“Still crossed a line.”
“You’ve never said something in the heat of the moment that you regretted?”
I looked away.
“Has she ever given you any indication that she doesn’t respect what you do?”
She told me if I were her son, she’d be proud of me. I remembered it so well because it meant a lot to me. Maybe that was why I lost my temper when she contradicted it.
“I’ve never met the woman, so I don’t have a dog in this fight. But I’ve never heard you talk about someone the way you talk about her. There’s Con before Aurelia, and then there’s Con after Aurelia. Her impact on your life has been that distinct. It’s been nine years since you’ve felt this way for someone, so maybe you should think about granting her a little grace instead of waiting another nine years.” Rocco studied my face for a reaction, waited for a response.
“I don’t need your input.”
“I think you do,” he said. “Because you act like you don’t have any fault in this situation. It’s like chasing a dog into the corner with a baseball bat and then getting mad when the dog barks. Remember, she’s not like you or me. She was scared and overwhelmed and reactive. Text her or don’t text her. But just think about what I’ve said, Con.”
“You’re awfully insightful for a man who’s never been in a relationship.”
“And you’re awfully stupid for a man who’s been in two.”
Chapter 22
Aurelia
A week came and went—and Constantine ignored me.
I fucking ruined it.
A man infinitely out of my league and a dream come true came into my life—and I lost him. My two-year relationship ended in a dumpster fire in Taormina, and the hurt was like an open wound right in the center of my chest. But this ... this hurt so much worse.
Because of what it could have been.
When it was time to pass away, your life would flash before your eyes. When my relationship with Constantine flatlined, so many of our memories hit me. We’d known each other for less than a month, but there was so much substance and depth to what we had. I remembered our morning trips to Bam Bar in the little town, waking up next to him in the softest bed I’d ever known, spending the day at the beach with him and his friends, meeting his mom and aunt, two of the most beautiful women I’d ever seen.
And now all of that was just ... gone.
He wouldn’t text me back. Wouldn’t take my calls. When my text messages stopped going through and my calls went straight to voicemail, I realized he’d blocked me.
He fucking blocked me.
I’d hit rock bottom after Enzo left me in Taormina, but Constantine took my hand and helped me climb the tallest mountain. Showed me the view from the sky, cleansed me in his warmth and praise. But then I tripped and fell ... and rolled all the way to the bottom of the sea.
I’d never recover from this. I’d end up like Isabella, still wanting him a decade later. I’d move on eventually, but Constantine would always be in the back of my mind. I’d wonder what could have been. Wonder if he’d met someone else. If he’d gotten married, had children.
I finally stopped trying to get ahold of him, knowing my messages weren’t getting to him anyway. When he said he was done, he really meant it. He’d probably replaced me with someone else by now.
The thought made me cry ... once or twice.
Cindy and I went out for a drink, sat together at a table and shared a bottle of wine.
“I want to ask if you’re okay,” Cindy said. “But that’s a stupid question because I can tell you aren’t.” In a navy blue dress and heels, she had her dark hair in curls, a bracelet with charms on her wrist. She was beautiful, and I didn’t understand why she was with a guy who wasn’t of her caliber.
But I guessed people thought the same thing about me and Constantine.
“Yeah.” I swirled my glass by the base of the stem. “I feel like shit, every moment of every day.”
“But you said he was mixed up with some bad people?”
I’d never told my friends what he actually did. I’d kept it vague. He never told me I couldn’t tell anyone, but they might think I was crazy if I told them the truth. “Yeah. Something shady, not sure what it was.”
