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She blinks. “What? Why?”
I shrug as I remember what Che told me. “Things happen. We can plan all we want, but things can change whether we want them to or not.”
“What’s the matter?”
“Alicia won’t be able to have any more kids. They have no idea what happened, but there was excessive bleeding. It was a good thing they were going to insert a copper IUD, a compromise she and Che came to because Alicia wanted more kids but Che didn’t think they should, or they might have missed the bleeding. The doctors couldn’t get it under control, they had to do a hysterectomy.”
“Oh my god, poor Alicia.”
“Yeah, she had a hard time with it.”
“What the hell? Did you just find out today?”
I nod, remembering the shock of realizing neither Cesare or even Dante had said anything over the last two weeks.
“Enzo, what’s up between you and Cesare?”
Sighing, I roll off her, pulling her into my arms. “All kinds of crap that’s all my fault. We were close growing up but when my dad died, Che went all in on Dad mode. I couldn’t deal with it. Half the time we were working on houses, I imagined taking the hammer I was usually holding to his face when he got bossy. There was no way I was going to work with them when I came home. I had a few ideas, but I wasn’t sure. Without any real intention, I started loaning money to a few smaller businesses who couldn’t get loans by the typical route while I was going to school. For a while there I was doubling and tripling my money. I considered keeping it going, but I got into trading and saw what the hedge funds were doing, then decided that was exactly what I wanted to do. Che tried to talk me out of it, told me I would fail and could lose everything.
“I didn’t though. It took a while before I finally let that go. Once I hit multimillion, he apologized and we moved past it. But with the whole Sheila bullshit, he went all Dad mode again trying to talk me out of it. It just made me dig my heels in more. After it went to shit.” Shaking my head, I shrug. “I didn’t want to see the I-told-you-so and he didn’t say it, but I heard it over and over again as he tried to reassure me I’d find someone special. I couldn’t take it anymore. All those women, they were an excuse to avoid all the invitations to Che’s and Dante’s. I even missed Matteo’s birthday, I spent it out of the country.”
“Enzo, I’m sorry,” she murmurs against my chest.
“Chloe, don’t feel sorry for me I was an asshole. I got what I wanted, I pushed them away.”
“That’s bullshit. You were going through a hard time, and you needed your family more than ever. Just because you pushed them away doesn’t mean they had to stay away.” Her arms tighten around me.
“They haven’t stayed, they keep trying. What Che and Alicia were going through is rough; it’s understandable.”
“I guess.” She’s sleepy, melting into me.
“Angel?”
“Hmm?”
“Why didn’t you talk to your grandmother until today?”
Her sigh is heavy. “I didn’t want her to try and talk me out of marrying you. She can be pretty stubborn when she gets something into her head.”
“You can too.” I can’t not say it.
“Yeah, which was why I wouldn’t have let her. I didn’t want to deal with there being distance between us leading up to getting married. I figured I’d wait until the last week or so in case we did become estranged; that way I would have the wedding coming up to focus on, instead of being miserable she wasn’t going to be there.”
“She was that much against marriage?”
“Yeah, I just wanted to enjoy these next few weeks. Is that wrong?”
Squeezing her tight, I kiss the top of her head. “No.”
“Thank you for my spanking. Can we do it again?”
“Now?” I’m willing but I don’t think my body is able.
Her laughter fills my chest, making it light enough I feel like I could float. “No, silly. Another time. I’m just trying to remember to do the whole communicating thing.”
“Yes, we can. And tomorrow we’re having dinner at Goldfinches with Adam and Russell at seven.”
“Thank you, thank you. I really am sorry I forgot. Friday to Sunday no phones, no clothes, just you and me on your boat. Heaven.”
