Page 52 of Tony

But fucking Rosalie… dammit. She won’t get out of my head.

It’s not fair and I don’t understand it.

It’s like she’s haunting me. Like those ghosts in A Christmas Carol. Like I owe her something.

And that’s bullshit.

I don’t owe her anything.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN - BELINDA

It took me hours to finally fall asleep last night. I paced the floor of my small studio apartment in the dark like a freak who has no idea what her mind wants, let alone her heart.

But I could not stop playing Vann’s words back in my head.

His speech was the definition of grand gesture. A super-big, spectacular, heartfelt, amazingly romantic grand gesture. I’ve never had a man say things like that to me.

And he was right about the way I’ve been dismissing him, too. Tony didn’t earn his chance. At all. Ever. Even back when we were younger, when this sick obsession was basically about sex, he never said things like that to me.

But… it’s not even the things Vann said last night that are making me think twice about my opinion of him.

It was the way he made me feel.

I know I’ve said that I wasn’t into the age difference. He’s younger than me. I’m pushing thirty at this point and that feels like I’m about to hit the top of that hill while he’s just barely starting that climb into his prime.

But sometimes age has nothing to do with maturity. Because the Vann Vaughn I met last night was someone… sure of himself. And sure of what he wanted. And he articulated his disappointment in a way that didn’t insult me. Or make himself look good while turning me into a shrew.

He built me up the entire time. I can respect that.

I pick up my phone, hit Tara’s contact, and let it ring. Because if ever there was a time when a girl needed her BFF, this is it. And I don’t care if we’re two thousand miles apart, she’s not getting out of being my best friend that easy.

On the first ring, I miss her even more than I did two seconds ago. And I didn’t think that was possible. “Hey, bitch!” she says. And oh, my God. I’ve missed her voice so much in these past couple months. “What are you doing? It’s a little early on your side of the country, isn’t it?”

“Tara?” I squeak.

“What? What’s wrong? Oh, my God. Something’s wrong. What happened now? Is the FBI back? Did you see Diablo? What’s happening?”

“No. Nothing like that. But—”

“Holy shit. You’re sick.”

“Kinda?”

“Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. What do you have? Please, don’t say anything bad. I can’t take it. I won’t be able to take it. Life just got good, Belinda! We made it! We’re on the upswing!”

“Tara!”

“OK. I’m shutting up. I’m ready. Tell me.”

“I think I… I think I’m falling for Vann?”

She laughs so hard on the other end of the line, I have to move the phone away from my ear. I stare at the screen, waiting for her to stop. But that guffaw continues for a few seconds too long.

I tsk my tongue. “Why are you laughing at me?”

She guffaws one more time. “Wait. What?”

“It’s not funny. He came here last night—”