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Vanessa kept watching me, her arms resting on the table. “Then stay.”
“It’s not that simple…”
“If you love him, and he is the only man you’ve ever loved, then you should fight for it.”
“But what kind of future could we have?” I countered. “Griffin won’t even let you be around him.”
“That will pass,” she said firmly. “I saw Bosco take a serious beating for you. For a man like him, that’s not easy. He could have had his men break both of Griffin’s arms, but he didn’t. If he can show that kind of restraint, he’s not a threat to this family. Griffin will see that—once he calms down.”
I was grateful Vanessa was on my side because it hadn’t always been that way. She had been hesitant about Bosco but gradually changed her mind as time passed. “And my father…your father…”
“If they accepted Griffin, they’ll accept Bosco. You’ll just have to be patient.”
“And I don’t know if I could have kids with him. His profession is so dangerous. I don’t want my kids around that. I went to the casino with him a couple times, and a psychopath started stalking me.”
“Well, I don’t think your kids are going to join him at the casino,” she said with a laugh.
“When they’re adults, they might. I just want a different kind of life, a life that he doesn’t want.”
“What does that mean?” She brought her water closer to her and took a drink. “What do you want?”
“I want to move out of the city and be a full-time mom. I want to take my kids to school, clean up the house, and see my husband when he gets off work at the office. I want a simple, boring, domesticated life… Bosco isn’t interested in that. He likes money, booze, cigars…topless ladies. Stuff like that.”
“For one, he quit smoking for you. And two, there’s only one topless dancer he cares about.”
The corner of my mouth rose in a smile. “It seems like you’re rooting for him…”
“I just want my cousin to have the man she wants. I don’t want you to give up on him unless you’re absolutely sure.”
“I just don’t want to regret my decision later,” I said. “I don’t want to be with him for a few years and then regret it. I don’t want to imagine who my husband could have been if I’d just walked away.”
Vanessa turned quiet, not having anything else to say.
This was my burden, and I had to deal with it.
“I’ll say this,” she said. “If this is the man you love, don’t worry about our parents. They’ll accept him if you wait long enough. Griffin will accept him. I’m not saying it’ll be easy, but it’ll definitely happen eventually, and all your hard work will pay off. But, if there really is no future with this guy, if you really can’t have the family life you want…then you’re right. You should end it now and not waste any more time. Because the longer you wait…the harder it’s gonna be.”
I nodded in agreement, considering everything she said. “You’re right.”
“Take the rest of the week to think about it. And then…stick with your decision.”
Bosco never mentioned the day that was fast approaching, and neither did I. As if it wasn’t an issue at all, we spent our time making love, eating dinner, and snuggling together on the couch.
I knew he wouldn’t mention it because he was confident there wasn’t a deadline at all.
He knew I wouldn’t leave.
And that would make it all the more painful if I did.
When I was work, I was distracted because I couldn’t make up my mind. I knew what I should do, but the right decision and the easy decision weren’t always the same. This wasn’t a regular relationship that I could enjoy until it ran its course. It was completely different, and the longer I remained, the more chains bound my wrists.
I was at the shop when an unlikely visitor stopped by.
Ronan.
“Hey, what are you doing here?” I asked, giving him a smile as I put down my shears and gloves. “Want to buy some flowers for a special lady?”
He smiled a lot more than his brother. Just in general, he seemed to be the more upbeat one of the two. He wore a dark blue shirt with a black blazer, along with dark jeans. His hands were in his pockets, and he looked handsome with that dark hair and those pretty eyes. “I’m not a flowers kind of guy.”
“Chocolates, then?” I teased. “Unfortunately, I don’t have those. I would eat them all if I did.”
He chuckled. “If I buy some chocolates, they would probably be for me too.”
“Then how can I help you? If you’re looking for Bosco, he’s not here. He’s probably at home.” I used the term home loosely, referring to my residence as well. It didn’t seem like his penthouse anymore, but a place we both shared.
