He didn’t.
Yet another example of how I thought he was shy, but he was merely being a nice guy. You’d think after all the chances that boy has had to ask me out, and he never has, he’s just not interested.
Nobody is that shy.
I half smile, not feeling light enough for a full smile. I’m happy to have Rosie back, but in a way, it feels bittersweet. Part of me had hoped this gift had been more than a get-well gift, but I’m finally seeing that North never wanted to be with me. He was always just being a nice guy.
If he wanted to be with me, he would have said something by now.
Knock, knock, knock.
I jump to my feet and fly across the room because nobody uses the side door but North. As soon as I open the door, he exclaims, “You’ll never guess what I just found!” He bursts overthe threshold while waving papers in the air. “Oh, hi Mr. Bella.” He tips his head toward Dad. “How are you?”
“I’m fine, son. What’s all the commotion about?”
“You’re not going to like this.” His words take a cautionary tone as he plants his gaze on Dad. “Gia dropped off a box of Rocco’s trophies at the school, and I got to putting them away tonight, and look.” North slides papers in front of Dad. I peer over Dad’s shoulder and gasp.
“What is this?” Clearly, I can read, but I don’t believe it! “Is Rocco getting funding for his car lot in exchange for political favors?”
“It looks that way.” North shifts his feet, as he keeps his gaze glued to Dad. “Did you know about this?”
“How could he know about that?” I scoff, but Dad blurts over the top of me.
“—I did.” His eyelids lower, hooding his eyes, and his skin grows ashen. “Forgive me, but I found that box the other day, and that’s why I had it sitting in the living room. I didn’t have the heart to turn in my own son, but I know it needs to happen. I was hoping you’d come over, look in the box, and find it. Well, things didn’t really go that way. When you offered to donate it to the school, I figured this would work out.”
“Were you ever going to say anything?” Anger sizzles in my chest, not for Dad, because I oddly understand his plight, but at Rocco, who is about to drag our family through another scandal.
“I planned to send anonymous copies to the local press if you didn’t find it. I also knew my heart can't handle the constant news and gossip, and that’s the real reason I planned to go to Mexico.” His head’s still down, and I can’t see his expression, but his voice is strong with conviction. “Rocco’s a grown man who’s made his own bed."
"If you'd like to avoid a mess with your own son, I can take this to the police myself," North offers. "He won't ever need to knowyou were going to turn him in. I know he's estranged now, but maybe some time in jail will help him to see things differently, and he won't blame you."
"I really don't think it will make a difference who turns him in but be my guest." Dad scratches at the back of his head, thinking through his words. "All I know is going through another one of these scandals with him is not on my Bingo card this year.”
“It’s not on my Bingo card either.” A disgusted snort bleeps out of my mouth.
“You’re welcome to come too." One corner of Dad’s mouth curls at the tip as his gaze cuts to North. "But something tells me you have a reason to stay.”
“I don’t know if I do.” With emotionally exhausted eyes, I turn to North. He seems to avoid my gaze, looking at the floor.
"I think that's my cue to leave you two." A gleam sparkles out of the corner of Dad's eye as he passes me on his way out of the kitchen, calling back, "I'm going to start packing my bags."
The silence that Dad's absence creates pulsates as I fix my gaze on North.This has to be it.We've been dancing around our connection for a decade. If North doesn't say something, then I'm going to. I can't wait another decade, wasting years we can be together.
And if I'm wrong about this?
Well, at least I will find out now.
"North." My voice cracks and I pause to swallow. "Dad asked if I have a reason to stay." I squawk out, so afraid of another disappointment. "Do I?”
“Do you?” North's dreamy eyes lock on me the same time his feet propel him across the room, closing the gap between us. He's so tall, he dips his head down to align our gazes, all his attention on me. “Gia, I’ve been in love with you from the first moment I saw you, but I couldn’t tell you because Rocco threatened to destroy us both. I never wanted to cause anytrouble for you. I held in my feelings all these years, wishing them away, but they only grew stronger.” His eyes fill with tears, and his words float out like poetry, each word swelling my heart even more. “I know you said it was too soon to decide what we are, but it’s killing me. I need you to know that you’re the only woman I've ever wanted.”
His eyes bounce between my lips and my eyes, all the while his gaze becoming more heated, and the strongest magnetic pull of gravity I ever felt, draws me directly to his lips. We lean closer and closer, with each second ticking until our lips finally crash, instantly tangling as if we’ve been training to do this our whole lives. There isn't anything shy about the way he kisses me, or even polite. The chemistry is beyond anything I could have dreamed. We are perfectly matched to each other, and before I can take a deep breath, he pulls away, a boisterous smile covering his face.
“Mama Mia,” I whisper, and fight back all the happy tears pricking the backs of my eyes.
“Mama Mia is right,” Dad's voice echoes from the edge of the kitchen. Apparently, he used his snoopy manifesting power to sneak back down to hall and overhear our confessions. My laugh mingles with North's husky chuckle. I don't even care that Dad overheard us. It’s not like any of this is a secret to him. He’s the one who had called it all those years ago.
As the laughter dies, I gaze back at North. Talk about a truth bomb. It all makes so much sense now. I thought he was too shy, but he was protecting me from my own brother. After all this time, we can finally be honest with each other and be the couple we’ve always wanted to be.
