“Okay.” I braced, no idea of what the hell he would say.
“Straighten shit out with Ruby, and then you can get things fixed with Karina.”
“When did you become Dr. Phil?” The ass laughed.
“Go talk to Ruby and fix it. You were happier those days you had her than I’d even know you to be… and I’ve known your old ass a long time.”
With that, Enzo hung up and left me with my thoughts.
Karina
Minutes melted into hours, and hours shaped into days. I had no idea how I was still standing, but I was.
I was breathing and moving, going through the motions on a daily basis, but everything around me was less bright, and I felt less alive.
I was completely un-invigorated.
Nothing close to how I felt before Frank. Being with him had given me a small peek at what life really had to offer when you shared your everyday moments with someone else. How meaningful the little things really were in the scheme of things.
I missed him.
How could I miss someone who hadn’t been in my life all that long?
“Knock, knock,” Daisy said. I looked up from the makeshift area I had designated as my home office.
“Hey.” I smiled, standing up and walking toward her.
“Janet let me in,” Daisy shared. I nodded.
I’d left the pool house two days after he’d ended it. I had wanted to leave that same night, but I didn’t exactly have anywhere to go. I didn’t want to go to Daisy’s because I didn’t want to put her in the middle of Ruby and me. That wouldn’t have been fair.
I’d taken two days, escaping to a hotel in hopes Frank would have a change of heart. That he’d realize he’d jumped the gun or misunderstood me when I’d said we needed time. I’d meant a night apart, and when he didn’t even look toward the pool house as he came and left, by the second day, I knew he’d meant forever.
So, I’d packed up a good amount of clothes and my laptop and printer and gone to a hotel until I found a room for rent with an elderly lady named Janet.
“You okay?” Daisy asked, and I nodded, trying to give her a real smile.
“Yeah. Come sit.” I stood and closed the door behind her, refusing to feel embarrassed about being a twenty-six-year-old hot mess.
“So…” Daisy said, “lots happened this week, huh?”
“Yeah.” I scrunched my nose. It hadn’t even been an entire week since my life had been shaken up.
“Ruby’s dad, huh?” She went right to the point, and I moved to sit next to the twin-sized bed the room came with.
“Ruby’s dad.” I sighed, breathing through my nose so I wouldn’t let myself cry.
“Is it too soon for the daddy fucker jokes?” she asked with a bright grin, and I laughed.
“Maybe just a little. Try me next week,” I mumbled with a smile.
“You really didn’t know?” The curiosity was clear in her voice. I didn’t blame her.
“Not one clue.”
“And he was the guy from the coffee shop?”
“I about had a heart attack when I saw him at the house for the first time.”
“How didn’t you know?” she asked with wide but amused eyes.
“I’d never met him.” I shrugged and let myself fall back. She did the same as we looked up at my ceiling.
“Scale of one to ten, how mad is she?” I asked Daisy and heard her sigh.
“She’s cooled down a lot. Probably at a five out of ten by now.”
“Does she hate me?” My eyes filled with tears. Will she ever forgive me?
“I don’t think it was really you guys she was angry at,” Daisy said softly, taking my hand into hers. “I think the whole thing just took her off guard.”
I let Daisy’s words process and wonder if she wasn’t upset at Frank and me, if it had anything to do with the hot off-duty cop.
“Scale of one to ten, how hot was he?” Daisy asked. I knew she would, so I smiled, turning my face to look at her.
“A hundred.”
“Really?” she whispered, her brows reaching her hairline.
“Really.” I sighed. “But it doesn’t matter anyhow.”
“About that. Why are you here?” she asked, her light blue almost gray eyes filled with concern.
“He ended it.” The words burned as they came out. Why does it hurt more when you say it out loud?
“What?” She sat up and looked at me, and I couldn’t stop the tears from rolling.
“I was so stupid. I…” My breath hitched, and she made me sit up and hugged me. The tears I’d been holding in, walking around like a zombie, gushed out, and I was scared they wouldn’t stop. “One moment, we were talking, and I don’t even know how…” I hiccupped.
“The ass. This is going to piss Ruby off.”
“No.” I shook my head. “I just hope she can talk to me one day.”
“She will,” Daisy soothed, stroking my hair.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to go all girlie on you.”
“Hey, that’s what I’m here for. That and to tell you we need to get you dressed up and looking hot.” Hot?
“Why?” I made a face. “We’re just going to pick up the bulky stuff from the pool house.” In my haze, I had only packed the necessities. Thankfully, Daisy’s brother had a truck, and he had let her borrow it so I could get the rest of my things.
“We are, but what if he’s there? You want his jaw to drop when he sees you’re cool as a cucumber without him.”
“I’m really not,” I mumbled, resting my head on her shoulder.
“I know, but you will be. We will get you there,” she reassured, and I smiled trying to believe she was right. That it wouldn’t always feel like there was a gaping hole in my chest where my heart used to be.
“He won’t be there anyhow.” I shook my head.
I didn’t have the energy to find a cute outfit. My cut-off denim shorts and off-the-shoulder olive-green tee would have to do. “He’s probably at work.”
