Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 56831 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56831 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
“No, it isn’t. Not at all. Instead, for the very first time in my life, I developed real feelings for someone. It took me totally by surprise. I didn’t think I was capable of it, which is why I never imagined there’d be any harm in going away with you.
“But then every day—hell, every hour—that passed, you and I grew closer, and it got harder and harder to tell you I was Mario Greco. That week with you felt like…like stepping into another world, or into someone else’s life.
“I was feeling and experiencing things I never even dared to hope for, things I never believed I could have, and I didn’t want it to end. But I knew it would, the second I told you the truth.
“I swear to god, Romy, I didn’t want to deceive you, but I knew the truth would ruin everything. It would drive you away, and I couldn’t stand the thought of that. I know it’s selfish, and I know I’m a terrible person. I know that. I’ve always known it.”
I dropped to my knees as my voice broke, and I stared at the floor as the words just kept spilling out of me. “I fucked up, and I hurt you, and maybe that was inevitable. Maybe I can’t be anything but a monster. I really am so sorry, but it’s not enough. I know that too, and I don’t blame you for hating me. I don’t deserve you. I never did. You were always way too good for me.”
Romy muttered, “Damn it, Marcus,” and climbed off the table. Then he came over to me, and I leaned into him and buried my face in the soft fabric of his hoodie.
He began to stroke my hair, and after a while he said, “I would have done the same thing. If that was my secret, I wouldn’t have known how to tell you, and I would have held back.
“But just because I understand it doesn’t mean I instantly forgive you. It’s going to take time to rebuild trust and get us back to where we were.” I looked up at him and nodded, because I didn’t trust my voice to work without cracking. He touched my cheek, so gently that it made my heart ache, and said, “Come on, let’s sit down. I have a lot of questions for you.”
I got up and followed him to one of the benches. I desperately wanted to move closer and to take his hand, but I hadn’t earned that right.
Romy looked out at the mist hanging over the tranquil water while he gathered his thoughts. Finally, he said, “Tell me how you found my brother’s house.”
“I knew you’d come to San Francisco, because you’d mentioned your brother. I followed you here and hired six local private investigators to find you. I pitted them against each other by offering a huge bonus to whoever got me your address first. Your brother’s smart, though. He doesn’t put anything under his name, including rental agreements. So, ultimately, what it came down to was dumb luck.
“Yesterday, one of the PIs happened to be driving up your street on the way to an appointment. That was when she noticed an SUV with Nevada plates. It matched the description I’d given her of a vehicle I’d seen your brother driving in Vegas, so she figured she’d check it out. She parked in front of the house, and within a few hours, she managed to snap a photo of your brother. As soon as she sent me the picture, I knew I’d found you.
“I went to the address she gave me, but I obviously couldn’t just walk up to the door, since your brother is probably out for blood. While I was standing on the sidewalk trying to figure out how to approach you, I saw you in that upstairs window. You know the rest.” I grinned a little and added, “The irony wasn’t lost on me, by the way.”
“What irony?”
“You know—the fact that your name is Romeo, and we had our own balcony scene.”
He grinned too and said, “I didn’t even think of that. Although in Romeo and Juliet, he’s not the one on the balcony.”
“Close enough.”
After a pause, he asked, “Did you disable the streetlight in front of the house, so you could skulk around in the darkness?”
“The PI did that. She was planning on round-the-clock surveillance if necessary and didn’t want to be spotted sitting in her car.”
A few more moments ticked by. Then he met and held my gaze. “Now that you know where he lives, will you try to hurt my brother?”
“Absolutely not. It’s no secret that I can’t stand him, but you adore him, so he’s off limits.”
He nodded, as if that was the answer he’d been expecting. Then he asked, “Why do you hate him so much?”