Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 91389 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91389 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
“Angelo’s not—” I start, ready to deny it, but I shut my mouth.
Because he sort of is my boyfriend. I mean, we haven’t put it into so many words, but I think that’s the implication when he says crazy stuff like you’re mine now or whatever.
“I’m going to rehab tomorrow morning,” she says with a strained smile. She leans her head on my shoulder. We’re alone in Angelo’s house while he’s out dealing with family business stuff. “I think rock bottom was getting high next to the drain where they used to bleed the pigs.”
“God, Serena, I’m so sorry you went through that, and really, really happy you’re finally getting clean.”
“Trying to, anyway.” She grins at me and looks up. “Now, tell me about you and Angelo, because I’m pretty sure you just tried to pretend like the two of you aren’t together.”
I laugh and tell her everything. We talk for a while about our futures, and I realize every time I picture a few years from now, Angelo’s always there with me.
“Can you promise something?” Serena asks. “No matter what happens from here, will you stay up with me tonight? I’m already feeling awful and I really don’t want to be alone.”
I squeeze her hand hard. “I promise. I’m always here for you.”
“I know, and I don’t deserve it. But maybe I will one day.”
She doesn’t get much sleep. Mostly she’s lying awake in bed with me, alternating between too hot and too cold, while we watch old movies from our childhood together. Goonies, Princess Bride, Anchorman. It’s hard seeing her like this, but it’s so much better than the glassy-eyed mess she’d been until now.
In the morning, Angelo meets us downstairs. Serena needs help getting into the van parked out front where a nice older woman’s waiting for her. She introduces herself as Cathy. “I’ll take care of you through the worst of it,” the nurse promises and gets Serena buckled in. “It’s hard to see it now, but in a few days, you’ll feel like yourself again.”
“I love you, little sister,” I say, hugging her. “See you soon.”
“Visit when I’m more myself, okay?” Serena smiles at me and nods to Angelo. “And you take care of her.”
The doors shut, Cathy gets behind the wheel, and Serena’s gone again. I watch them pull out and drive down the oasis street, turn right, and disappear into Chicago.
I should feel something, like I’m losing Serena all over again, but the tears rolling down my face are happy tears. Angelo wraps an arm around me and hugs me close against him, and we stay like that for a little while until I get myself together.
“Last night, when I was talking to Serena, she kept asking me about the future.” I hold Angelo’s hand as we walk back to the house together. “And you know what I kept realizing?”
“How badly you want to pump out six kids for me?” His eyebrows raise.
“Six? Uh, we’ll talk about that later.” I punch his arm lightly. “No, how you were always in those plans. I guess I want to tell you that now, you know, in case it freaks you out.”
“Not freaked out. Not even a little bit.”
I pause on the porch. He looks at me and back at the door like he’s wondering what I’m waiting for.
“Also, I mean, there’s no reason for me to still be here, right? I can head home to my apartment whenever. I mean, if you don’t—”
He sighs and yanks me against him. “Are we still doing this?” He kisses me hard and bites my lower lip. “You’re not going anywhere.”
“Good, because my apartment is a piece of crap compared to your house.”
He laughs and kisses me again. “All my future plans have you in them too, you know. I wasn’t kidding about the kids.”
“You better have been joking about the number.”
“We’ll see.” He pats my ass and pulls me tight against his chest. “I love you, Claudia. I didn’t think I needed to say it, but maybe you need to hear it.”
My chest just about explodes and tingles break out across my face, and I get up on my toes to kiss him. “I love you too. And I definitely needed to hear it. I need to hear it all the time.”
“Those are your new favorite words, huh?”
“Coming from you, definitely.”
“Now who’s the cheesy one?” He smirks and pulls me into the house. “Come on, baby. This is your place now too, and I’m not kicking you out anytime soon.”
“Better not. I’ve gotten used to a certain standard of living.”
He mock groans. “You’re already turning into a mob wife, huh?”
“Only because you’re spoiling me.”
“Baby, I haven’t even begun.” He kicks the door shut, teeth gleaming behind a big smirk. “Now get upstairs and let me get started on that spoiling.”