Chapter Fifteen

It always amazed Dante how so many things came to an end with just a simple signature. A scribble on a dotted line could mean the uncoupling of a marriage, the dissolution of a partnership, the termination of a contract. The fact that the very existence of something that once held so much importance could be wiped away with a mere stroke of a pen was both scary and cool.

For his purposes as a corporate lawyer, it was usually the latter.

But as he watched Brandon sign the settlement papers, Dante only felt disappointment.

“So just have Alexa sign on the line next to your signature. Once that’s done, I’ll pick up the paperwork and send it over to Nick’s attorney.”

Brandon nodded and put the papers back in the manila envelope Dante had brought with him to the restaurant. He leaned back into his desk chair. “So that’s it, I guess. I can’t believe that son of a bitch is going to walk away with that much money.”

Dante shrugged. “I know. But it’s better than him owning a piece of L.A. Cuchara. It was the best I could do under the circumstances.”

“I know,” his friend said. “I also know that you still don’t believe we should’ve settled.”

“It doesn’t matter what I believe. Alexa made it clear that this is what she wants. When it comes down to it, that’s really all that matters.”

“Especially when the client is more than a client?”

Where did that come from? A flash of irritation clenched his jaw. “Wait a second. I never let my personal relationship with your sister interfere with my professional responsibilities. Or do you think that I did?”

“I’m not saying that, Dante. If I thought that was happening, you know I would’ve said something sooner. Truth is, my reservations about you and Alexa had nothing to do with business. It had everything to do with the fact that you’re my friend and she’s my sister. I don’t want to lose either of you.”

Dante relaxed. “I’m still here.”

Brandon arched his eyebrow. “Are you? I mean, you look like my best friend, but lately you haven’t been sounding like him. Since when do you walk away from a challenge?”

“Since when do you? We all have our limits, Brandon.”

“Maybe. But I’ve learned a lot about relationships in the past few months, and it’s time for me to give you some advice. If you feel even a quarter of what I feel for Daisy, you can’t let my sister bully you out of this relationship.”

“She’s not bullying me.”

“Oh, really? Why did you bring the settlement papers now instead of later? It’s because you knew she wouldn’t be here.”

Dante rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s better if we don’t see each other for a while. Even here.”

It pained him to admit that. He’d never thought in a million years that he wouldn’t want to see Alexa.

He hadn’t meant for things to become so serious. He’d fooled himself into believing that they were just hanging out. That’s why he hadn’t seen the fall coming. He knew she still had reservations about them being a real couple. That’s why he’d taken things so slowly. Perhaps he’d been too calculated about the whole thing. Romantic relationships weren’t like corporate mergers. You couldn’t do a risk analysis or predict returns on the investment.

Basically, love was more like a crapshoot.

Sometimes you won big and sometimes you lost it all.

“I know you love her. I can see it all over your face. You need to fix this,” Brandon told him. “And quick.”

“It’s out of my hands. I can’t make her love me back.”

Brandon shook his head. “My sister is a great chef, but she sucks at this love stuff. Not because she doesn’t have a big heart, but because she doesn’t know how to listen to it. You need to be the one to make her hear what it’s telling her.”