Page 249 of When We Fall: Part Two
“I heard they serve good muffins. I was curious. I went in and she was working,” he said matter-of-factly.
Rosalie never told me Klaus had come into the diner.
“I left her a fifty-thousand-dollar tip to quit. She told me to go to hell, but nicely, and gave me the check back,” Klaus continued.
Matteo chuckled at that. “Strong one, that flower.”
She hadn’t told me that either.
“What happened between you two?” Matteo looked back at me.
I shrugged. “Bad timing.”
“You control your time,” Matteo said. “Go get your woman, Alessandro.”
“She’s not my woman,” I said fiercely. “I have a woman.”
“You have a woman who is using you to stay alive. She won’t fuck you or love you.” Matteo waved me off. “Marry Bianca if you wish, but you can still be with Rosalie.”
“Yeah? How’d that work for you?” I shot back.
He stiffened as he stared at me.
“Alessandro, you’re a good man, but if this marriage to Bianca is ruining your potential happiness, then you owe it to yourself to let go and take what you want. You deserve to be happy, too.”
I looked out the window again, my throat tight. “I don’t quit things I start. I’m marrying Bianca.”
“Is that your final answer to this entire situation?” Matteo asked.
“Yes,” I said.
Matteo sighed, and the room fell quiet for a moment.
“Alessandro, go to Bianca. Take her something to eat. She’s been enjoying ice cream a lot lately. Take her some.” Matteo looked at me.
He didn’t need to tell me twice. I hated sitting there, listening to them reprimand me on love and life.
“Alessio, call Trent. Tell him to come to me,” Matteo said as I walked out the door.
Great. Trent was going to bitch at me for ruining his day. I knew Trent loved our father, but he also loved being free from this shit. I didn’t blame him.
“Oh, ice cream,”Bianca said as I came into her room with a strawberry sundae.
I smiled at her enthusiasm and gave her the bowl. She dug in right away, rubbing her tummy as she swallowed.
“What’s up?” she asked after several bites.
I sighed and sat on the edge of her bed.
“I-I’m going to marry you,” I said.
“I know.” She ate more ice cream.
“What if… I have to keep you? Like, you have to stay with me to stay alive?”
She placed her bowl on the bedside table and stared at me.
“What’s going on?”
