Page 123 of Tempting Me

“All right then, tell me what you came here to say.” I move past my parents to sit on the swinging chair. They both study me as I sit, my arms crossed, ready to argue with whatever they want to say to me. Mom’s eyes gloss over while Dad’s scream with concern.

I knew it.

I don’t know why they think it’s important that they have to actually say the words to me. I just said them.

“We already spoke with a realtor prior to us finding out that you hired Luca to help you with the remodel, so I justneed you to know thatyourchoices had nothing to do withourchoice.”

Turns out, I do have more tears for the day.

My mother moves quickly to join me on the swing. She grabs my hand then she hooks me.

“We want you to know that this has nothing to do with our trust in you and the way you could run The Marina. It’s a lot to take in—it took a lot away from us, caused a lot of fights, and stole family trips we could have taken. We don’t want the same thing for you.”

“But isn’t that for me to decide? Don’t I get to be the one who decides my future? That place holds so many memories for me. I want to make more.”

My father nods slowly. “Honey, we hear you, but we’ve already made up our minds, and the money from the sale will help us fulfill our retirement plans.”

I hear them, and I understand that they earned the right to do what they want for retirement. I just … this is my dream, and I can't accept that no matter how much love and heart and time I gave it, it’s not going to come true.

“Please, please just wait until I can figure something out.”

My mom starts to cry as she hugs me.

“I wish we could, but it’s time for someone else to love that place.”

They let me cry for a good ten minutes, and when I’m done, my mother asks, “Do you want to tell us what’s going on with Luca?”

I glance between them. Neither of them look upset, which, again, is not what I expected.

“I … I think I'm in love with him,” I admit, getting right to the point.

“Think or know?” my dad asks.

“Know.”

“So what’s the problem?”

“I hurt him. I lied to Leo about our relationship, thinking you’d all be disappointed in me and sell The Marina because of it, but I guess it didn’t matter, because you’re selling it anyway. Now I’ve lost The Marina and Luca.”

My head drops back as the realization hits me.

My heart feels like it’s being squeezed, and I break into tears again.

“You go ahead and cry, honey, but my advice is that when you’re done, you start making a plan to make it up to him. If he loves you even an ounce of how much you love him, you won’t be apart for very long.”

“But you hate him.”

My mom gasps.

“We do not.”

“You do, too. You told me not to hire him.”

Dad winces. “And we were wrong.”

“So wrong. He didn’t steal that money, and we treated him horribly.”

“I know,” Dad says and I jerk back.

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