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I’m glad I decided not to add more to his plate. The news can wait, I keep telling myself. I move over to where he’s standing.
“What are you up to?” I purr.
He wraps me in his arms and turns me around to face the tub. My breath catches as I see the small jewelry box floating in bubbles and roses. The box is open but not facing me.
Guilt has me frozen. Here I am keeping a huge secret from him and…my stomach drops when the box spins in the water to face me.
I release the breath I’m holding and burst into tears. It’s not what I thought it was. I feel like such a fool.
“They’re gorgeous,” I choke out.
“They’re three carats. The screw-back kind you wanted. Come, let me put them in for you.”
“No, you don’t have to.”
“Baby, what’s the matter? If you don’t like them, I can get you something else. I thought they would look pretty on you.”
My emotions are all over the place. I feel like I’m suffocating. Why am I so upset?
Because nothing in your life is certain. Everything is up in the air. Your restaurant, your career, your home, this relationship and now a baby. Nothing is stable.
“Car, talk to me.”
Everything from the last few months comes crashing down on me. Then it hits me that I still don’t have answers and he’s leaving. My future has never been more uncertain.
“This is stupid. You’re leaving, I’ll be here. This isn’t going to work. We ruined our friendship and for what?”
“What?” He looks at me incredulously. “Babe, is that time of month coming or something?”
“Wow, really? I never pegged you for toxic masculinity. I’m expressing my feelings so it must be that time of the month.”
I know I’m losing it. I just can’t shut my mouth. The hurt on his face should do the trick, but I keep going.
“Maybe I should go stay with my parents or at Toni’s. This was such a bad idea.”
I turn to leave the bathroom. He halts my retreat with a hand on my wrist. He places his face against the side of mine.
“Don’t do this. I’m leaving tonight. These are the last hours we have for…don’t do this.”
“You don’t even know for how long. I don’t know what you’re going for. For all I know, you could be going to marry someone your family has had picked out since before you were born.”
He snorts. “Baby, what’s really going on? What just happened?”
“I need some space. I’ll be with my family. You go be with yours.”
I tug away and storm out of the bathroom, feeling like a crazy woman and ready to fall completely apart. I sob as I run to the guest room. Once there, I fling my naked body on the bed and really cry.
What the hell is wrong with me?
Chapter 26
Merry Christmas
Carleen
I sit in my old bedroom with my knees in my chest. This is not how I wanted to spend Christmas, but I’m too embarrassed to go to Dante’s after what I did this morning.
The worst part is, I don’t think Dario is even mad at me. He left the earrings on the kitchen counter with a note. I sniffle and wipe at my nose as I think of the words.
“Hey, what are you doing here? I didn’t expect to see you until later. Where’s Dario, everything all right?”
I burst into tears all over again. Toni moves into the room and closes the door behind her. I have my face in the pillow between my knees as I sob.
“Is it Dario, the baby? What’s going on?” Toni whispers as she sits on the bed.
“It’s me. This baby has turned me into a madwoman. I went off on Dario for no reason and now he’s leaving, and I don’t know for how long.”
“Aw, Oopies. Calm down, honey. Tell me what happened.”
“I…I…he bought me these.” I finger one of my earrings.
Toni releases a long whistle. I roll my eyes at her and pout. She folds her arms over her chest.
“Okay, explain the problem. Please.”
I blow out a breath. “I feel so stupid. I thought it was a ring at first. When I saw it wasn’t, I sort of freaked out. I mean, look at my life right now.”
“You’re doing great. You have a fine-ass man, you have a business that’s doing amazing. Again, what’s the damn problem, Car? You’re pissing me off and I’m not the one dating you.”
I huff and ball my fists. “From the outside you would say all that. But see it from where I live.”
“Explain.”
“I spent all that money on that brownstone and I’m not even living in it. It’s been problem after problem for weeks.”
“Okay, construction shit. You knew the risks.”
I glare at her. “I love the restaurant. I’m happy I made the decisions I did, but now I’m questioning it all. Did I follow my dream or Dario’s? Can I keep the place going while he’s gone? Will I ever master savory cooking?”
