Comfort greets me in Kayla’s company. It’s just like old times.
Frequently I find myself looking over at my twins, niece, and nephew and then back at the women. Ever since Addilyn was stolen while I was in the house, public places have caused great pandemonium inside me. I’m constantly preoccupied that in the blink of an eye one of them could be taken too. I know I need to stop thinking like this, but the letter threatening that Oscar and Slonne were next doesn’t help.
There’s this thing about living in strife. The longer I adapt to that twisted feeling inside me, the longer my demons blindfold me in a game of chance. It’s a wicked thing.
“Valencia?”
Both Helena and Kayla are staring at me. My sister is to my left and sits beside Daisy and Slonne, while Weston and Oscar are on the adjacent sides. Weston’s head is down alternating between his sugar free dessert and homework, while my son observes his cousin’s schoolwork. Kayla, who sets down her coffee with a smile, is directly across from me. The head of the table to my right is vacant.
I blink uncontrollably to steady myself. “Yes?”
“How are things with Giulio?” Kayla asks. “Did couple’s therapy help in any way?”
“It did! We’re getting closer and this afternoon he asked me out on a date on Friday night.”
Her jaw drops. “Oh my god! Yes!”
Helena playfully pokes my side. “Yes, girl! And you’re only telling us now?!”
I grin at their enthusiasm. “It only happened today! We’ve had a few moments over the past week and the arguments are simmering down. My therapist shined some light upon us and suggested a new strategy. I think…I hope it’s a good thing for us.”
“Oh my god!” Kayla adds, “I really do hope it works out well.”
“Me too. We need to be united against all the chaos.”
“Does his opinion on Addilyn’s case still stand?”
I nod. “Both of us are still adamant in our views. Working a way around them will be difficult, so I don’t want to get too ahead of myself before the night actually happens.”
“Girl, I’ll take care of the kiddies.” Helena winks smugly. “You two need the break!”
“Thank you, that means a lot.”
“Anytime. I’m so happy for you both!”
“So am I!” Kayla grins and we raise our beverages to cheers together. “To hopeful beginnings!”
The night goes well. It’s fresh air from the past few months. I finally feel parts of the real me returning, the one before all the stress got in the way, and it feels so good. But just like sometimes in life, it comes to a premature end the moment Kayla’s eyes widen. “Oh my god.”
“What is it?”
“Uh, Marcus and Bryce just walked in!”
What?
She’s right. A beaming Marcus strolls through the restaurant doors with Bryce by his side. This is the first time I’ve seen him since our drunken incident exactly a week ago and I don’t know how to feel about it. Giulio told me that he wanted to apologize but I thought he meant in the office, not in the middle of this dinner! Bryce McCarson being right here is an uncanny coincidence.
“That’s Bryce?” Helena grits, grinding her teeth together.
“That’s him.”
“What an asshole!” Helena proceeds to slide down in her seat, smiling sinfully. “What? It’s not like we want them to see us.”
I groan. “They’ll still see us. We need menus, you know like in those detective shows.”
“They’ll see the kids and then they’ll see us maniacs,” Kayla admits.
“Don’t look at him! Eyes are like freaking magnets.”
“Mommy, why are you all underneath the table?”
“Because I lost my purse, Daisy.”
“But it’s here on the table.”
“Uh…” Helena stumbles for words. “I meant Auntie Lencia’s purse.”
“It’s on the table too!”
It’s absolutely laughable. Three grown ass women halfway down their seats in a game of avoidance. “I can’t do it. My back kills me like this.” I suppress a chuckle and slide back up in my seat before tucking a tress behind my ear.
Daisy points at my bag. “See. It’s right there!”
“Oh, yes. Thank you, honey.”
She shakes her head and turns back to the movie. “Silly, Auntie.”
“Kayla? Valencia?…Helena is that you?” So much for attempting to save our asses! Marcus is who I see first. His eyes dart between us with a prompt smile on his lips. “Hey, mind if we join you?”
Kayla shrugs with a sigh. “Not at all.”
My sister throws her a look, but what was she alternatively going to say? No, you can’t sit with us. We aren’t in Mean Girls…well, maybe in some profited spinoff of Mean World. After all, even though they’ve both witnessed Marcus and Giulio’s tension either at work or during family occasions, they don’t know anything about the younger Giannotti’s attack on Giulio.
Marcus waves at Kayla, greets the kids and me with a side hug, and then flashes a smile over at my sister. Helena looks the other way as he pulls up a chair and takes a seat.
Then, here comes Bryce cocky cockney McCarson in the flesh. There’s something wrong about the sentence. I don’t even have the decency to backtrack. Hell no, not when Bryce rounds the table and takes the seat right beside me at the head of the table.
He wears an American Eagle black tee and dark washed jeans. That familiar bergamot scent with a hint of spice gets me for a moment.
Bryce gives me his undivided attention. “Long time no see, aye?”
“I really would prefer if we don’t go there.”
“Okay. We won’t go there.” He swallows and motions beyond me. “Are they ya kids?”
“Yes, that’s Oscar and that’s Slonne with the magenta coat.”
“They look like you…and Giulio…Oh, shit! They’re twins?”
“Uh, yes…” I find it only fitting with Helena’s gaping stare on him to defuse the animosity. “And this is my sister, Helena. Helena this is Bryce McCarson, an interior designer at the firm.”
“A pleasure to meet ya, Hele—”
“Oh, cut the crap you jerk!” I tug at Helena’s side praying for her not to go any further.
