The next morning, I go down to breakfast, and Kade won't even look my way. I grab a breakfast bar and opt to eat outside by the pool. It's times like these I need Nonna's advice, no matter how cryptic it may seem. Giving up on my food, I dial her number.

"Hello?"

"Ciao, Nonna."

"Mia nipote, how are you?" she says.

"Kade and I got into a fight last night. I feel like crap, but I know I did nothing wrong."

I give her the details of my conversation with Asher and the fight which ensued with Kade, and she listens without interrupting. She may confuse me with her insight on matters, but I always feel better after sharing my thoughts.

"Kade is a passionate boy. He is going to be passionate when angry and passionate at love, Ariella. You are going to have to let him work through things on his own terms, and he will come around," she says.

Whoever said Kade loved me? Sure, he cares for me, but it's not the same as being in love.

"You know how I knew I loved your nonno?" she asks.

"How?" I reply, settling back into a cushioned chair.

"No one ever made me feel so many things all at once. One minute we were laughing, and the next he made me cry. We would scream and fight at the top of our lungs, and then we were making love."

"Nonna!"

"Come on, mia nipote. You are a young woman now. Kade is a handsome boy, and he has a pure heart. Are you telling me you have never thought of making love with him?"

I can hear the smile in her voice; she's enjoying my discomfort. Never has she been so open with me. We've spoken about sex before, but not specifically pertaining to her or me.

I mumble, "I think about a lot of things with Kade. So yes, sleeping with him has crossed my mind. Are you trying to tell me to give it up to him?"

"No. I just wanted you to acknowledge that your feelings for him run deep. He has you considering things differently than Asher did. You thought about sex with Asher, but you held tight to your reservations, and with Kade, you are struggling to contain your desire, aren't you?"

I gulp down a deep breath. "I have no clue how you know these things; it freaks me out."

"Yes or no, Ariella?"

I sigh and say, "Yes."

"The point I am trying to make is this—when you find someone you love, they send your emotions on a roller coaster ride. You cannot always see the turns, and at some point, you may even question why you are there. You fear for your life, yet the ride is thrilling and has you feeling almost superhuman. Still, your choices are simple—you can be brave, get on the ride, and hang on with all you have got until it is over, or you can choose never to get on. There is always an opportunity to ride again and experience all the ups and downs that make it exciting. So you are on the downward track, but it will pick up again. Are you going to give up or hold on?"

"So, you're saying to be patient?" I look out into the clear blue water of the pool, knowing the answer.

"Be patient," she confirms. "You know he is a good boy. Do not let him think you have given up on him. You need him, Ariella."

As always, some of what she has told me is a mystery, but it's one of her more explicit messages. "Thank you, Nonna. I love you."

"I love you too." There's so much truth in those words. She loves me beyond just saying it. My life would've been in shambles a thousand times over if it were not for her and her unwavering love.