“Hey,” he says, looking happy to see me. The sight of him fills my chest with a sudden burst of warmth.
I walk up to him, and he pulls me into his arms.
“How’s it feel?” he asks. “Tomorrow night at this time, you’ll be tucking Junie into bed in her very own room.”
I hold him close and nod against his shoulder. “I almost can’t believe it. I’m feeling so many things…especially tonight.”
He takes my hand and leads me to the couch. “You want to talk about it?”
I look down at our hands and open my mouth, but where do I start? I don’t know what I should say first. It was great meeting your stripper ex-wife? Or, your stripper ex-wife is a great teacher?
“Eden, can I start?” Vito’s staring me in the face, his lips parted. “I want to hear everything you want to say, but I need to get some shit off my chest.”
I nod, relieved that he wants to talk. I still need some time with my feelings before I can even compose a coherent sentence.
“I’m sorry you had to meet my ex-wife that way. Super fucking awkward and I hope she didn’t put you off that college completely.”
I smile and shake my head. “No, she’s pretty great, actually,” I admit.
Vito nods, but then he takes both my hands in his. “Eden, you’re more than pretty great. You have a lot of big shit ahead. I want to be a part of it. I want to be a part of your life.”
We both chuckle and lace our fingers tighter.
“I don’t know if you need a label, boyfriend, girlfriend, whatever. I’m falling for you, Eden. I think you’re the most gorgeous, kindest, amazing woman. And I just wanted to be clear that Michelle is my past. I’d really like for you to be my future. You know what I mean?”
I silence him by leaning forward and kissing him lightly on the lips. “I want that too,” I tell him and scoot closer, tucking against his chest.
He rests his chin on the top of my head.
“I want to tell you something,” I start. “I’m afraid it might change how you feel about me, and if it does, I’d rather know now before I get in any deeper. Because I’m falling for you too.” I pull away then, feeling worried that Vito might reject me for what I’m about to admit. “It shook me a lot, meeting Michelle,” I say, looking down into my lap. “But she’s beautiful and smart and super fucking nice. I would have rather she be this nasty bitch, but no, she was like someone I could be friends with.”
Vito laughs. “Fucking small towns,” he says. “Really living up to their reputations.”
I sigh. “Yeah. But that’s the thing. You and Michelle just didn’t work, right? There was no other big secret or anything?”
Vito cups my chin and holds my face so our eyes meet. “No,” he says firmly, his voice low and sincere. He releases my chin and shakes his head. “I don’t have secrets, Eden. Not one. What you see with me is what you get, for better or worse.”
I swallow hard and realize how damning what I’m about to share is. “Well, I have more secrets,” I say. “And if you can’t forgive me for what I have done, I understand. Just…” Tears sting my eyes, and I clench my hands into fists so I don’t cry. “Juniper’s father,” I say, looking down again. “He was married when I dated him. He was my boss. The owner of the company where I worked. He and his wife owned the business together, but she lives in New York City and handles East Coast development. I never actually met her during the two years I worked there.”
I explain that the whole affair only lasted four months. That during that time, my boss insisted his wife was leaving him and that they had an understanding that he could date other people.
They ran a company that provided financing for films, so a divorce would have damaged their reputations and split their assets. He assured me they were married in name only. That was, until I told him I was pregnant.
“That’s when I found out the marriage was very much real and not open or anything like that. I met his wife when she showed up at my desk with a team of lawyers and summoned me into a conference room.” I choke back sobs, but the tears are flowing down my cheeks.
“Eden.” Vito’s voice is soft as he strokes the hair back from my face. “I’m sorry if meeting Michelle opened up those old wounds.”
I shake my head. “It’s inevitable,” I explain. “Based on what went down when I got pregnant, I am pretty sure I was not the first executive assistant he played.”
Vito’s growl vibrates through my chest. “I’m so fucking sorry that happened to you. But I don’t understand. Why would this change how I feel about you? If anything, I am fucking furious at what happened to you, and I want to make sure no one ever does anything to screw you over ever again.”
“Seriously?” I wipe my face with both hands and face him. “Vito, you come from a huge, close-knit family. Your ex-wife is beautiful and talented, and there’s no deep, dark secret there.” I bark out a resentful laugh. “I had to sign a contract promising I would not submit my daughter’s DNA to any of those genealogy sites until her eighteenth birthday.”
“What?” he asks, sounding as shocked as I am pissed. “Why the fuck not?”
I give him a sad look. “I’m sure her father doesn’t want her finding all the other siblings he’s got running around out there in the world. If the kids start comparing the deals they got…” I shake my head.
I’m quiet then. I’m hoping the details I’ve shared haven’t in any way compromised the confidentiality agreement I signed.