“Okay. You ready?” she asked, and I took a moment to think. To get the rest of my things and completely close the door on everything Frank Titan? Would I ever be ready to do that? Would that even be possible?
“Honestly?” I asked because I was done holding things back from my girls. Daisy nodded. “Not really,” I admitted. “But I’ll get there.” And I would. I had to believe my heart wouldn’t always hurt like it did now.
Chapter Eleven
Frank
JOANNA HAD JUST DROPPED OFF AN ENVELOPE, and the moment she stepped out of my office, I tore it open and let the images burn through my soul. Karina and I in Palm Springs. The pictures I had asked Joanna to print for me.
Karina’s smile.
Her eyes.
Her lips.
Her hair.
Every single detail that reflected in the images from our weekend in Palm Springs was imprinted in my brain, and the hollowness in my chest only grew deeper. What the hell had I done by letting her walk away? You pushed her away, you idiot, a small remnant of what was left of my heart reminded me, and I closed my eyes.
I would make it right.
Anticipation for the next time I would see her seeped into my blood stream. I opened my eyes, then the next photograph made my heart stop mid-beat. We’d taken a couple of selfies, but this photo was of us looking at one another. Her eyes were on mine; the emotion reflected back said so much more than words ever could. I hoped it hadn’t been stupid enough to ruin it all.
A wisp of her dark hair had been picked up by a breeze and was by her lips. Looking at myself, I almost couldn’t recognize being the same man. I was happy. Genuinely and completely happy in that image. If I closed my eyes, I could remember the moment like it had just happened. I could smell the scent of her hair and remember the soft fullness of her lips against mine.
She was mine, no ifs or buts about it.
Everything I had thought the rest of my life would be like disappeared the moment I h
ad walked into that coffee shop, and I was just now fully understanding it.
I wanted nothing more than Karina in my life in an everyday kind of way.
It was time to man up.
I looked at the clock, anticipation simmering through as I took the light blue box from the drawer in my desk. My phone rang, and I answered.
“You ready?” the female voice asked, and I smiled knowing I had never been more ready for anything in my entire life.
Karina
“I think that’s all of it for the big stuff,” she said, and I smiled.
“Thanks for doing this.”
“What are friends for, right?” She winked.
“I’ll get the last of the small stuff.”
“Cool. I will go get us food.”
“You’re leaving?”
“Yeah. Want to meet at the storage?”
“But—”
“Karina,” a deep male voice that swept me away in my dreams called out, and we both looked over.
He stood at the door looking so damn good my heart hurt. I should have listened to Daisy and gotten dolled up, but it was too late for that. All I could do was stand there and appreciate the sight of him in one of his usual work suits. This one was black with a black dress shirt, the top two buttons undone.
Would it be the last time I ever looked at him?
Dramatic much, Karina! I scolded myself
“I’m just getting the last of my things. We’re almost done.” I was tempted to leave the rest of the kitchen things behind, so I could get the hell out of there.
I could live off paper plates for a while, couldn’t I?
“I’m going to head out,” Daisy shared, and I glared at her. Traitor, I yelled in my head, but I knew she didn’t care when she winked at me as she walked past us and closed the door behind her.
“How are you?” he asked, breaking the tense silence between us.
“Fine,” I lied, somehow managing to tear my eyes away from him, turning my attention back to the box in front of me.
“You?” I questioned, putting a plate in the box. Before I could blink, I knew he was right there. Right in front of me.
Taking my hand in his, he gently pulled me close, but I didn’t look up at him. I should have fought him. I should have pushed him away. But I couldn’t. Quite frankly, I was weak when it came to him.
“We need to talk.”
“I thought you said everything there was to say, and you did it pretty clearly,” I answered, somehow keeping my voice calm and steady.
“I was wrong,” he admitted, and I looked up at him. “I was so fucking wrong, baby girl.” He leaned his forehead against mine, and I was scared to breathe because the moment I did, I knew I’d wake up.
“What?”
“I was wrong,” he repeated. The walls I had tried to build around the shell of my heart dropped, and like the Grinch on Christmas morning, my heart expanded in size.
“You were?” I breathed, afraid I was somehow misunderstanding everything. Terrified to hope for more.
“I was very wrong, babe.” My resistance was failing, and I knew he could feel me melting into his arms. His hand moved up to my face and made me look up at him.
“I love you, Karina Castillo,” he spoke against my lips, and my heart felt like it was going to explode.
“What?” I whispered, tears stinging behind my eyes. Exhaustion and adrenaline mixed together as I stood there, drowning in his chocolate velvet gaze, surprised my legs hadn’t given out beneath me.
“I love you, Karina,” he repeated and cleared his throat. “With everything I am. I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did.”
Looking up at his dark eyes, I was lost. In that moment, he wasn’t my best friend’s dad, and I wasn’t some clueless new adult just starting out.
He was a man, and I was a woman.
And we belonged to one another.
He continued talking, making me fall even more in love with him with his honesty.
“I’ve never been in love, not like this. I love my kid. I love my family. Hell, I loved Ruby’s mom because she gave me my daughter. But nothing compares to what I feel for you.” His voice wavered with emotion, and even though the sight of him turned blurry, I smiled so big my face hurt.
