Page 14 of Forever: The Companion

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At one point in his life, Renzo thought there would never be a time when he walked into Lucian Marcello’s house, and have it feel welcoming to him like a home should. And yet, with years put between their wrongs, time spent respecting each other for more things that were good around them, and a mutual love between them in Lucia, Lucian’s home felt like one of the most welcoming places he’d ever been to.

And more often than not, when Renzo needed that fatherly figure in his life that he still didn’t have in anyone else, he went to Lucian. He didn’t know when it’d happened, or why he’d started crossing that bridge with his father-in-law, but he did it and he couldn’t find a single reason to regret it, either.

Lucian came around the corner of the kitchen entry as Renzo entered the man’s house, already hearing Jordyn Marcello’s laughter drifting from somewhere behind the man. He wasn’t privy to whatever joke Lucian had told his wife before their guest arrived, but he didn’t feel like he needed to know, either.

Something else Renzo had come to learn about Lucian?

He loved one thing the very most.

His wife.

And the man he became around that woman, in private when he thought no one could see, was someone the outside world never got to see. Their children did, sure, but no one else.

And when he did see Lucian share those moments of affection, Renzo never said a word. But it did make him respect Lucia’s father more to know there was a woman in his life who made him just as crazy in love as the rest of them, really.

“You owe me and my wife big time for this one,” Lucian said, giving him a wag of his finger. “Jordyn’s been planning this thing to Bali for months now.”

“I know, I know—”

“And I know you appreciate it!” Jordyn shouted from the kitchen.

Lucian rolled his eyes. “Come on, woman, I’m fucking trying to make him at least think he could owe us for it.”

Renzo just shook his head. “No, I do. I really appreciate this. Turns out you can’t actually plan a whole vacation in a day, no matter how hard you try or what amount of cash you say you’re willing to pay. So, yeah, I appreciate you letting me do this.”

“So, you’re good, then?” Lucian asked him.

Renzo shrugged. “Just a few last-minute details.”

“Ah.”

“I need to get some shit packed, but without, you know, people finding out. So, I was wondering if maybe Jordyn could—”

Lucia’s mother’s answer came fast in reply. “I can get that done for you, Ren!”

He laughed. “Well, I guess there’s one detail figured out.”

Lucian nodded. “And one more for you—thank my brother’s wife, because it’s Catrina’s jet.”

“Got it. So, I’ve got like an hour to get back to the city before her spa appointment is over. Is that going to be possible—”

“No worries,” Jordyn said, coming around the corner of the kitchen entryway to join her husband in the hallway with Renzo. “I’m leaving right now. I’ll get her all packed up and send the bags to the strip with a driver. He’ll be there and it’ll all be loaded before you even arrive. Don’t worry, it will go off without a hitch. She’s going to appreciate this.”

Renzo blew out a hard breath.

Fuck.

He hoped so.

Lucia deserved this.

So did he.

For once in his life, literally, everything just wanted to align to make it happen. Along with the generosity of Lucian and Jordyn Marcello, given the Bali trip had originally been theirs. They were kind enough to give it to their daughter. Who was he to fuck with the stars, and all that shit?

Besides … Lucia had said she needed a vacation, hadn’t she?