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“It is too late,” he said. “The moment I went to Sal, it became too late. She’s better than the life I can offer her.”
“Then what do you want me to say, son?”
“I want you to say she’s better off without me, that we’re better off apart.”
“Fine,” Vincent said, “but who’s going to convince you of that?”
His question caught Carmine off guard. He stared at his father pointedly, awaiting some answer to ease his concern, but the mere thought of stepping out of that front door without Haven hurt worse than Carmine ever imagined it would.
Before he could come up with something to say, the front door opened and Dominic stepped inside. He froze when he caught sight of Carmine and narrowed his eyes as he slammed the door. Dominic rarely lost his temper, but when he did another side of him came out that was unpredictable, his words often hurting just as much as Carmine vaguely recalled his fists did.
“I see you haven’t walked out on her yet,” he said, his words cutting deep.
“Leave him alone, Dom,” Vincent said. “You’re just making it worse.”
“I’m making it worse?” he asked with disbelief. “Someone has to try to talk him out of this before he makes the biggest mistake of his life. She’s the best thing that ever happened to him!”
“You think I don’t know that?” Carmine snapped. “She deserves to be free to do what she wants!”
“Then why are you taking that from her?” Dominic asked. “You’re doing this so she’ll be free to do what she wants, but you’re making the choice for her!”
“I can’t let her first decision be whether she follows her dreams or me. What kinda bullshit is that to ask of her? She always worries about everyone else because assholes have beat her down, and I’d be no better than them if I asked her to put me first! She deserves to find out what’s out there for her, whether she realizes it or not.”
“That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard,” Dominic said. “Do you even hear yourself? What gives you the right to decide for her—because you know better than she does? Could you be more condescending?”
“Fuck you! I may be what she wants, but I’m not what she needs!”
“According to you,” Dominic spat, stalking forward and getting in Carmine’s face. “But like I said, you didn’t even ask her. You just assumed. Who cares what Haven wants, right? We’ll all just claim to know better than her and make her decisions and pretend it’s what she needs when only she knows.”
“She wants a future, Dominic. She wants to be free.”
“But she isn’t,” he said. “Not as long as people like you are making decisions for her. I thought you were better than that, Carmine, but maybe I was wrong. Maybe you don’t love her, after all.”
The moment the words came from his mouth, rage ran through Carmine. He jumped up, drawing his arm back, and hit his brother with as much force as he could. Carmine’s fist connected with Dominic’s jaw, which made him stagger a few steps, but he lunged for Carmine the moment he gained his balance. Carmine tripped over the duffel bag, his foot tramping on the guitar and smashing through it as Dominic shoved him into the nearest wall. Vincent tried to come between them, but Dominic was too strong. He pinned Carmine there with his left hand as he drew his fist back. Carmine waited for the blow, blindly striking back at his brother, but before Dominic could follow through, a firm voice echoed through the downstairs.
o;Are you okay?” he asked, pulling back as her body shuddered. Haven nodded, her eyes starting to well up with tears as she avoided his gaze, once again terrified of seeing that look in his eyes, the look of regret.
“Do you want to go inside?” he asked when she didn’t speak.
She nodded again.
He grabbed her hand, leading her to the back door instead of the tree. He pressed the code in the keypad, unlocking it, and ushered her inside.
Haven took her coat off as soon as she made it upstairs to the bedroom, kicking her shoes off right inside the door. Her pants were damp and she stripped them off, pulling her shirt off next and tossing all of her clothes on the floor in a pile. She turned to Carmine, watching as he took his coat off and carefully hung it on the back of his desk chair.
“Carmine,” she said, her voice shaking. He turned his head and froze when he saw her standing there in her bra and underwear, his eyes scanning the length of her like it was pure instinct.
His gaze reached her face and their eyes connected, goose bumps dancing across her skin at the intensity of the green shining back at her. He stared at her curiously, the sadness still there, but more than anything she could see the love he had for her.
Thank God, she silently pleaded in relief.
“Make love to me, Carmine.”
It came out a strangled whisper, the words catching in her throat. She needed him in that moment. She wasn’t entirely sure why, but she could feel it deep down to the bone. She didn’t want to just see his love—she wanted to feel it. It had been months since they had been intimate, since before the devastation had taken hold, and she desperately needed to be consumed by Carmine DeMarco once again.
He appeared torn as he stared at her, but the agonized expression on his face faded away. He slowly took a few steps toward her but didn’t say anything, no words necessary. They both knew they would give in to the need, unable to resist the pull between them that had been there since the moment they first touched.
He paused in front of her, his hand running the length of her arm as he leaned down to kiss her. Reaching around and unclasping her bra, he pulled it off slowly and allowed it to drop to the floor. A moan escaped Haven’s throat as he gently caressed her breasts, her nipples pebbling under his gentle touch.