Right then and there, standing in the kitchen, I held on to his face and kissed him.
“I love you, too,” I whispered back and swallowed down a sob before pulling away. “But Ruby—”
“Can I come in?” a feminine voice called out, and I jumped out of Frank’s arms, or as much as he let me. Instead, he pulled me into his side, his arm around my shoulder. I looked up at him and then swallowed hard, taking in one of my best friend’s standing at the door.
“Ruby.”
“Hey.” She smiled shyly, and somehow that made me feel a little better. If she could smile, that could mean that maybe she could forgive me. Right?
Ruby walked over to us standing at the small breakfast counter, extending her arm out for mine, and I reached for hers.
“I think I need to apologize.” Her face squished up, and I shook my head.
“No. I’m the one who was sneaking around and—”
“I said things I didn’t mean,” she cut me off.
“You were in your right to. I messed up. I shouldn’t have touched your dad!”
“Hey!” Frank chimed in, but we both ignored him.
“I wasn’t mad at you. I… I’m actually pretty okay with you guys.”
“What?” She is okay with us? I felt Frank move to stand behind me, his hands protectively on my shoulders.
“I was upset about something else, and when I saw you two together…” She shook her head, her eyes slightly sad. “Karina, I seriously overreacted.”
“You had every right to.”
“Maybe,” she quipped and smiled. “Once the shock of… well, you both together”—she pointed at her dad and me. “Once it wore off, I could see how you made sense. You two are actually kinda perfect for one another.”
“Glad I’m not the only one who thinks that,” Frank mumbled, and she smiled.
“After my dad came by and we talked things out, I understood it even more. I don’t know how I didn’t think about it before. You two… you make sense.”
“Ruby—”
“I’m sorry for the way I reacted,” she said kindly, and the emotion was too much. Here she was, my best friend, apologizing to me?
“You have nothing to say sorry about!” I cried as I walked away from Frank and hugged Ruby.
“Friends?” she asked, and I laughed.
“Always!” I wiped my face as she did the same, feeling like a huge weight was taken off my shoulders.
“I should probably give you two a moment alone.” She pulled away. “Don’t be too hard on him. He’s new to catching feelings,” she teased her dad, and I pressed my lips together as she hugged me again, then let go.
I watched as she hugged Frank, whispering something in his ear, and he laughed. Then she walked to the front door and waved before leaving.
“Did hat really happen?” I turned to face Frank. He was on one knee behind me, and I fell to my own. “Don’t do this.”
“Karina—”
“We only just got started. There is no way—”
“Shhh.” He chuckled, cupping my face with his free hand. “Trust me. Open the box, baby girl.” With trembling hands, I took the light blue box with the white satin ribbon in my hand and looked at it like it would bite me if I took the lid off.
“Frank.” I looked into his smiling eyes, and there was something shining through that gave me the courage to do what he asked. Slowly undoing the ribbon, I lifted the lid off the box and ignored the way my nose stung at was in it.
“Move in with me,” he asked calmly. “It’s fast. I get that. But it’s kind of how this whole thing’s been going. From here on out, we can slow it down,” he offered. “As long as I get to wake up and start a new day with you next to me, ever
ything else will work itself out.”
“You want to live together?” I squeaked. First Ruby and I were still friends, and now this? How the hell was I still managing to keep standing?
“That place”—he pointed behind him—”is too big for just me.”
“And you think one more person will make it cozier?”
“For now. You never know what life will toss at you,” he dropped, and I nodded.
I got what he was saying. The possibility of more was back on the table, and knowing we had Ruby’s blessing made my decision that much easier.
“Yes,” I agreed. His lips touched mine, and they felt like heaven.
“I love you, Karina,” he roughly whispered. “You were made for me.”
“And you for me,” I whispered back as I laughed, his mouth on my cheek, before we stood up.
“Crap!” I exclaimed.
“What is it?”
“I need to get my things back. I have to call Dais—”
“No, you don’t.” He smiled, and I looked at him like he was crazy, so he clarified, “Ruby and Daisy are waiting in the drive.”
“They are?” I did nothing to hide my surprise.
“If they weren’t, I would have taken you right here in the kitchen to celebrate us moving in together.” My stomach fluttered, and my nipples beaded up.
“Rain check?”
“Definitely.” He kissed me and took my hand in his, but I stopped him when we started walking.
“Were you that sure I’d come back?” I asked, wondering if I was just that easy in his eyes.
“I hoped.” Hoped. I liked that. Maybe I’d done the same, deep down inside, and that’s why I hadn’t pushed to move out all my things from the start.
“Ready for this part?”
“What part is that?”
“The rest of our happily ever after.”
“Frank Titan, who knew you were such a romantic?”
“Daddy has a lot of surprises up his sleeve, baby girl. You haven’t seen anything yet.” He winked, and I laughed, stepping up on my tippy toes to meet his lips with mine.
“I can’t wait!”
Quite Frankly: Dilf Mania (Beech Grove Book 5) Page 11