you did for her. I know what she means to you. And you’re just going to let her go?”
“I have to. She can’t live this kind of life.” I wave my hand in the air and sit back with a heavy weight on my chest. My hand runs down my face.
“Then give it up. If you think she’s worth it.”
“Give up the familia?” I can’t believe what he’s saying.
He purses his lips and sucks in a deep breath. “That’s not what I meant. Get outta this here. Lay low. Get a boring ass day job with your degree. Do what you gotta do.”
“Do what I gotta do?” I swallow hard. I don’t like subtleties. I’d rather be smacked hard in the face with a blunt answer.
“I can’t tell you any more than that, son. I will say Sunday dinner will always be at our house with the family.”
“What’s that have to do with anything?”
“Just make sure she knows that’s a condition. The only condition.” The only condition. I stare at my Pops for a moment.
He gives me a smile and rises, fixing his suit jacket. “Your ma liked her. That’s a huge victory there.”
“I don’t think it’s as easy as you think, Pops.” I stand up and give him a quick hug with a firm grip.
“If you want her to be yours, then you take her; what’s so hard about that?” He smirks at me and then turns his back and leaves.
I watch the door close shut. If only it could really be that easy.
Becca
The dishes in the large steel sink crash together, and it draws my eyes up to the busboy. He’s new. His arms are skinny as twigs. His eyes dart to mine and then back to the dishes.
“Break any?” I ask lightheartedly to put him at ease. I try to muster up a smile, but I can’t.
“Don’t think so.” He pulls them out carefully, one by one.
At least it wasn’t at the bar. That would’ve been a pain in the ass. Like yesterday. I close my eyes and breathe in deep. I wish I still had Vicky here. She was one of the managers Dom put in charge while I was “recovering from a fall.” I roll my eyes and rub my shoulder as I walk out of the kitchen to the back room. I had to dump her though. I didn’t trust her or the others. I felt like they were always watching me. Like they were going to report back to him.
Just thinking about him has my chest tightening with pain. I haven’t heard a word. Nothing. Tears prick my eyes. I know I didn’t want it, well I didn’t want to want it. But fuck, I do want him. I shake my head and try to calm myself down. My throat seems to close up every time I think about him. It physically hurts me. I can’t explain it. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. I lean against the wall of my office and lay my head against the wall. I can’t fucking breathe in here.
After a moment I push open the door to go outside. It groans, and the bright light makes my eyes squint. But at least it’s fresh air. Or as fresh as it can be for a tiny ass alley between my restaurant and the gallery next door. I prop the door open with a brick and take a seat on the crates a few feet down, closer to the empty street and away from the dumpsters.
I wish I was over this by now. Over him. Everything seems so much harder since I left him. Exhaustion weighs down on me. But it’s not just physical; I’m emotionally overwhelmed.
“You alright, doll?” My body jumps at the sound of a deep, masculine voice in the silent alley. A small scream of shock forces its way out of my mouth and my hands fly up to hold it in. Dom. He walks toward me down the alley with a sexy ass smirk on his face.
My heart swells in my chest, and the tears flow. I can’t hold them back. Fuck my hormones. Fuck my emotions. I don’t care.
He takes another step toward me, and I fall into his embrace. My body feels weak; my wretched heart hurts. “Don’t cry, doll.” His strong arms hold me tight, and I want to pretend I can have this forever. Just the thought combined with his masculine smell and his soothing strokes on my back has