“I have a surprise for you.” He winks, and then another face appears.
This man has darker hair and a neatly trimmed beard. He’s probably in his forties, and he’s incredibly handsome, but I can’t put my finger on how I know him.
“Hola, chico,” the man says loudly. “Feliz cumpleaños!”
“Brody!” Dominic crows. “What the fuck? Aren’t you in Valencia?”
“I have some business here that needs my attention.” Brody—Dom’s uncle, Allan’s younger, wilder brother—shrugs. “I’m looking for a personal assistant, and it’s a pain in my ass. Figuratively speaking.”
“Who cares about the pain in your ass?” A beautiful woman with brown hair and big green eyes appears beside the guys.
Brooklyn. Ethan’s wife. The first time I saw her, I was in awe of her. She might be the hottest person I’ve ever met. “Happy birthday, Dom. May all your dreams come true.”
“Thank you, Brooklyn.” Dom nods, grinning. “I wasn’t expecting to hear from you guys.”
“Did you really think we’d forget about your birthday?” Ethan shakes his head. “Never. You’re stuck with us.”
“For that to be true, you’d have to visit.”
“Or you could visit us.” Ethan winks again. “And bring those two with you.” He waves. “Hi, Matt. Mia.”
“Mia is there?” Brody, who’d drifted off-screen, reappears, butting Ethan and Brooklyn out of the way. “Oh,hola,belleza!Take care of our boy, will ya? Don’t let him get away with anything. If he upsets you, put him in his place. Got it?”
I giggle. “Got it.”
“Great.” Brody smiles and then eyes Dom again. “We better go; we don’t want to monopolize your time. Enjoy dinner with the family, but tell my brother the next time he ignores my call, I’ll show up unannounced and stay for three months, just to piss him off.”
Dom chuckles. “I’ll pass on the message.” The screen goes dark, and he slides his phone back into his pocket.
“I still can’t believe Brody is Allan’s brother,” Matt says. “He’s more like his nephew.”
“I heard that.” A voice behind us startles us all, and we turn in unison.
Allan stands in the doorway, arms folded over his chest, feigning annoyance, though he struggles to keep his lips from trembling as he tries to hide his smile. “Are you going to stay out here all night, or can we finally have dinner?”
The house iswarm and inviting, the air filled with the scent of garlic and herbs. There’s a Christmas tree glowing in the corner, its twinkling lights reflecting off the windows.
It’s all a façade.
When I sit between Dom and Matt, Mom purses her lips. When Dom fills my plate with food and gets up to pour me a drink, she watches us with disapproval so visceral, one would think he was feeding me drugs. When she sees us whispering to each other, she tsks.Loudly.
She hates that I’m with him, thinks he’s taking advantage of me, that I’m a silly little girl who doesn’t know any better.
I’m tired of trying to prove her wrong. It doesn’t matter anymore.
So, when Matt raises his glass and says, “Happy birthday, Dom,” I do something a little reckless.
I lean in and press a featherlight kiss to Dominic’s jaw. As I pull back, he gives me a tender smile, squeezing my knee gently.
“Do you really have to do that here?” Mom’s voice is full of venom.
Though I expected the reaction, my heart still sinks. Taking a deep breath, I narrow my eyes on her. I’m done letting her belittle me.
“Why does it bother you so much that we’re together?”
Her nostrils flare as she sets down her glass of wine. “Because you’re ruining this family. You’re running around town without bothering to care what other people think about you, aboutus. Mrs. Ackerman wasn’t the only one who called to let me know how depraved my daughter is. Every customer who comes into my store has something to say. Some only stop in to spy on me, as if I’m some kind of abomination. How could you?—”
“Live my life to the fullest, even without your approval?”
