“I did like her,” I admitted. “That was the problem…”
Softness touched her eyes, bringing a look of sadness to the surface. “You’ve been with other women…”
“But they didn’t mean anything to me. We were friends, of course. But it was just physical companionship. They were young women who enjoyed being spoiled by a rich man. I enjoyed the sex and so did they.”
“So Scarlet is special to you?”
I nodded. “I feel my heart race when I’m near her. I feel my hands shake. I’m not just attracted to her appearance, but everything underneath the skin. I don’t want to fuck her like the others. I want to make love to her. I haven’t felt that way about anyone since…” It was too insulting to compare Scarlet to Isabella. I wouldn’t dare say it out loud.
“Vincent…” She reached her hand for mine and held it. “I can’t even imagine how that must feel.”
“I hope neither of you loses each other so early in life.” I squeezed her hand. “I never want my son to suffer the loss of the love of his life.”
“I’m sure we won’t. But if he did, I know I would want him to move on. I know I would want him to be happy.”
I stared at our joined hands and understood what she was trying to say to me.
“She wouldn’t want you to be alone, Vincent. I know I never met her, but I just know. You’ve waited long enough. You have so much life left to live. Don’t waste the years you have left.”
I pulled my hand away and straightened in my chair. “I never want to forget her…”
“You never will.”
“I’m afraid if I let something happen with Scarlet, I’ll be happy. And as my happiness grows, my memory of Isabella will fade. I won’t think about her every day. I’ll think about her less and less…and I don’t want that to happen.”
“You will think about her less, but that’s okay. That doesn’t mean you stopped loving her.”
I promised to love that woman for the rest of my life. The second I laid eyes on her, I just knew. I never wanted to break the promise I made to her, not out of obligation, but because I meant that vow when I made it.
“What if your situations were reversed?”
I wished they were.
“Would you want her to move on, Vincent?”
“Depends.”
“On?”
If Isabella had fallen in love with someone else, I wouldn’t be upset about it. I would understand that she’d had to move on with her life. There would be no jealousy on my part. “I’d want her to be with a really great guy, someone who loved her as much as I did and would always take care of her. If he fit that criteria, I’d be happy.”
“You don’t think she’d feel the same way?”
I knew she would. “Yeah…”
“Then give this a chance, Vincent. You could be happy again.”
Happiness was my biggest fear. The only glimpses of joy I received were from the nice moments with my family. Or when I explored the Mediterranean coastline with a beautiful woman by my side. Every moment was fleeting—and they didn’t last long.
“Did you tell Scarlet why you left?”
I nodded. “She understands my circumstance. She’s very compassionate.”
“If she’s willing to share your heart with Isabella, then she sounds like a wonderful woman.”
“She is.”
“I know I have no right to tell you what you should do. It’s none of my business. But I don’t think it’s right that you keep punishing yourself. Loving another woman would never take away from how much you love your wife. If Scarlet understands that, then you have nothing to worry about. Just get her back before it’s too late. If you wait too long, you never know what might happen.”
I nodded in agreement, knowing she was right. Moving on was the hardest thing I’d ever had to do, and honestly, I never really had. I understood Isabella wasn’t coming back, but I refused to share my life with someone new because I shared it with her ghost. I’d rather live with her memory than a real person. But I knew I couldn’t do that forever. I shouldn’t miss out on something that made me happy just so I could stay miserable.
Isabella would want me to be happy.
I knew that in my heart.
“You know Jax, Brett, and Diesel will be supportive. They want you to be happy.”
“I know they do.”
“Then do it, Vincent. And remember…” She extended her left hand, her diamond ring reflecting the light. I remembered exactly how it felt when I slipped that ring onto Isabella’s hand. I remembered the night I gave it to her. Her face lit up with the brightest look of joy I’d ever seen. “None of us will ever forget her…because she’s here with us now.”
I waited outside Scarlet’s building until she got off work. I considered calling her, but that wasn’t personal enough for the situation. After the way I’d hurt her, I had to make up for it. I needed to do something that would be worthy of her forgiveness.
So I waited outside in the cold.
She stepped out shortly after five, dressed in heels and a long black jacket. Large shiny buttons were on the front, and her curled hair was pulled over one shoulder. Her sunglasses hung from the front of her jacket. Nothing about her seemed different. If she was still upset about our conversation, it didn’t seem like it.
I stepped from the side and approached her from the right. I didn’t want to startle her, so I said her name before I arrived. “Scarlet.”
Her head snapped in my direction, and she couldn’t control the reaction that contorted her face. She was shocked by my presence, probably because she assumed she would never see me again. “Vincent? Everything alright?”
“Yeah, everything is fine. I was hoping we could talk.” Now that I was face-to-face with her, I didn’t feel as confident as I usually did. I’d assumed she would
