Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 96129 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96129 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
Gio glanced up first. “Great. Dominic is here. Hide the bread.”
“Fuck you.”
Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked over at us. I didn’t miss the way some jaws seemed to unhinge at the sight of Rosie’s hand in mine. Suddenly, my chest felt a little heavy. It hadn’t occurred to me that while I thought everyone should like Rosie, it didn’t mean that it would definitely be the case, and it mattered. What they thought mattered more than whatever Gabe would inevitably have to say about it. I spent all of my time with these people. They were my people, the ones I could completely let my guard down in front of, and I really wanted Rosie to fit in, because as far as I was concerned, she’d be mine forever.
“This is Roselyn.” I cleared my throat and started pointing around the room. “Rosie, this is Catalina, her husband Lorenzo – I think you’ve met him before – Giovanni, his wife Isabel, Emma – who’s Gio and Cat’s sister – that’s Enrique, and you already know Rocco.”
Rocco raised the beer in his hand. Rosie let go of my hand and took a few steps forward. I didn’t take my eyes off her as she approached Catalina with that effortless grace she had about her.
“It’s so nice to meet you.” She smiled as she set a hand on Cat’s shoulder and kissed her cheek. “Thanks for letting me crash. You have a beautiful home.”
“You’re welcome.” Cat smiled wide. “By the way, your pas de deux was fucking phenomenal.”
“Oh my God.” Rosie laughed lightly and glanced down, a slight blush on her face before she looked at Cat again. “That means so much coming from you.”
Cat set a hand on her arm. “We’ll talk dance later.”
“I’d love that.” Rosie smiled and moved on to each and every person, kissing their cheek and saying hello.
Something in my heart unlocked as I stood there, watching the way they all smiled and laughed – some at my expense, but who the fuck cared? They’d welcomed her so easily. I realized that I’d been smiling and laughing more in the short time I’d been with Rosie than I had in years. I was a jokester, sure, but my laughs were forced sometimes, and my jokes hid pain all of the time. I hadn’t faked it in Rosie’s presence, though. That free feeling, the one she seemed to experience when she let her hair down and danced? I had it with her. I loved her.
The realization shouldn’t have hit me as hard as it did. It should’ve been obvious, considering the same crush I had on her ten years ago came right back the moment I saw her at the nightclub, but it was different. That was a crush, though. This was so much more than that and those were three words I’d only ever said to my mother, father, little sister, and brother. They were three simple words that I wasn’t sure I’d ever say to a woman. I’d hoped for it, sure, but I hadn’t found her until now.
27
ROSIE
The guys spent the afternoon playing football, while the girls and I waited for everything to finish baking and made margaritas with the tequila I brought. They were so easy to talk to, so much fun. Yari would love them.
“Sorry we’re late.” A woman said behind me. Emma, Isabel, and Cat smiled wide, and I turned to see a Black girl with short platinum hair and John behind her. She zeroed in on me, sizing me up. She was tiny, but there was a sharpness in her eyes that made my stomach flip.
“Petra,” Isabel said, walking over to her. “This is Dominic’s girlfriend, Rosie.”
I hadn’t expected to be introduced like that. His girlfriend. The little flip my stomach had done when Petra sized me up happened again for a completely different reason. Under any other circumstance, I would’ve killed to have been Dominic’s girlfriend, but given the one we were in, where he did the things he did and I tried to avoid people like him as a life rule, I wasn’t sure. Still, I couldn’t deny that I liked being called that by his friends.
“No shit.” Petra’s brows rose. She looked at me again. This time, she smiled wide.
Isabel laughed, turning to me. “Dom never brings anyone to Thanksgiving.”
“I’m Petra.” She walked over and shook my hand, nodding behind her. “My brother, John.”
I smiled. “I know John.”
He smiled back, walking around his sister and giving me a quick side hug. “I hear you’re practically doing geriatric work.”
I laughed. “Oh, God.”
“This is her?” Petra said, laughing. “Oh, girl, you have Dom wrapped around your finger.”
I glanced away. My cheeks hurt from smiling so hard. “He’s a good guy.”
“First time I’ve ever heard that.” Petra went over to Emma and Cat. “Where’s my drink, bitch?”