by Avery Hawkes
Finally, words returned.
“This is crazy! You’re crazy! It’s not like we know each other that well, really.” I turned, trying to list off every excuse I could why we shouldn’t.
“I haven’t heard a ‘no’ yet,” Lance replied.
A sigh escaped me and I tried to collect my thoughts. “Alright. Here’s the thing. You were a total asshole to me in high school. I’m fine with us being co-parents, but I’m not so sure we should be married ….”
“Buuuuut―" Lance said, reading my facial expressions perfectly.
“But … it would mean a lot to me to get out of Jersey and get my own place. That money will help all of us, including the baby. I’ll agree to it now, so we can get the money from the will. We can get an annulment once he―or she―is born. Got it?”
“So is that a yes?” His face had brightened. I looked down at my goofy improvised ring and the face that looked so eager below me.
“Yes, but not forever. You’re a cool guy Lance. You’re good … GREAT in bed, but I don’t know if I want you to be my husband.”
“Such a romantic,” he said, getting up from his knee. With one quick movement he grabbed me, scooping me up in his arms. Oh goodness, he was charming. We were all giggles and fun now, but I was still worried that I was making a mistake.
But as he twirled me around the fountain, I tried to enjoy the gentle evening air.
No matter what happened, I had this moment.
CHAPTER TEN
Lance
Well, I was an engaged man.
That wasn’t what I was expecting after less than a month back home, but fuck it. You only live once. If I was going to be a father, I was going to do it right. Our plan was to have a quick wedding, leave town once we got the money, wait out the pregnancy and then get married again in front of our families. The hope was that once there was a baby involved, that her father wouldn’t crucify me, or whatever Mafia bosses do.
I had dropped Rosabella back at her house that night. She still had that unsure look about her, but so would I if I had agreed to marry me. Before she left the car, I grabbed her hand and squeezed it. She squeezed back and smiled bashfully, but left me without so much as a peck on the cheek.
I had gotten cocky. Kissing her in front of her parent’s house, most likely with security watching, probably wasn’t the smartest thing. I wanted it anyway. Ever since I got down on one knee I wanted to take her, fuck her, and throw her around a proper bed.
We had been sneaking around for too long and I wanted to have a real relationship. However, Rosa felt differently. I watched her go, slipping into the front door with only a small glance back at me. Once she was gone, I closed the door to the car and took a seat next to the driver.
“Hermann and Son’s Auto Repair.”
Luca had paid me handsomely for the return of his car at the club. While I had been away from Rosa, we had gone off to inspect the repair and he had seemed more than happy. Luckily, he didn’t notice anything off about the back seats. When I had returned to my Dad’s repair shop, I deposited the cash in the safe that was bolted to the ground in the back office.
It was probably prudent to go home, but I knew I couldn’t sleep. Instead, I focused on the mess around the shop. Well, it COULD use a deep cleaning. So, instead of going home and getting some shut eye, I turned the volume up on the old radio and got to work.
The next I knew, it was dawn. I was in the middle of organizing the wrenches in a more efficient way when I heard the garage door open. Sunlight streamed into the shop and made my eyes hurt. I squinted, shading my face from the sun.
“Oh good, you’re here,” the voice made my blood run cold. Rosa’s bitch of a sister stood before me, her hair disheveled and looking like she’d been up all night like I had. Her stockings were torn, one of her heels was broken, and mascara was smeared across her face. I was a statue, wondering if she was like a T-Rex and could only see me if I moved.
I wasn’t so lucky. She wobbled forward, almost falling all over my perfectly organized toolbox.
“I’m sorry ma’am, we aren’t open yet. Please come back at 9.” I snatched my things away from her reach. She rolled her eyes at me and sniffed, then rubbed her nose. I was starting to expect how she had been up all night.
“My brother told me you fix our cars here for free.” Her voice was like nails over a chalkboard.
“No. No, I definitely don’t do work for free.”
