AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"You need to go after her and woo her back," Michael says with a smile on his face.
"She’s pissed at me." I rub the back of my neck.
"To be fair, the stunt you pulled was deplorable," Christian murmurs.
I shoot him a glance. "I had no choice."
The door to the back of the church opens and the women stream in. Karma breaks into a run, only for Michael to meet her half way. "I’ve told you not to exert yourself physically, haven’t I?" he scolds her as he pulls her into his side.
Aurora walks over to Christian, and Elsa to Seb, while Axel crosses over to Theresa and kisses her.
I watch as the couples hug each other and speak in low tones, as if they’ve been separate for days instead of less than an hour.
"As you suggested, I told Penny everything and sent her after Jeanne to make sure she’s okay," Karma calls out.
"Thanks." I jerk my chin. At least she won’t be alone. That’s something.
"What now?" Adrian, the only other single person in the group, turns to me. "You going after her, or what?"
"I don’t know." I scuff the toe of my boot against the stone floor. "In case you didn’t notice, she wasn’t very happy with me. In fact, I distinctly remember her saying she hates me. And she’ll never forgive me."
"Didn’t take you for a coward." His lips kick up.
I scowl back. "I’m not a coward. I am just saying maybe, uh… I need to give her time to cool off."
"And allow her to stew over how you betrayed her trust?" Karma’s voice rings out. "It was thoughtful of you to make sure Penny’s with her, but it’s not enough. You’re aware of that, I assume?"
I wince, then turn to my sister-in-law. Over the past few months, I’ve seen her work her magic on Michael and come to grips with her role as the senior most female figure within the clan, after Nonna’s passing. If there’s one woman who knows what she’s doing when it comes to affairs of the heart, it’s her.
"What are you suggesting?"
"That you get over being a pussy and go after her and find a way to wriggle back into her good graces." Karma sniffs.
"And how do I do that?"
"Grovel." Michael chuckles. "You need to grovel."
"A lot," Christian adds.
"A whole bloody lot." Axel nods sagely.
Seb wraps his arm around Elsa and pulls her into his chest. "And some more." He rests his chin on top of her head. "And when you think it’s enough, grovel some more."
61
Jeanne
I pace the floor of the rehearsal room at the theater. I hadn’t wanted to go back to Luca’s. Doubtless, that’s where he’ll go, and I have no intention of seeing that man ever again. I returned to my apartment and Penny arrived shortly after. She was worried about me. She made sure I changed out of my dress and into a pair of yoga pants and sleeveless T-shirt. Then she made me a cup of tea and put me to bed. I was too numb to protest and even managed to doze off. When I awoke, she was still there. I told her I was okay and asked her to go home and get some rest. She resisted but I insisted I'd be fine. She wasn’t happy about it but I stood firm and she finally relented.
After she left, I wasn't able to go back to sleep, so I returned to the one place where I feel more comfortable than anywhere else. A place I’ve spent so much of my adult life. The place I was going to have to return to in a few hours anyway. The rehearsal room.
Now, I turn to survey my reflection in the mirror that covers an entire wall. My cheeks are flushed, and the makeup I wore earlier in the day has rubbed off, leaving my lips bare. My eyes are wide and feverish with... Anger? Hate? Lust? All of the above?
I should be so much angrier about what he did. I should be livid with rage at his having taken me for granted, enough that he actually pulled a fast one on me. He pretended to die in my arms. He allowed me to mourn him, to cry for him. To turn up at his funeral looking every inch the grief-stricken widow. I couldn’t have played it better if I’d been acting. And maybe that’s what bothers me the most. It’s like he didn’t believe my acting skills were good enough to let me in on his plan. Instead, he pulled my strings, arranging the set-up, so whoever was watching would buy the story... Enough to reveal himself. And Luca shot him.
I can go on stage again, and not worry for my life. Not that it had particularly concerned me the last few times. I’d been too focused on simply trying to make it through the performance each day. Maybe, subconsciously, I’d wondered if the person who shot at me would try again, but I couldn’t bring myself to care.
This time, Luca wouldn’t have been around to defend me… Except, he had been looking out for me all along.
