“What do you mean you’re moving?” Anthony asked calmly.
“I’m going to move upstate, not too far from Lauren.”
“Riverdale. It’s a town over from where I am now,” Lauren added.
“How far away is that? You know what never mind, a better question is, why are you moving all of a sudden?” I asked, placing my wine glass down on the end table.
“I think it’ a great idea,” Anthony said slowly, and I pierced him with a look filled with annoyance.
“Of course you would,” I laughed in his face. “One more person who cares about you out of your hair,” I looked around the room, eyes wide with sarcasm, and turned back to him. “Looks like I’m the only one left. Sorry I’m not moving anytime soon but I bet if you talk to good ole’ daddy dearest he can send you up the river again.”
“Yeah, maybe you shouldn’t have brought it up tonight,” Lauren said to her mother.
“Lauren, take the baby,” Anthony requested, fixing his eyes on me.
“No.” I protested.
“No?” Lauren asked, not sure who she should listen to.
“Take the baby,” he demanded, his tone becoming increasingly more irritable. Lauren lifted Luca from Anthony’s lap and in one swift motion he was on his feet. Show off.
“Maybe I should’ve waited until New Year’s,” Maria mumbled beside me.
“Adrianna, a word,” Anthony said in a gruff tone.
“No,” I said defiantly.
“A word. Now.”
I was way passed drunk and teetering on the edge of obliterated because I stood and followed him into the kitchen.
“You want to talk about it?” He asked and I turned around at the sound of his steady voice and accepted the challenge.
“Sure, let’s talk,” I said, crossing my arms under my breasts. “Where should we begin?”
“How about we start with why you sneaked out of my bed and left my apartment?”
“Oh, so we’re going to do this?” I shook my head and laughed sarcastically before my eyes angrily peered into his. “You’re just pissed I beat you to the punch.”
“You didn’t give me a chance,” he said raising his voice, taking a step closer.
“You’re right I absolutely didn’t give you a chance to break my heart again. Come on, Anthony we both know that wasn’t going to be our happy ending,” I spat.
“Our happy ending,” he repeated my words as he took another step closer, backing me into a corner, the edge of the counter top digging into my back. “I wasn’t so sure you wanted one with me anymore Reese’s,” he said softly, brushing my hair away from my face. I closed my eyes momentarily basking in the soft caress of his hand against my cheek.
“That’s all I ever wanted,” I whispered.
His lips curved and his eyes melted for me the way they used to before our love became tainted. “Good to know, Reese’s.” He leaned down and pressed his lips lightly to mine. “Don’t give up on happily ever after,” he whispered against my mouth before pulling away.
I stared at him blankly not knowing how to process his words but knowing I would only be wasting my time giving them any thought. Anthony glanced down at his watch briefly and then back to me.
“Merry Christmas, Reese’s.”
Before I could answer him, he turned around, grabbed his leather jacket from the back of one of the chairs, and strutted back into the living room. He bid goodbye to his mom and sister as I remained in the kitchen. Actions spoke louder than words and Anthony’s screamed that we were nothing more than a thing of the past. I wiped the tears from my eyes, realizing how many years I had wasted pining for a love that would never work and decided that getting over Anthony was going to be my New Year’s Resolution.
Chapter Twenty: 2015
I lifted the Styrofoam cup of coffee to my lips and took a sip as I stared at the darkened house I had parked in front of. I had been sitting in this fucking car for six hours, driving nearly three hours to get here and the rest of the time spent parked across the street from Maryanne Valente’s house. It wouldn’t be so bad if it weren’t so, fucking cold and dreading the trip back to Brooklyn. It had started to snow a little after I got here and now the snow turned to ice. People barely knew how to drive in the rain much less sleet, at this rate I’d be home tomorrow some time.