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“It’s not you,” I say.
He nods. “Then what is it?”
I lean back in the booth. “Like you said, it’s complicated.”
Staring at the kid who unknowingly changed your life’s course is hard. Because of Ryder, Val married Max and our future separated into two paths. But I recognize that I’m the one who set her on that course in the first place.
“When we were playing football, you told me that to be a good running back, I can’t be afraid. I needed to trust my instincts. Trust my coaching. Trust myself. I know you’re going to say I’m young, but why don’t you trust yourself? Because if after all these years my mom is still the one you want to be with, why don’t you trust yourself that it’s the right decision?”
Shit.I inhale and exhale. He’s right. I don’t trust myself to make her happy because I’m the reason she went into Max’s arms in the first place. I’m the reason she lost her dance career and fell into motherhood at such a young age. The reason she lived with a cheating husband and wasn’t happy. I know she’d never change anything—because she has Ryder—but we both suffered through those years.
“You’re right. You’re totally right.”
“Really?” he asks, looking surprised.
Blanca comes over and presses her hand on Ryder’s shoulder. I have a feeling she coached him on what to say. Good thing my sister is smarter than me.
“Did you guys rock, paper, scissors to see who was going to deliver the speech?”
Blanca laughs and looks at our brothers. “Hell no. I volunteered. That’s the difference between the Mancini men and the Mancini women.”
“So what are you going to do?” Ryder asks.
My mind is going crazy. Could Val and I actually have our forever? “I’m gonna win her back and make sure I never lose her again.”
“There you go, big bro.” Blanca high-fives me. “What are you waiting for? You need a big plan.”
“Help me?”
“What are sisters for?” She waves me up, and the two of us leave the restaurant with Ryder.
“Whoa, what about us?” Carm asks from behind us. “You can’t just toss us aside.”
“Great, I’ll cover the bill for all the shit we’re not eating,” Enzo says.
I hail a taxi, trying to figure out how to convince Val to take one last chance on me. On us.
