Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 78464 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78464 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
“Tell her—and I will do everything I can to help you.”
“You said she already knows—”
“But it should come from you. And you should explain why you made the decisions that you did. She’ll still be angry, but at least she’ll understand why you did those horrible things. With the full story, she’ll never have to wonder, and she’ll be able to move forward with life—forward with you.”
He looked away. “Why would you help me?”
“I just told you—”
“We both know I’m the reason your family hates you.” He said it quietly, with a hint of shame. “How can you forgive me for that—”
“Who said I forgive you?” I snapped. “I will never forgive you for shoving my father to the floor and shooting him in the arm. I will never forgive you for threatening my mother. I will never forgive you for destroying what little hope I had of reconciliation. But this isn’t about me. It’s about Scarlett. I can put aside my own feelings for her best interests—because that’s what a husband does.”
He blinked several times as he stared at me. “I guess I was wrong about you.”
“Yeah, you were.”
“I’m sorry for all the complications I caused to your relationship. But it seems like this love is real. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have endured for so long. That’s a special kind of love.”
It is.
“How much space does she need before I try to talk to her?”
“There’s not enough space in the world, Dante. But I can bring her down here now.”
“You think she’ll talk to me?”
“I can encourage her.”
He gave a nod. “I would deeply appreciate it if you did.”
I walked into the bathroom and found her in the tub, the bubbles to her chest, her skin wet and glistening. She’d be the sexiest thing I’d ever seen if her eyes weren’t so hollow. “You drank all the wine.”
“Aldo needs to bring two bottles next time.”
I sat on the edge of the tub. “One bottle is cute. Two is not so cute.”
“You’re one to talk.” Her eyes were slightly playful.
“Your father is downstairs.” I didn’t know how to address the situation because there was no easy way to do it. I knew how it would provoke her, but using a butter knife instead of a steak knife wouldn’t make it hurt less.
She reacted exactly as I expected, turning still with guarded eyes.
“I think you should talk to him.”
“Why?”
“There’re things that need to be said.”
“I don’t think there’s anything worth saying.”
“Scarlett, I understand you’re angry—”
“I thought you hated him.”
“I do.”
She raised her hands in confusion. “Then why would you want me to talk to him?”
“Because he’s your father. And I’d give anything to talk to mine.”
Her hands lowered, and the anger in her eyes dimmed. “The situations are not comparable—”
“The details don’t matter. I would just hate for you to live the life I’ve led.”
“I thought you would be happy to have him out of our lives.”
“All I’ve ever wanted is you. I can tolerate him forever as long as we’re together. That was never the issue. It became the issue when he took you away from me. But now he can’t do that again, so he’s not a threat to me. As far as I’m concerned, our beef is squashed.”
“He was going to try to kill you—”
“A lot of people have tried to kill me. It’s nothing personal.”
She stared at me for several seconds, like she couldn’t believe I’d just said that.
“Get out and talk to him.”
She remained under the water in the tub, the defeat in her eyes. “I’m not going to forgive him—”
“I didn’t ask you to. No one expects you to. But we both know this conversation is going to happen at some point. May as well do it now while he’s here.” I got to my feet and gave her my hand. “Come on, baby.”
She hesitated before she rose out of the tub, water dripping over her luscious curves, and she took my hand as I helped her step over the side.
I wrapped her tight in a towel and pressed a kiss to her temple.
“I want you there too.” Her arms were pinned inside the cotton, with her wet hair stuck to the back of her neck. Small and vulnerable, she looked so precious to me.
“Yeah?”
She nodded.
“Alright. Get dressed.”
When we walked into the parlor, Dante’s eyes immediately went to Scarlett.
It was as if I wasn’t even there.
His defeated and empty gaze was suddenly bright with affection…and hard with despair. He rose out of his chair slowly to greet her, like there would be a chance for a hug, but she stayed on the other side of the coffee table.
I moved to a chair in the corner of the room, present but out of the way.
She sat down in the armchair.
He slowly lowered himself back down, his ass right at the edge, looking at Scarlett like he couldn’t believe she was really there.