“Do you really know him?” he asks without looking at me, his gaze fixed somewhere on the wall beyond my shoulder. “Do you trust him? All I know is his reputation... as the CEO of Santoro Marmo.”
“I do,” I say softly. “I’ve known him for a while now. I’ve met his family. I would never bring him into their lives if I had doubts.”
A painful grimace crosses his mouth. “I won’t pretend I’m happy for you. But I know you. You’ve always put Ethan and Alicia first. So I’m going to trust your judgment.”
“Always,” I whisper. “I love them more than anything.”
His gaze drops to his shoes.
“About the other day...”
He shakes his head. “No need.”
“I’m not going to talk about what happened,” I say evenly. “I just wanted you to know, you don’t have to worry about finding another place or anything like that. Alexander’s already moving out.”
He lifts his eyes to mine. “Was it that obvious it crossed my mind?”
I shrug lightly. “I couldn’t be sure. I just wanted you to know. Alicia really likes your place.”
He hesitates, then asks, “Is he going to live here?”
I shake my head. “No. That would be rushing too many things.” To keep everything clear, I add, “He’s moving into the house across the street.”
Colin lets out a short breath.
“So his reputation for never letting an opportunity pass really holds up,” he says, maybe not bitter. Just... weary, in a way I can’t quite name.
I don’t comment. I’m not sure what he means, and I don’t want to guess. He stands, and I rise too. He takes a few steps, then stops. Without turning, he says in a whisper,
“I hate the thought of you with him. It’s a physical, unbearable pain.”
“But I hope you’ll be happy, Cecily.”
He already makes me more than happy.Whole. Complete… in ways I never was before, or even thought I’d be allowed to feel again.
“I wish you the same.”
I’m about to head inside when I recognize the car pulling into the driveway, just as Colin reaches his own.
I smile and wait for him. But when he parks and steps out, something in his expression makes my stomach tighten.
“Why do you look like you’re about to bring me bad news?” I ask, trying to keep my tone light.
Is this about New Jersey? Did he see her again?
Mark rubs the back of his neck, his eyes locking onto mine with unease.
“I don’t have good news,” he says. “It’s about your father.”
My hand grips the top of the steps, cold stone doing nothing to calm the wild spike of my pulse.
“Tell me,” I whisper.
And when Mark begins to speak, I already know… I would have preferred he’d said nothing at all.
Chapter 26
Ti amo, Alexander
