Page 95 of Love or Leave

"I'm sorry, too, Tonio."

He nodded and glanced behind him at the front door. It was time to really let go of everything. This was over.

"You should sell the house."

Fran's eyes shot up. "Sell it?"

Antonio nodded.

"Do you want to buy it?"

"No," he said, shaking his head. "I need closure for this part of my life, to move on."

"Move on with Cara?"

His throat closed. "I hope so."

What if she was really done? What if Max never spoke to him again?

Fran raised one eyebrow. "Did you really start dating her without signing your divorce papers?"

Antonio cringed. "Yes. And that was only one of many missteps," he said, standing from the hard chair.

Fran stood, too. "She seems to really love you. I'm sure you'll work it out."

"I hope so."

Fran turned toward the steps. "Come on. I'll drive you back to your apartment."

"No," he said, looking down the street toward Maria's house, then beyond to his parents' house.

"I'm going to walk over to Maria's and talk to her. And Mom."

Fran recoiled. "That's going to be fun."

Antonio snorted. "Just think, you'll never have to see them again."

She looked up at the sky and mouthed a thank you. "Sign the papers, Tone."

Antonio nodded and stepped off the porch into the icy rain.

twenty-nine

Cara woke in a pool of hot afternoon sunlight that drenched her bed. When she'd run to her room to hide, the winter storm had still been raging outside. She'd distracted herself with Netflix on her laptop, but it hadn't taken long for her to nod off, and eventually the sleep took her away from her problems.

She'd welcomed it—however brief it had been.

She checked the clock, wondering how long she'd been unconscious. She was shocked to see it was already late afternoon. She climbed out of bed and peered out the window.

The storm had passed but left a path of destruction in its wake. She spotted Ethan and Natalie near the woods behind their house with Ben, picking up fallen branches and breaking them over their knees.

She rubbed her eyes as the memories of the morning came rushing back, then fell into her chair and slid down to its edge.

Another break-up. She should be a pro at getting over failed relationships by now. But Antonio had broken her heart wayworse than Cooper had. She hadn't even realized that what she'd felt for Cooper wasn't love until she'd fallen for Antonio.

She rubbed at the ache in her chest. They'd only officially been together for three and a half days, but in that time, she'd fallen hard. And, worse, she'd let herself be hopeful.

She forced herself to stand up and threw on some fresh clothes and brushed her hair. The crying had made her throat raw. She needed a tea and something to eat to build up her energy.

---