Four Months Later
Angelo turns to me with a huge smile on his face. “What do you think?”
He gestures at the enormous sunlit kitchen. A big bay window overlooks a hilly back yard speckled with flowers, bushes, and trees, and a patio with a table and chairs, and a beautiful pool beyond that. The kitchen itself is modern, clean, marble and glass and polished wood. I can picture sitting in here on a lazy Sunday morning drinking coffee, bouncing the baby on my knee, laughing with Angelo over some joke or whatever while he makes pancakes. I can see myself in this house, but best of all, I can see myself with him.
“Can we afford it?” I ask and run my fingers along the island. I really want to afford it but my head’s filled with thoughts of diapers and cribs and all the little expenses that come with a baby.
And ever since I walked away from my parents and told Chief Corvine to fuck himself, I’m estranged from dear old mother and father, which means no more financial fallback plan. I’m out on my own, totally and completely.
It feels so freaking good I could cry. Which I sometimes do now, because apparently the ice-queen thing was a trauma response. I mean, I’m still about as closed-off as a person can get, but at least now I don’t bottle up everything.
Angelo puts an arm around me. “We can afford whatever you want. As it turns out, working for Carmine comes with certain perks. Like a lot of cash.”
“Oh, do you think you’re the only one making good money now?” I push against him, grinning. “You’re not even the only one working for Carmine these days. But seriously, this house is really, really expensive. Maybe it would be smarter to start with something smaller?”
“Fuck starter homes. I want this one. What do you say?”
I sigh and lean against him. “I say show me the rest of it.”
He leads me on the tour. Huge downstairs with perfect space for entertaining, an equally spacious upstairs with several bedrooms perfect for a growing family, and the master bedroom with an attached bathroom and a closet about the size of my old apartment.
“All right, I’m convinced,” I say, running my fingers along the shelving and picturing all my clothes fitting in lovely little piles. “You could’ve just showed me this closet first, you know.”
“I wanted to save the best for last.” I turn to face him, heart swelling, and totally freeze.
Angelo’s down on one knee, staring up with me with a serious look in his eyes.
“What are you doing?” I ask, both my hands moving to my visibly pregnant belly. I’m about ready to burst and looking forward to not waddling around anymore feeling like an overblown balloon, but also dreading those first few months of baby hell.
And now this.
“I love you,” he says quietly and reaches into his pocket. The ring he takes out is beautiful: glittering diamonds, smooth white-gold band, and it must’ve been obscenely expensive. “I should’ve done this months ago.”
“Angelo.”
“Marry me, Sara. I want you to be my wife. I want this baby, I want this life. I want to take care of you until the day that I die. I want to build a family with you. Marry me.”
I step closer and hold out my hand. My fingers shake, my stomach twists, and I swear the baby’s kicking. Maybe she feels how excited and scared I am right now.
This was always part of my path. Good job, good husband, good kids, a nice little unit, all propelling me to greater heights. Except this isn’t the man of my dreams, he’s not what I pictured when I was a little girl growing up and my mother told me I needed to find Prince Charming one day.
Angelo’s rough. He’s violent, and dangerous, and beautiful and loyal, and loving and way more caring than anyone I’ve ever met. He’s a monster, a killer. He’s the father of my child and the only person I’ve ever really loved.
“This isn’t what I pictured, but it’s so much better.”
“Okay,” I say, grinning like an idiot. “I’ll marry you.”
“Damn right you will.” He slides the ring on my finger, stands, and wrap me in his arms. The kiss he plants on my trembling lips is like heaven, like the first kiss but better—it’s a promise of all the days to come, all the kisses still waiting, the thousands of moments we’ll share, the highs and the lows, the pain and the pleasure. I want it all, and I want it with him. “You know, I’m glad you like this place, otherwise I just proposed to you in some random house.”
“Seriously, what if I hated it?”
“I would’ve called our realtor and told him to rescind the offer.”
“Angelo! You didn’t!”
“I know, don’t be angry. I just can’t wait a single day to start our life together.”
I kiss him hard and blink back the tears. “We’re really doing this, aren’t we?”
“We’re really doing it,” he confirms. “Buying a house. Having a kid. Getting married.”
“And working for the Scavo Famiglia.” I sigh and lean my head against his chest. “I never really pictured myself as the sole council for a gangster, you know.”
“You’ll pick up other clients, but I’m sure Carmine will pay you to stay exclusive too, if that’s what you want.”
“The fact that I have options is good enough for now.”
“And listen, no matter what you choose to do, I’m here.” He tilts my chin up and looks into my eyes. “Hear me? No matter what.”
“Even if the cops decide they want revenge for the whole Nicolas thing?”
“Especially then. I can’t wait to have an excuse to break some police knees.”
“You’re such a doll.”
He smirks and cups my face. “We both know you’re the doll here.”
I roll my eyes, but he kisses me, and I let him.
I don’t know how I ended up here in my house, with my husband and my baby, living my life.
But it feels good. And I’m not letting it go.
“Come on,” Angelo says and takes me by the hand. “Everyone’s waiting.”
“Everyone’s… waiting?”
“You know, your engagement party.”
“Angelo!”
“Sorry to ruin the surprise but I decided it’s not a great idea to shock a woman as pregnant as you are.”
“You’re insane.”
“Seriously, I’m really happy you liked this place.” He laughs as he leads me outside, into his truck, and away.
