Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79833 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79833 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
We both turn our faces to the sky, looking at the pictures the clouds make as they shift to form ever-changing patterns on the ground. The scent of overturned soil hangs in the air. A subtle freshness already rises from the dewy ground, creeping around my ankles.
“How’s she doing?” I ask while drilling the tip of my sneaker into the grass.
His smile stays intact as he studies the clouds. “Mary is Mary.” Turning his face back to me, he says, “Mary will always be Mary.”
I nod, dislodging a grass poll. “Did she ask about me?”
“If she did, you would’ve gotten the call,” he says in his typical straightforward but gentle manner.
I nod again.
He remains quiet, giving me time to gather my thoughts. When I finally look at him, he’s studying me with a solemn expression and a soft light in his eyes.
“I’m not coming back here, Bertrand.” It hurts to say it. “At least not for a while. What’s happening in my life… I have to focus on myself now.”
He drops his gaze to my stomach. “How far are you?”
His question catches me off guard. I didn’t think he’d noticed. I’m not carrying big. Everyone else gathers I’ve just gained a little weight.
Placing my hand in an instinctive reaction over my belly, I say, “Five months.”
“Bringing a child into the world is a big responsibility. Now I understand why your boyfriend is so eager to put a ring on your finger.”
Feeling compelled to explain the bizarre first meeting he had with Saverio, I say, “It’s complicated.”
“Does he treat you well?”
“Yes,” I admit. If I overlook how he’s taken over every aspect of my life.
“Pregnancy and planning a wedding are both happy but stressful events. You’re right to make yourself the priority.”
I mimic his pose, resting my weight on the wall next to him. The warmth that the sun baked into the bricks travels through my clothes and into my skin, yet I remain cold inside.
“Can I call you for updates?” I ask. “I know how busy you are, always working overtime.”
He pushes off the wall and comes to stand in front of me. Pressing a finger on my chest, he says, “Just make sure you are all right. No one else is going to do it for you. You have a responsibility as a mother now with a small person on the way who’s going to rely solely on you for his survival. Sometimes, it’s necessary to prune the dead branches that prevent the tree from growing up and finding the sun.”
I consider that.
“Mary can speak to you whenever she wants,” he continues. “She knows how to reach you. All she has to do is ask.” He puts a hand on my shoulder, his grip strong and reassuring. “Never feel guilty for setting boundaries. If you don’t, you only allow others to bulldoze over you.” He gives a squeeze before dropping his arm to his side. “Go on and have a life.” He shoves his hands in his pockets and says with a wink over his shoulder as he strolls away, “You deserve it.”
After all the horrible lies I told, the question is, do I?
CHAPTER
TEN
Saverio
While Anya visits Livy, I make use of the opportunity to meet with Luigi and Giorgio at the club. I asked Dante to be present as he acts as a sort of a broker, putting out feelers for potential business and bringing new opportunities to our attention.
My irritation flares when I walk into the office to find Raphael sitting on the sofa with a drink in his hand. Luigi sits behind my desk, and Giorgio has taken the visitor’s chair.
“Things must be going well at home if you already need a drink after breakfast,” I say.
Raphael smirks. “Cranky, De Luca? Someone didn’t get his dick wet last night.”
Dante, who stands next to the window, cuts me a look that says to keep the fuck calm.
“Enough,” Luigi says in a gruff voice. “I didn’t come here to listen to petty bickering.”
“Luigi,” I say, adjusting my cuff and walking over to shake his hand.
“Sit,” he says, motioning at the vacant chair next to Giorgio.
Giorgio gives me a shit-eating grin as I take a seat. It’s his way of showing me he’s pissed off that I left him in the dark about the reason I called the meeting.
“This doesn’t concern Raphael,” I say.
Raphael laughs, twirling his glass and clinking the ice against the hand-cut crystal. “Are you getting your balls in a knot because I manage the club better than you?”
“I said to cut it out, Raphael.” Luigi stamps his cane on the floor before turning to me. “Raphael is here to learn. Let’s get to the point of this meeting. I’d like to get back to reading my newspaper in peace.”
Cutting to the chase, I say, “I found our new bookkeeper.”