Nellie moaned.
“I know it doesn’t sound right, b-but I like what he’s doing—-”
“Goddammit, Lane,” Norman cut her off harshly. “Can you hear yourself, child? Do you actually understand what you’re saying?” He turned furiously at the Italian, spitting, “I hope you’re happy. You’ve managed to defile someone innocent—-”
“It’s not like that!”
“Do you know what she’s gone through?” Norman shouted. “Because if you do, then you’re the coldest son of a bitch, to still want to hurt someone like her—-”
“Stop making it seem like it’s his fault,” Lane begged.
“I don’t know how the hell you can make it seem like you love her when everything you’ve done so far is only causing her pain—-”
“Stop it,” Lane screamed. “Please. Stop it—-”
Nellie was crying.
Norman was breathing hard.
And that was when she felt it.
Angelo, dropping her hand.
Angelo, letting go.
She whirled around to face him, her heart beating madly, fear coursing through her veins like ice.
She forgot about Norman, Nellie –
She forgot about everything else and focused on keeping Angelo with her.
“Angelo?”
SOMETIMES, PEOPLE HAD to choose how to love.
When they were lucky, to love was to choose to stay.
When they were not, to love was to choose to...let go.
And for Angelo, this moment had come.
The words of Lane’s family would have done little to nothing to a man who loved himself more than he was capable of loving anyone else. But for someone like Angelo, the words were but echoes of his greatest fears.
His real fear.
And it was not that he was worthy of being loved, which he had felt when he was with Jaike, who was and had never been meant for him.
His real and only fear was that in loving Lane the way he needed to, he would hurt her in a way that could never be repaired.
Anthony Carras was a sadist, and Jaike’s mother – the woman he loved – a masochist.
He had loved her the only way he knew how, and she had died because she had loved him the only way Anthony had taught her to.
And now, Angelo thought sickly, he was practically following in his uncle’s footsteps.
Was he not the one who opened Lane’s eyes to the truth about herself?
How certain could he be that he would not do the same thing his uncle did, would never hurt her to the point that she would break?
If he really loved her, why was he even in her life?
And Angelo heard himself say, “They’re right.”
Lane whitened. “What are you saying?”
But Angelo was no longer looking at her. He was turning to Nellie, and his voice was stiff and colorless as he said, “I’d appreciate it if you ensure that she’s gone within the hour.”
“What are you saying?” Her voice was shrill with fear. But Angelo still didn’t look at her, and when he started to turn towards the door, she ran to block his way. “Look at me!”
His gaze met hers, but they were eyes that no longer saw her.
No.
“Please,” she choked out. “Stop this. You d-don’t have anything to be afraid of. I won’t leave you, okay? I love you, and you love me, and that’s the only thing that’s important. Right?”
But still, he looked at her like she no longer existed.
“Listen to me.” She hated that she was screaming, but she couldn’t stop herself. Even with him standing right in front of her, he just felt so far away. She reached up to cup his face. “I won’t be like Jaike,” she said jerkily. “I’m not going to leave you—-”
Angelo finally looked at her.
“I know.”
But the way he said it only terrified her even more.
“That’s why I need to leave you.”
And this time, he stepped around her and walked past Lane.
For one moment, she could only stare at him, unable to believe that he was really going to leave her just like that.
The door closed behind her.
She whirled around to face her family.
Nellie said tremulously, “Lane—-”
She shook her head wildly. “Don’t. D-don’t say a word. He’s going to change his mind—-”
“Baby, please just let it go.” Nellie started to cry.
She backed away. “No. No. No!” And ignoring her family’s cries, she ran out of the living room. She caught sight of Angelo and called after him.
But he didn’t turn, only climbed the stairs steadily.
She followed him, pain chipping away at her heart, her mind reeling.
Just yesterday they were so happy.
So happy.
And now, it was all falling apart.
Angelo entered to his room and she followed him inside, saying shakily, “Can we at least talk about this?”
“There’s nothing to talk about.” He took off his jacket and threw it on the bed before unbuttoning his shirt.
Her jaw dropped.
His shirt fell to the floor.
“Are we going to m-make love?” she whispered.
He looked at her like she was crazy. “I’m going to take a shower.”
She stared at him dumbly. “Why?”
“Because it’s been a tiring night, and after a hot shower, all I want to do is go to bed and forget what’s happened.”