“It took me a month or so before I ripped the Band-Aid off. I kept thinking about Kiki. And how much she loved him. He begged me not to end it. He said he felt so guilty he had to confess what he’d almost done, but he tried to get me to believe that the fact that he hadn’t cheated meant he loved me. I knew that wasn’t true.” I sighed. “I feel lucky that he admitted it to me. I can’t imagine if I’d just continued to assume I was safe with him.”
Troy sighed. “As someone who’s cheated on a girlfriend in the past, maybe I have no right to offer my opinion here… But anyone who loves you is not going to consider cheating for even a second. You made the right call.”
“I know that. Believing someone loved me one minute and then realizing I wasn’t enough for him all along was a real wake-up call. It certainly didn’t help my trust issues.”
Troy was quiet for a moment. “I wasn’t going to tell you this, but I feel like I need to in order to explain something.”
“Okay…”
“The other night with Kiki, when we were at the diner, she mentioned that she didn’t want to see you cry again. She was alluding to the time after your ex left. That sort of led to our conversation about my keeping in touch with her no matter what happened between you and me. Anyway, that was the first time I realized how badly he’d hurt you.”
“I wish she hadn’t told you that…”
“I figured it wasn’t something you wanted me to know. But it hit me hard. Before that, I’d viewed you as somewhat guarded, someone who kept her emotions inside. And to hear that he’d broken you like that… It made me not only angry, but weirdly jealous that you had experienced deep feelings for someone. It also made me wonder if what you had with him was more of an emotional connection, whereas with me it might be more…physical.”
I nodded, even though he couldn’t see me. “Things with you might have started out physical, but my feelings for you have evolved.” I closed my eyes to gather my thoughts. “I think I should better explain. It wasn’t that I thought Holden was the one. While I definitely believed I loved him at the time, I think the reason behind my tears had more to do with how his confession reflected on me, what it meant about my ability to be enough for someone. And of course, it reminded me of my parents, how my dad always claims to love my mother, even though he cheats on her. I’m telling you, Troy, I’d rather be alone than lie next to someone at night who would do that.”
He paused. “Anyone who would cheat on you is an absolute, fucking fool. You are the smartest, sexiest woman I have ever met.”
I looked up at the ceiling and shook my head. “Troy Serrano, my brain has been in the clouds for weeks. And it’s all your damn fault. It’s a wonder I haven’t packed the vacuum in Kiki’s lunch yet. I don’t know what I’m going to do with you.”
“You ask that a lot, but now I have a specific answer. I know what you can do with me. Call out sick in the middle of the day again. Come over and sit on my face tomorrow.”
“Well, that’s one idea.”
? ? ?
The next day, Troy’s suggestion about calling out sick ran through my head on repeat the entire morning at work. I was a lost cause. Rather than make up a story about being ill this time, I created a fictitious appointment. So while I would have far less time with him as a result, I would take what I would get.
As I left work in the middle of the day, feeling like I was getting away with murder, I couldn’t wait to surprise him. But when I pulled up in front of his house, I saw another car next to his Range Rover. My stomach sank as I realized Troy had a visitor. My pulse began to race as I exited my car and approached his front door.
He’d denounced my ex for cheating last night on the phone, so why was my first inclination to pray that his guest wasn’t a woman? Why was I so damn distrusting right off the bat? I could only chalk it up to the trauma of my dad’s cheating and Holden’s almost-cheating.
My heart fluttered as I knocked on the door. My hands shook.
Stop.
The door opened, but it wasn’t Troy who answered. It was an older man.
“Can I help you?” he asked.
“Hi. I’m here to see Troy?”
He smiled. “Are you Aspyn?”
My pulse immediately calmed a bit. “Yes.”
He held out his hand. “I’m Giovanni Serrano. Troy’s dad.”
What? “Oh…wow. You’re back from Europe?”
“Yeah. Unfortunately, my girlfriend’s mother had a heart attack. It looks like she’s going to be okay, but we cut our trip short and rushed back last night.”
“I’m so sorry to hear that.”
“Thank you.” He waved me inside. “Anyway, come in. Come in. Troy just got into the shower. I’ve been going on and on all morning about my trip. This was the first chance he managed to break away from me. He didn’t mention he was expecting you, though?”
Troy’s dad had jet black hair, darker than Troy’s chestnut brown. While they were both tall and handsome, I suspected Troy must have looked more like his mother. He and his dad didn’t resemble each other much in the face. On the other hand, Giovanni definitely looked a lot like his dad, Louie.
Licking my lips nervously, I said, “I, uh, didn’t tell him I was coming. I just decided to pop in and say hello.”
“Don’t you work at Horizons at this time?”
Busted.
“Yes.” I squirmed. “But I had an appointment today. I got out of that a bit early, so I decided to stop by here and say hello before I have to return to work.”
“Ah. Gotcha. Well, I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you when he gets out. Shall I peek my head in and tell him you’re here?”
“Sure. That would be great. I don’t want to catch him off guard.”
As he walked backwards toward the bathroom, he said, “Can I get you something? Some tea or coffee?”
“No, thank you.”
It must have been only two minutes later that Troy appeared, wrapped in a towel with his hair dripping wet. Water droplets streamed down his beautiful, hard chest.
Even with my nerves shot, I still wanted to jump him right now.
He slicked his wet hair back. “You didn’t tell me you were coming.”
“I know. I wanted to surprise you.”
“Must have been my suggestion yesterday on the phone.” He smirked.
I cleared my throat. “I had an appointment that finished early.”
“Right.” His eyes twinkled. “I see you met my dad.”
“Yes.” I let out a shaky breath. “He knew who I was.”
“That’s because after he talked my ear off about Europe this morning, I talked his ear off about you.”
“And I’m very happy you dropped by,” his father said. “Because who knows how long it would have taken Troy to properly introduce us.”
Troy turned to him. “Not with this one. You would have met her soon.”
Heat rushed through my body.
“Well, alright, then.” His dad beamed. “Listen, I have to stock up on some real food, since my son has almost nothing in the fridge. So I’ll let you two be for a while. I’ll be gone for at least an hour, if that information is of any use.” He glanced over at Troy, and then nodded in my direction. “If I don’t see you when I get back, Aspyn, it was an absolute pleasure. I can see now why Troy wouldn’t shut up about you.”
“Thanks, Mr. Serrano.”
“Mr. Serrano is my dad, the old man you know and love. Please call me Giovanni.” He grinned.
“Okay.” I smiled. “Nice meeting you, Giovanni.”