“Tommy, I’m so glad you’re doing better. I’m going to visit you every day. I know you’ll be out of here soon and you can do anything you want. You’re free,” I tell him, kissing him on the cheek.
Tommy releases me and squeezes my hand before letting me go. “I still feel like I want to sleep for a thousand years…even though it’s been like I was sleepwalking through life. But do me a favor. Don’t visit me. Enjoy having your own life, and then when I’m out of here, we can spend actual time together. I…I need time to decompress everything from the last seven years, to be honest. I haven’t been dealing with it like you have at all.”
I purse my lips together. I want to argue with that, but I also want to give him what he’s asking for. Tommy deserves this. He’s asking me to leave him alone, but it isn’t like all the other times.
“You know how to call if you need me. If you need anything,” I say, standing up. I’ll give him his space. “I love you, brother,” I tell Tommy. Walking out of that room is difficult, but an enormous weight on my shoulders is lifted, too. For the first time in my life, I know that my brother is going to be okay.
I know that I’m going to be okay.
I walk back out and see a downtrodden look on Gian’s face. He knows that I know the truth. He expects me to be angry.
“The next time I dance, I’d like to not have a terrible ending,” I break the silence.
It’s a question in a way. If Gian doesn’t say something about how he’s not going to have that, well then I know that Gian has done so much good for me, but I need to be free of him. But what really makes me feel free is being with him.
“You can have absolutely anything you want,” Gian says, and I hear the emotion thick in his voice. “I thought my wife, Terry, I thought she loved me a long time ago. I didn’t think I’d ever find someone else,” he says.
I wrap my arm around Gian’s neck and kiss him. “But you did?” I ask in a whisper quiet voice.
“I have,” Gian says, kissing my nose.
“Thank you for everything,” I say. I don’t want to rehash everything right now. I just want to go home. And home? Home is wherever Gian is.
14
Lucy
After more than a rocky start and some twists I couldn’t have imagined, the day I never dared dream of is here.
I’d offered my body to Giancarlo Sandoval. I thought it would be for one night, but it was for the rest of my life.
We were both in too deep and when he said I could leave, all I wanted was to stay.
His ex-wife Terry decided to get my brother to kill him.
And now, a finalized divorce, a crazy ex-wife being considerably less crazy with someone else, and nothing to keep us from being happy, Gian and I are getting married.
“I could have taken you anywhere in the world, you know,” Gian whispered to me.
Call me tacky but I wanted to get married in Wicked Paradise. Getting married in a casino is not normally the classiest act, sure, but I found it romantic to get married in the place where we met. The place where we first kissed. The place where we both learned to open up our hearts and love again.
“I have everything I’ve ever wanted, right now,” I say, and my eyes are already watering.
“You may now kiss the bride,” the priest tells us, and Gian grabs me tight and kisses me so hard, so passionately, so rough and tender at once, I forget that we’re anywhere else or with anyone…I moaned.
What can I say, that’s how good Gian kisses me! The whole world evaporates, and my body responds.
My face heats up and I know I must be bright red from embarrassment, but I also can’t manage to care because I have everything.
When my heartbeat returns to normal, I look over at Tommy. He gave me away today, and I married Gian. The huge rock on my finger is weighing it down, but for the first time in my life I am actually free. Tommy gave me away, but he is more of a part of my life than ever.
I have not one but two incredible men in my life right now and I’m so grateful I could burst. I reach out and squeeze Tommy’s hand.
“You’re so beautiful, Luce. Congratulations,” Tommy says. His eyes are watering, and that makes my eyes water.
Then I look over at Gian, and I can’t help it. I totally lose it. I’m a mess of happy tears and sounds of happiness, and I jump into his arms. Those strong arms that hold me so tight, spin me, and lift me up while he carts me off to the dance floor.