“This,” I say, holding the flash drive in front of the camera. “It has enough evidence to earn the fucker five life sentences.”
“You turning rat?” Emmanuel asks.
“Fuck no,” I hiss at him. “I wanted his daughter, and I was going to get her how ever I could.” This is news to my friends, as I never mentioned Antonia to anyonebeforeI agreed to marry her.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Carlo’s comment about me changing my major to literally anything else has had me thinking a lot.What would I want to do if I weren’t studying business law?
There was a time when I was interested in chemistry. That feels like alifetimeago now. Everything has changed so much. Never in a million years did I think I’d be giving Carlo a secondchance to destroy my heart. But here I am, fully in this marriage, hoping against hope that he’s just as committed as I am.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Luna sits down opposite me.
I look up, surprised. I didn’t hear anyone approach. I’ve been sitting in the back corner of the little coffee shop on campus for over an hour. Debating my future. Carlo’s armed beefcakes are two tables down from me, pretending they belong here when it’s completely obvious they don’t.
Holding out a palm, I smile at my friend, welcoming the interruption. “Pay up first, and then I might be obliged to tell you my thoughts.”
Luna pulls a penny from her bag and plops it onto my palm. “This better be worth my money.”
“I was thinking that I have the best friends in the universe.” I smile at her.
“Liar!” she gasps. “You took my penny and lied.”
“You don’t know that I’m lying. There is literally no way for you to tell what I was thinking.” I laugh, dropping the penny onto the table.
“So, I’m guessing whatever happened the other day is over with, being that you’re out in the open and all.” Luna waves an arm around the café.
I don’t know the details, and I didn’t ask. It’s not my place to ask, just to trust the men in my life. My stomach turns at the thought. I’m being complacent without even realizing I’m doing it. When Carlo told me the issue was dealt with and that I could return to school this morning, I didn’t even question him.
That needs to change. I can ask him what happened. He might not tell me. That doesn’t mean I can’t ask, though.
I lift a shoulder. “I have no idea what happened.” It’s not the first time I’ve had to be evasive with my friends. It’s better for them if they don’t know too much aboutthat sideof my life.
“Right, got it. How are you settling into being a stepmother?” she asks.
“Jazzy is the sweetest. She makes it easy.”That’s the truth.She really is a sweet little girl with a heart of gold. I hope she never loses that. The world she’s entered has a way of hardening people, making them jaded. Jazzy still looks for the good in people, even the people she should be running from.
“That’s good. You do seem happy—other than whatever you were thinking about when I came up on you,” Luna says.
“Carlo told me to decide what I wanted to study. And do it,” I explain.
“That’s amazing. What are you going to do?”
“That’s the thing… I have no idea what I would do if I wasn’t studying business law. I’m decent at it. Maybe I should just stick it out.” Picking up my now-cold coffee, I drink the last dregs from the bottom of the cup.
“You don’t have to decide today. You’re finally getting the freedom you always wanted. Your father would never let you choose your degree. Your husband seems more… within the twenty-first century.”
If only she knew how very traditional Carlo was about certain things… Like when I asked him for a separate apartment. He would rather live under the same roof in separate rooms if needed, then let me live alone. Not that I want to do that now.
“Yeah, I guess. I have to go. I have a class in five.” I stand and sling my bag onto my shoulder.
“I’ll talk to you later,” Luna says with a wave.
Beefcake one and two follow me out of the coffee shop. I only make it three steps before I slam into a brick wall. The brick wall that is my husband.
“Carlo? What are you doing here? Did something happen? Where’s Jazzy?” I ask while looking around frantically.
“Nothing happened. Jazzy is fine. She’s with Charlotte. I’m here to pick up my wife. I want to show you something.” He takes hold of my hand.
