaved into his hair, a soft moan leaving me. Leonardo let out a deep sigh of peace, nuzzling his head into my neck as I let my body rest against him, leaning my head against his.

"You're the only remedy that can take my life's pains and sorrows away," Leonardo murmured, his hand gently rubbing my back. "I'm only me with you."

I pulled back, one hand cupping his cheek. "I love you, Leonardo."

Leonardo's smile warmed my heart. "Maria, I love you too."

I hugged him again, his familiar warmth bringing back home. My head rested on his broad shoulder, stroking his hair as his head returned to my neck. Our embrace was everything, it was loving, it was a comfort I needed after so long going without. I melted in his love, it felt like we were the only two in the world. Everything else going on out there didn't matter.

Leonardo and I were together and I couldn't wait to explore what our beautiful future held for the two of us.

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~ Author's Note ~

The final chapter of NEPENTHE has completed this story!

With Maria and Leonardo back together, engaged and looking forward to their new life as a couple, I hope this provides a sweet end to their story.

For anyone who has read this book from the beginning and is still here now, I really appreciate your dedication to NEPENTHE. Thank you!

Don't leave just yet!

An epilogue is coming up next so don't miss out on an extra snippet of Maria and Leonardo!

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Thanks for reading!

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