She waved her hand at me. “Yeah, whatever, talk to Luca. I need my car fixed.” She stepped aside and pointed down the driveway. Around thirty feet away, located in a ditch across from the shop, was another damn Italian car. This one was white, and had obviously been in a fender bender.
“Jesus Fucking Christ,” I swore, holding my head in my hands. Not another one.
“I need this as soon as possible.” She pointed once more at the car a few feet away. Leaning against his own, less expensive car, was the bro Regina had been hanging around last night. He nodded in a “I’ll fuck you up if you don’t” sort of way and I just waved back.
“Also,” Regina went on, “I need you to not tell ANYONE about this. NOT A SOUL. I’m already on probation and I can’t be having the cops let my daddy know about this. Also, especially don’t tell that cunt you knocked up.”
“You mean your sister?”
“She’s no sister of mine anymore. Like, I don’t hang out with hoes like her. Fuckin’ trash.”
I tried not to laugh at the irony, but I didn’t want to be part of anymore drama. “Fine. Leave the car. I’ll fix it. Just go.”
“Don’t need to get all catty home boy. I’m out.”
She turned on her good heel to leave, wobbling down the driveway toward her sort-of beau. Before she got in his car she yelled out across the way toward me.
“Also if you fuck anything up, I’ll tell my Daddy you fucked my sister!”
I nodded, eyes wide and smile forced. I couldn’t believe Rosabella came from the same stock as Regina.
Finally, the man put the car into reverse and sped down the driveway toward the main road and out of sight.
After a few minutes of processing the train wreck I had just been a part of, I walked up to the car that was partially parked in a ditch. It looked like a fender bender, nothing too serious. Thankfully driving into the ditch hadn’t hurt the car from what I gleaned. It wasn’t too complicated of a job, and would probably take a day or two to fix.
I turned on the phone and called my Dad, I’d need help getting the damned car out of the ditch with our tow truck. So much for goddamned sleep.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Rosabella
I didn’t know what was happening to me. Nausea, maybe. Whether it was, from the engagement or the baby growing in my belly, I didn’t know. I walked around my house like I was floating through a dream. The art on the walls that I passed in the hall, the furniture, my family, looked like they were from another world. My focus was shot. Sleep came in spurts.
What had I done?
My family was starting to notice my change in personality. The shy, but upbeat girl they were used to had turned into a ghost.
“Rosa, what’s wrong dear?” My father had asked two days after the engagement. We were sitting around the wooden breakfast nook as a family for Sunday brunch. I had been poking at my eggs, mostly moving them around my plate.
I jolted up straight. “Oh, nothing. Just tired,” I replied. My father didn’t badger me anymore, but from the look he gave me, he wasn’t buying it.
In the corner of my eye, I saw Regina shoot me a nasty grin. She didn’t dare tell him the real truth, but I knew she was rejoicing in the fact I was pregnant and the fallout that would happen from it. Anger filled me and I had to use all my willpower to keep my face blank when I stared back at her.
Her nose was red from the punch I had dealt her at the club. Luckily, she had gotten away with the excuse ‘I broke my heel and fell on the ground’. Luca made sure that the story was corro
borated. Man, did I owe him one. He was probably the reason that my sister didn’t run to my parents and rat me out as soon as she could. What had happened at the club was wrong, shameful even. I made a promise to myself then. Regina wouldn’t pull me down with her toxic antics, not anymore.
“Regina, honey,” Father looked out the window. “Where is that car that I gave you for your birthday? I haven’t seen it in a few days.”
I watched as my sister about choked on a piece of toast. “Oh, erm … I ….”
While my answer had been bullshit, at least it didn’t have anything to do with a vehicle worth over six figures. My Father raised his eyebrows and his demeanor turned dark.
We’d see this face when he worked with the boys sometimes. It was the same he used for everyone in his business. Whenever he used it, we were sure he was serious.
“Regina Rossi, where is your car?” My mother chimed in after dabbing her mouth with a napkin.
