“I didn’t want to say anything if it didn’t pan out. Igot the call yesterday that Ms. Whitmorewas willing to meet, and I wanted to set up a few other meetings so it wouldn’t seem suspicious.”
I glance at the others, none of them seem surprised about this development. Milo asked how he got in, but it almost seems like he knew he was trying, and he was only asking which avenue worked. “You guys knew.” It’s not a question.
“We knew he would try,” Dante confirms.
“This is such utter bullshit,” I grit out through my teeth. I spin on my heel, pissed off that they keep shit from me. Ollie calls my name before I’m even out the door. I ignore him and the ache in my heart that says how hurt I really am.
Chapter 3
In my haste to get away from the guys, I leftwithout any real plan of where I was going. Ares’s bedroom is out, for obvious reasons. I really don’t feellike running into Rosa, William, or Mal either.
I find a small room on the main floor that looks like a little sunporch. There are a fewwicker rocking chairs on an old rag rug that look like they get little use. The walls are raw wood, cedar maybe, making it feel cozy.Two sides of the room are made up of mostly screen. The cool, evening autumn air blows in, bringing scents of burning fires and dry leaves. There isn’t much else in the room, just a small matching table between the chairs, and nothing on the wall behind me. It feels a little barren, but I like it regardless.
Gingerly, I lower myself onto oneof the chairs and I get a little creak of protest, but it feels sturdy enough, so I let my weight sink into the tufted cushion. Darkness falls early now, so I can’t see much beyond the porch. I gaze out into the evening anyway, imagining a large backyard with a few trees dotted around to give plenty of shade on hot summer days.
Closing my eyes, I tip my head back to rest against the chair. I don’t understand why Ares didn’t tell me what he was planning. Why didn’t any of them mention it to me? I bring my legs up into the chair, tucking them beneath me. I hate feeling like I’m being left in the dark. Finding out I’ve been uninformed my whole life makes me feel powerless. Like I have no control over what happens. I hate that they did the same thing to me.
Letting out a heavy sigh, I relax into the wicker rocking chair. It’s trueI’m aggravated that they kept this from me, but I’m also worried. What could Ares be getting himself into by going out there?
There’s a part of me that knows Leon has something to do with my mom’s disappearance, and if that’s true, then he probably already knows about me. Wouldn’t hebe suspicious if someone from the same area comes asking questions? Wouldn’t it lead him right to us?
If I wouldn’t have run off like a toddler with atempertantrum, I could have posed those questions, but I let myself get too angry about not being included. Frustration with myself and the situation weighs on me. I can’t keep running when things aren’t going my way. But that’s what we’ve always done.
Soft footsteps in the hall draw my attention, and I know it’s not Dante or Ares. The bond would have told me they were close before I heard them. Ollie doesn’t have the same stealthy mannerisms that come naturally to the brothers, so I don’t think it’s him either.
Rosa pokes her head into the room, her large eyes falling on me. “CiaoLaura, mind if I sit?” Her voice is light, and I think she would leave me without getting upset if I told her I wantedsometime alone. But I don’t really want her to go.
Rearranging myself in the chair so my feet hit the floor, I tell her, “Please, it’s your house.” I wave my hand at the empty chair beside me.
Rosa slips past the door, heading to the chair. She’s wearing a dark, chunky sweater with light gray pants, and she looks comfortable, but stylish. Her dark hair is curled softly away from her face, showing off her beautiful features.
“How are you?” she asks, once she’s folded herself into the chair with an elegance, I don’t think I’ll ever possess.
“I’m holding up.” I don’t want to lie to her and tell her everything is fine, but I also don’t want to tell her how crazy I’m really feeling either.
“You don’t give yourself enough credit darling. You’re doing more than holding up.” Rosa looks out into the backyard. Her wordsare delivered kindly, she’s not putting me on the spot, and I don’t feel like I need to defend how I’m feeling.
She seems content to just sit with me, providing company while I wrestle with what to do next. She doesn’t push me to talk, or question why I’m out here instead of in the house with the guys. It’s nice having her here with me. I can’t pretend I know her that well yet, but Ifeel like I know her more than what I would have expected at this point.
Our situation lends itself to an intimacyI don’t think you’d find in a normal relationship with your partner’s parents.“I haven’t bonded with Milo or Ollie yet,” I blurt out, it’s not something I planned to say, more something that just pops out as my thoughtsbegin tounravel.
Rosa looks over at me, her eyes clear, but a little heavy like she was just as comfortable in the quiet as I’d assumed. “I know, no need to rush.”
“But… is that normal? The guys, they don’t… they’re not exactly… forthcoming with information all the time,” I stammer. I don’t want her to think I’m insulting them. But I have questions, and maybe she can answer some of them.
Rosa lets out a soft chuckle. “I don’t imagine they would say anythingthey think might upset you.” She reaches over and places her hand over mine for abriefmoment, before pulling away. “Forgive them.” She sighs. “Men often make more of a mess of something that could havebeen easily solved if they would get out of their own way. So often they think they’re protecting us from things we don’t need protecting from.” I can almost hear Rosa’s eye roll.
Her words make a grin tug at the corner of my mouth. I can’t imagine Mal or William ever keeping anything from her. I’ve seen her when she gets riled up and I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of her anger.
“There isn’t a standard here Laura,” Rosa tells me, meeting my eyes. “Everything about your Infinity is unique, as areyou. There isn’t a rule book or an example you need to adhere to or follow, you do what’s best for you and the others. You’ll know when the time is right, as you did with Ares and Dante.”
I mull over her words and she waits patiently for me to continue. “Sometimes it doesn’t feel real,” I confess, looking out into the darkness.
“That I can understand, especially in your situation.” Rosa tucks a wave of hair over her shoulder as her eyes narrow, like she’s thinking back to the past. “When I was first introduced to William and Malcom, I couldn’t believe they were chosen for me. I was sure that any moment something would happen, and they would realize I wasn’t the one. It seemed almost too good to be true, and I grew up knowing one day I would find my pairs.” Rosa pauses letting her words sink in.
She’s telling me that my thoughts are normal, that we all experience the doubt and worry. Could it really be that simple, that everyone has these feelings? Like she knows what I’m thinking, Rosa states, “It gets easier.”
“When?” I can’t keep the question from leaving my lips.
