One of the guys in the group looked as if he wanted to say something, but then Pinto gave his best don’t-fuck-with-me glare, and the group started walking toward the parking lot.
His mother’s chin jutted up. “She feels horrible about everything that happened and wants to apologize. You really should talk with her. You made such a beautiful couple.”
“Jesus Christ.” Pinto stared straight down at his shoes and did another slow ten-count. If he didn’t stop grinding his teeth soon, his molars would be reduced to shards by the end of this conversation. “I don’t care if she’s sorry, and I don’t care what she has to say. Cheaters don’t get second chances. Period. No exceptions.”
“But if you’d only—”
“I said no. That’s it, end of story.”
Her eyes narrowed the way they did whenever she didn’t get her way. “I swear, you’re just like your father.”
The comment hit him harder than the slap, just as she’d intended. “If I was anything like him, I would have hit you back.”
She had the nerve to try to slap him again, but he clamped his hand around her wrist before the blow landed.
“I’m a grown-ass man in my thirties. You don’t get to hit me anymore. Try it again and that’ll be the last time you ever see me.”
Shock widened her eyes and made the furrows along her forehead deepen. “You’re serious.”
“Goddamn right I’m serious.” He released her wrist and backed up a step, just in case she tried to get slappy again. “I should have been serious about this a long time ago, so you acting like this is on me. From now on, I’m putting my foot down. This is my life, Ma. I make the decisions. You don’t get a vote.”
“But Gina—”
“How many times do I have to tell you that I don’t give a damn about Gina?” Exasperated, his voice got louder, but at this point, he didn’t care if anybody overheard him. “I know you and Mrs. Barone have this weird obsession about me and Gina getting married and spitting out babies so you can be grandmas together, but that is never going to happen.Never. I don’t care what she’s doing, or how great she looks, or whether she’s interested in me or not. I don’t even care if she won the Powerball, because I only have eyes for one woman and it ain’t her.”
His mother made a frustrated sound. “You could do so much better.”
“No, actually, I couldn’t. Fiona’s everything I want in a woman, and I think she’s sexy as hell.” He ignored his mother’s cringe. “Not that it matters. She could have crawled out from under a bridge and I’d still think she’s hot because she’s even more gorgeous on the inside. She’s the only woman who’s made me feel alive since I moved down here from Jersey. I’m sorry if you can’t understand that, but I’m not going to stand here while you make snide remarks about her.”
“Is that a threat?” his mother spit out.
“No, it’s a simple fact. I would never expect or ask her to take your abuse. She doesn’t deserve it, and I won’t stand for it. Treat her with the respect she deserves, or you won’t be seeing either of us.”
The indignation on his mother’s face crumpled. “All I want is the best for you, Joey.”
“That’s all well and good, but you don’t get to tell me who to love.”
He hadn’t meant to say all that, and the weight of his words hit him like a brick between the eyes. Did he love Fiona? Why yes, he most certainly did. Now that he seriously thought about it, there wasn’t a shred of doubt in his mind. Somewhere along the line, he’d fallen hard for his upstairs neighbor. It didn’t matter that they’d known each other for only a short period of time. He wanted Fiona in his life, in his heart, in his bed, and he wanted all of that to start as soon as humanly possible.
“I love you, Ma, but you’ve got to start treating me like an adult. I need your support, not your judgment. That means respecting my decisions, regardless of whether you agree with all of them.”
His mother stared at him for what felt like hours, the lines of her face tight with tension. At last, lips pressed tightly together, she gave a curt nod. “I’m sorry. I won’t interfere in your private life anymore. If Fiona makes you happy, then I’m happy.”
She didn’t sound or look anywhere close to happy. Actually, she looked like she’d swallowed a bug, but this was a huge step for his mother and he’d celebrate the small victory.
Closing the distance, he wrapped his arms around her. He couldn’t change the past, but perhaps they could repair the damage to their relationship. It wouldn’t be easy, and it wouldn’t happen overnight, but he was willing to put in the work if she was.
When she pulled back, she gave a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “You better go and make things right with your girlfriend. She must have been pretty upset to leave like that.”
No shit. He’d have to come up with a pretty good grovel to make up for tonight. He dug into his wallet, handed his mother a few bills to cover dinner, and took off for his car.
Chapter 16
“See,whatdidItell you?” Liz said as they watched the end credits roll. “It was even better than the last one.”
While the rest of humanity crowded the stores in search of last-minute holiday gifts, Fiona and Liz had watched the latest movie in theDeathslayerfranchise, starring Hollywood’s biggest bad girl of the moment, Sierra Page. You couldn’t stand in a supermarket checkout lane without seeing her face on the cover of at least one tabloid magazine. Love her or hate her, she was one heck of an actress with a knack for choosing prime movie roles, and this one was no exception.
All around them, people filed out of the theater, but Liz had heard there was a mid-credits scene that hinted at the plot for the next installment of the series.