“It’s, um … in the shop ….” she said.
“What?” my parents said together. Our brothers watched us like it was a soccer game, only this was much more entertaining to them.
“Ok, I didn’t want to tell you, but my car battery died when I was at the sleepover on Friday.”
Sleepover. Uh huh, she meant blacked-out drunk at a club. She could get away with murder and my parents would eat it up. I glanced around at my brothers, who seemed to be sharing the same sly grin, except Matteo. He always took Regina too seriously.
“Why didn’t you tell us, honey?” Father asked her. She was starting the waterworks.
“I-I’m so so sorry Daddy. I-I thought I’d try and fix it myself, you know? I d-didn’t want to bother you guys.”
“That’s alright honey.”
“T-the car battery wouldn’t h-hold a charge, S-So I asked Luca who his mechanic was.”
Their eyes turned to Luca, he was always the one to be blamed or take a fall in our family. But he was good at taking the blame, especially when he worked together with Simone. He shrugged in reply. “We use him for work. He’s to be trusted. Clean.”
My body stiffened. He was talking about Lance, I knew it. The fact that he was fixing Regina’s car made me extremely uncomfortable, especially with what he had to put up with on Friday night. I tried not to show I was interested, feeling my oldest brother’s eyes on me. If he had any idea I was interested in Lance Strong, he’d go poking in places he didn’t belong.
Father shifted in his seat. “You know I don’t want your sisters and our business mixing Luca.”
“Yes Father,” he looked down at his plate, not wanting the confrontation to go any further.
Father turned to Regina and reached out to hug her around the shoulders. “It’s alright this time, but next time please tell me when you have car trouble.”
“Okay Daddy,” she said in her sing-song, baby voice. Wincing, I turned back to making designs out of my eggs. I didn’t know what happened to Regina’s car, but it definitely wasn’t a battery issue. I had to talk to Lance.
“May I be excused?” It was a rule for us to ask before leaving the table, even if I was in my twenties.
“You didn’t eat,” my mother said.
“I’m sorry, I’m feeling sick to my stomach,” I said, taking my plate from the table and walking away before they could argue any further. I was done with breakfast, done with walking on eggshells around Regina and Matteo. And most of all, I was sick of having to fake I was alright when I wasn’t.
After I had washed up my plate, I snuck off down the hallway to text Lance about the car. Before I could even start texting, I heard someone following behind me. Regina bumped into me as she passed, making me drop my phone with a crash on the hardwood.
"What the HELL, Reggie?" I knelt down to check the damage. To my disappointment, my phone was cracked all across the screen. Above me, my sister snorted.
"What, you mad? Could it be because I'll be getting your money?"
"No, I'm mad because you made me drop my phone!" I replied, brushing off the small pieces of glass with my sleeve.
"Too bad you won't be able to afford getting it replaced."
Dammit. She was so arrogant, so cocky and sure of herself. I rose in the hallway, my hand clutching my broken phone in seething anger.
"Oh. Are you so sure?" My voice was low, dangerous. The Rossi was coming out in me again and just like my father, once I got that way, I meant business.
Regina whipped around, her curls hitting her face as she turned. She placed a hand on her hip in confidence, but I could tell by her face that I was making her question herself.
"See," I stepped closer, my voice becoming lower. "The will only states that I lose the inheritance only if I HAVE a baby out of wedlock."
"But you can't get an abortion either. Don't try to trick me, I read the document."
"True," I paused. "That just means I have to have a child IN wedlock."
Our gazes met and she knew what I was thinking. She shook her head and stamped her foot.
"Daddy won't have it! Do you really expect he'd allow you to marry some random dude?"
She was starting to get louder. I hushed her and grabbed her arm, pulling her into the closest room with a door, the office. It was a large room, with dark-stained wood shelves lining the walls. Father's desk sat in the middle. He kept things simple. All that was on top of the desk was a pen, a large leather planner and an antique clock. Behind the desk was a green high-backed chair. Regina stomped over to it and slid her ass into the seat, twirling around. I leaned against the door.
