Page 38 of Raging Inferno

“And you’re afraid she’s going to find out the truth.”

“It’s only a matter of time,” I reply with a shrug. “Bea knows my name. All Melissa has to do is find the courage to tell the woman that she’s moving on and I’m toast.”

“Dude,” Frankie starts, swiping a hand over his face. Tearing my eyes away from him, I go back to seasoning the turkey. “You gotta tell her.”

“And what do I say when she asks why I waited so long?”

“Fuck if I know,” he replies. “I’m still not sure you know the fucking answer to that question. I’m no relationship expert but I know enough to know the longer you drag this shit out the worse it will be. I mean, think about it, you saved her baby daddy’s life. At the end of the lie that should be all that matters.”

“She’s going to hate that I lied.”

“It’s her right. You’re a fucking fool for keeping something so innocent under wraps,” he mutters. “Still, if she means anything to you, you got to grab your balls and tell her.”

Shoving the bird in the oven, I look over my shoulder at him.

“Of course, she means something to me. If she was just another broad, I wouldn’t be beating myself over this shit.”

“You meet the kid yet?”

Closing the oven, I straighten up and cross my arms against my chest, giving Frankie a quick shake of my head as my response.

That’s another thing. Melissa has been really careful with our relationship in regard to her son and I respect that. The boy hasn’t had a male figure in his life other than his two grandfathers and not a single memory of his father. I don’t fault her wanting to be sure the man she introduces to her son to is worthy of the honor and isn’t a lying sack of shit.

“No,” I answer. “In the very beginning, she brought up me meeting her son but said she wanted to make sure we were on solid ground. I was going to tell her to bring him to the Christmas party.”

Every year the firehouse throws a big Christmas party for the families. We cater food and rent those inflatable bounce houses. Santa Claus comes, and every child gets a present. I figured it would be the perfect setting to meet her son.

“Casale,” Gary calls as he pops his head into the kitchen. “Your phone has been going off for the last five minutes.”

“Shit,” I mutter, feeling my sweatpants for my phone.

“Man,” Gary calls, lifting an eyebrow. “If your phone was in your pocket do you really think I would be standing here telling you it hasn’t stopped ringing? What the hell is wrong with you?”

I don’t have a chance to answer him as he steps into the room and tosses my phone at me. Catching it on the fly, I turn it over and stare at the screen, noticing the six missed calls from Melissa.

“Gabs?” Frankie questions.

“Melissa,” I correct. Somberly, I rub a hand over my face.

“Well, are you going to call her back?”

Desperate to delay the end, I shake my head and pocket my phone.

“What for?” I say as I turn my back to him.

Grabbing the cleaver and a bunch of carrots, I begin to slice and dice vegetables, knowing it’s only a matter of time before Melissa does the same to my fucking heart.

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