“I’m so glad everything worked out for you.” Mom smiles at Sierra. “And I’m tickled pink you’re adding to your family. It’s perfect. Rowan can’t wait to meet his new brother or sister. It’s all he was talking about.” Now that Sierra is fourteen weeks pregnant and starting to show—albeit barely—they felt it was time to break the news to Rowan. He’s been super excited ever since he found out.
Mom smiles at me as I drink my wine. “I’m happy for you too, Serena, and so proud of you for going back to college and pursuing something you love. Elisa and Romeo appear to be blossoming too.”
“They have really settled down over the summer. Elisa loves painting and her new teacher is a big hit. Romeo hasn’t had a nightmare in months, and he wakes every day with a big smile on his face.”
“Elisa tells me Alesso reads to her most nights, and I get the sense he’s around a lot.” Her eyes spark with mischief. “Is there something you have neglected to tell me?” She arches a curious brow.
“My God. You’re as bad as Sierra.” I shake my head, but I’m not annoyed. “There is nothing to report. We’re friends. I blew any chance of us being more.” I eventually plucked up the courage to confide in Sierra, so she knows what went down that night in April in Alesso’s New York apartment.
“I’m telling you, you didn’t.” Sierra is starting to sound like a broken record. I know she means well, but I think she’s mistaken.
“It’s been five months, and he hasn’t made a move. I think that says it all.”
“One of these days, I’m going to bang your heads together,” Sierra mutters, staring longingly at our wine as she sips her iced tea.
“Why haven’t you?” Mom asks, slipping off her high heels and emitting a sigh of relief.
“Ben doesn’t want me to interfere.”
I bark out a laugh. “Since when has that ever stopped you?”
My sister grins conspiratorially. “Truth.”
“I have seen the way that man looks at you, Serena, and he was very worried when you were shot. More than was normal,” Mom says. “He’s definitely interested.”
“Then why hasn’t he made a move?” Sometimes I think I see the same lustful glint and wistful longing in his eyes, but then I convince myself I imagined it. He still says the sweetest things, but I know he likes to bolster my confidence, and I refuse to be the sap who reads too much into something that isn’t there. But are my family and friends right? Is Alesso still interested in more than friendship?
“He’s waiting for you to give him a signal,” Sierra suggests, and Mom nods. “He knows what you have been through, and he won’t do anything to jeopardize your recovery. You’re going to have to take the bull by the horns, sis, and show him you want him.”
Easier said than done. “I wouldn’t even have the first clue how to go about that.”
Mom’s features soften. “Just tell him what’s in your heart.”
“What if he doesn’t feel the same? I don’t want to make a fool of myself or ruin our friendship. He’s too important to me.”
“I wouldn’t suggest you do it unless I was sure he returned your feelings,” Sierra adds.
“And when it comes to affairs of the heart, you have to be bold and take a risk,” Mom says. “If you want him badly enough, he is worth the risk.” I know she is thinking of the man she took as her lover during her abusive marriage to my father. It didn’t end well. Dad killed him mercilessly when he found out.
Sympathy splays across my face, and my heart fills with love for my mother. It reminds me I need to have a private conversation with her. “Could we take a walk?” I ask her, exchanging a brief look with Sierra. She knows what I need to say.
“I’ll watch the kids with Frank.” Sierra climbs to her feet and heads off toward the playground.
Mom and I walk one of the trails through the woods after she has changed into more comfortable clothing and replaced her heels with sneakers. “It’s so peaceful here. I can see why you like it.”
“It has helped me to heal. I feel safe here, and that has allowed me to focus on the kids and working through my issues.”
She stops walking, turning to face me. “I thought the danger had passed?” she asks, looking troubled.
“I’m not sure that’s ever possible within our world, but there is no imminent threat. You don’t need to worry on my behalf or your own.” Mom was concerned The Outfit would turn on her when she cut all ties with them and refused to allow them to use Lawson Pharma to wash their dirty cash. My father also made his fair share of enemies, and anyone tied to him would be wise to keep looking over their shoulder.
We both know there will always be concerns, but we can’t let it stop us from living our lives.
“I’m still a little freaked because they never found that guy from the boutique,” I admit, “but Fabrizio goes with me every time I leave the grounds, and that reassures me.” I refuse to live the rest of my life in a perpetual state of fear.
“Good. I hired one of Ben’s security firms, and I have a new team around me. I’m protected too. We can’t let those bastards we were married to continue to rule our lives.” Her spine straightens, and a determined look washes over her face as she reiterates my thoughts. “I spent too long shackled to controlling men, and this is a fresh start. I won’t be intimidated or forced to change the course of my life.”
“Hear, hear.” I hug her quickly before easing out of her embrace. I need to get this out. “I need to apologize. I said some horrible things to you the last time you were here. I suspect that’s why you have stayed away.”