"You won't tell them ANYTHING." I growled, "If you do, I'll tell them about your underage drinking and get to the bottom of what really happened to your car."
She crossed her arms at me. I knew then that the car story she had given Father was a total farce. I hoped it was bad enough that it would keep her mouth shut a while longer.
"You really think you're going to keep a baby and a marriage a secret in this town?" she said.
"Who said I'm staying?"
She shot me a look of disbelief. "You know what happened the last time you tried to run away."
Shortly after Lance had left me broken hearted in high school, I had a period where I just wanted to get away. Like the stupid teenager I was, I packed a bag and snuck out a window. I didn't know where I was going, just that I was sick of our family, of hiding all our secrets.
Somehow, I had been able to buy a one-way ticket to Atlanta. Why Atlanta? I didn't know. A T.V. show I had liked took place there. But before I could even step on the bus, a few cars pulled up, blocking the vehicle from moving. Once my parents knew I was missing, Father had sent his thugs to get me at all costs.
It took me a few years before they could trust me to sign up for college classes, even if I was taking them from home.
I shook my head at the memory.
"This is different."
"Really? Because you know Daddy has eyes everywhere. He'll find the gang-banger you're 'marrying' and kill him."
"He's not a gang-banger. He's a ...he's a good guy."
"Who is it?" Regina replied, placing her feet up on the deck. "Hrm? Is it one of the assistants Daddy has over? You said you had a crush on one of them. No?"
My eyes lowered to the ground. I sure as hell wasn't going to tell Regina who it was, even if she probably had a good idea.
I heard a slap as Regina hit the table.
"It's that guy from the club! The new mechanic."
The expression of my face probably gave me away. She giggled in glee as she realized she had guessed it. "You're marrying a poor-ass mechanic! How long have you known him, like a week?"
"For your information," I said. "I've known him for six years."
"Since high school ..." A realization flashed over her face. "Is he that LANCE guy?"
Turning away from her didn't help. I crossed my arms and grumbled, "Yeah."
Regina about exploded in the chair. "He's that guy who GHOSTED YOU? And you're getting
married and having a baby with him? Are you fucking mental?"
"He's changed, okay? He went to war, served his country―"
"What would Matteo say if he knew about this?" Regina's eyes were sly, knowing. If one thing was clear in our family, it was that I had my heart broken in high school and Matteo hated the man who did it. I remembered their fight in front of the school over me, just for a little kiss. As far as I knew, Matteo hadn't realized that Lance was that same boy from six years ago.
"He is not going to find out, at least not now."
"MMMMhmmm …" Regina replied, inspecting her nails.
"I'm serious," I told her. Turning to grab the door handle, I sighed. "I'm sorry Regina. I'm sorry I punched you, I'm sorry about the will … I know you're hurt."
Silence replied.
"I know you hate me right now, but I need you to please keep this secret. If you do," I paused, "I can help you get out of here too."
When my eyes met hers, they faltered. I knew it. She wanted the same things I wanted, even if she was a spoiled brat. That money was worth a lot to her because of the freedom that came with not having to ask Daddy every time she wanted a new outfit. I allowed my words to sink in a little, even if standing there was awkward. Finally, I opened the door.
"Just, think about it," I said.
I let the heavy wooden door close behind me with a click. As soon as the door closed, I heard muffled cries and the sound of books hitting the floor. There was no way to know if my words had worked, but I could only hope that Regina would keep her mouth shut about my relationship with Lance.
The broken phone in my pocket vibrated. When I looked at the cracked screen, I saw Lance had sent me a text.
"Can you meet me at the shop tomorrow? I got us a meeting with the priest at Saint Agatha’s. ;-)”
I clutched the phone to my chest before the butterflies erupted in my stomach.
It was happening.
I was getting married.
CHAPTER TWELVE
