“I’d love that. I’m back in Boston after years away, so I could use some tips about the city. I’m practically a tourist now.” I exaggerate.
We chat for a few more minutes and exchange phone numbers.
A little later, still smiling, I open the taxi app to check if it’s arrived yet.
Not bad, Lilly. You managed to connect with two people in about a month. Maybe you’re finally starting to grow up and figure out how to deal with other humans.
“Aren’t you going to say anything?” I ask Martina over the phone.
I spent the afternoon with Theo, looking at more apartments, but I think I’ll go with the first one we saw. It seems like the perfect size for me, and the location is great too.
“I can’t. I’m still trying to process my jealousy first.”
I laugh, cheeks heating up. I haven’t had the courage to tell Theo just how close Amos and I have gotten, but with Martina, I couldn’t keep the secret—though I did leave out just how filthy my boyfriend can be.
“Don’t be silly. You’ve got a prince at your disposal—or if you change your mind, a hot football player straight out of a Florida summer.”
“Correction: I have an almost-ex prince who treats me like I’m made of glass, and I’m pretty sure he doesn’t want me. If he did, he’d have made a move by now. The other option is a football player who’s had more action than a porn star.”
“Amos wasn’t exactly a choirboy either when we started dating.”
“And how do you deal with that?”
“I don’t think about it. I’ve discovered I have a homicidal streak. If I start thinking about all the women who’ve been in his bed, I’ll lose it. So I focus on the fact that right now, he’s mine.”
“That’s the difference: Raul isn’t—and never was—mine.”
“Then break it off with Vicenzzo, Martina. Or at least think seriously about it. You’re both hurting each other. Even if it’s not true that he doesn’t love you, you clearly don’t have feelings for him. Not the kind a fiancée should, anyway.”
“I’ll disappoint my family.”
“I doubt that. Your parents adore you and want to see you happy. So do all your relatives, really. There’s nothing wrong with changing your mind if it’ll spare you from suffering.”
“Sometimes I feel like you’re an old woman full of wisdom.”
“No, I’m just a thinker. The fact that I’ve never had a real relationship doesn’t mean I haven’t thought about them. The books I’ve read, watching my mother’s failed marriages—all of it taught me to tell the difference between what works and what doesn’t. I know what I want—and what would never work for me.”
“And Amos works for you?”
“For now, yes.”
“And is it worth fighting with your brother over?”
“Ethan can’t interfere in my choices. At first, I was afraid to tell him the truth, but Amos is right not to want to hide. “
“I agree with that. It devalues your relationship to keep it in the shadows, as if there’s something to be ashamed of. But from what you’ve told me, he’s still unreachable.”
“Yeah, but I’m not giving up. I want to prepare him so he won’t be shocked when he gets back. Anyway—on another note—are you sure you don’t want to come to Nora’s charity event?”
“Let me think for two seconds,” she mocks. “Hmm . . .no, thanks. Besides having to deal with your mom and that insufferable man she calls her husband, I really don’t want to be the third wheel for you and Mr. Sexy Yellow Eyes.”
“Don’t be silly. Theo will be there too. And anyway, I don’t even know if Amos will make it—he texted me five minutes ago saying an emergency trip came up.”
“I’m kidding. I’d totally come as a third wheel for you guys, but seriously, ask me to do anything but spend time with your parents.”
“Ramon is not my father.”
“Until your mom remarries again, yes, he is,” she jokes.
