“Good. Glad that’s settled.” I shrug off his words, like it shouldn’t matter.
He never loved her.
Okay, good.
I didn’t really think that he did. Our breakup and this argument weren’t about his feelings for her. I know they’re just friends.
Harper and Luca are happily married.
“I love you,” Ashton says, his voice calmer, smoother, more relaxing. But it still hurts to hear it after knowing we’re not together and can’t be ever again.
“You love the mafia,” I say, keeping my expression stoic.
Ashton is quiet, perhaps contemplating the words that he wishes to say or maybe he realizes there’s nothing he can say that will change my mind.
“Do you know the good things that Dante has done for the family, for the community? There are worse monsters out there. Men who abduct women and children. Dante isn’t like that.”
“And what about your father?” I don’t know anything about Aurielo.
“I wouldn’t want to follow in his footsteps if he were like that. I thought you, of all people, would know that. Family is the most important thing to me, Nova. And one day, I want us to be a family, but more importantly, I want you running the business with me.”
“You’re insane.” I choke at his words. “I’m not, we’re not … that’s never happening.”
The smirk on his face doesn’t cease to vanish.
“Why are you smiling?”
“Because you didn’t tell me you hate me or that we’ll never get back together.” He heads for the door.
“Hey! This is your room,” I say, reminding him that if anyone should be leaving, it’s me.
“Stay as long as you need.” He’s so damn cocky. Ashton opens the bedroom door and waltzes out. “I’ll win you back,” he says under his breath, but loud enough for me to hear him.
It’s intentional. He doesn’t need his housemates to hear him, but he wants me to know that it’s not over between us.
I grind my teeth, keeping from saying something regrettable, because I do love him. He just aggravates me so damn much.
Nineteen
Harper
I’m really getting more perturbed with Dante every passing day. Missing Luca’s game the first week I started at the bar, I could understand. I thought I’d be training.
But the fact that he’s scheduling me during every single one of Luca’s games is a travesty.
Dante may not give a shit about his son’s hockey career, but I do.
I like watching Luca play, cheering him on with my friends, and it’s great for Zeke to see his daddy play hockey.
Irritation streams through me, and I want to scream at anyone who gets in my way.
Not a great start to my evening bartending, where I’m supposed to put on a smile, be friendly, and serve the patrons.
When I start my shift, Sophia leaves. She’ll make the game and maybe when I graduate, if I’m still stuck working this place, I can switch shifts and cover weekdays. Although the tips are probably crap.
And will it even matter?
Luca hasn’t talked about playing professional hockey. I’ve heard from his teammates that draft eligibility is eighteen to twenty years old, but it doesn’t seem anyone on the team has been drafted. What happens after that? When he turns twenty-one?
