“What’s going on between you and Justin?”
Anthony slid his gaze from the road. Dinner had been nice. Such a bland word, but it fit. Both Aubrey and Justin had successfully steered all conversation away from anything unpleasant. No questions asked about Shelly’s missing five years. No comments made about Max and Aubrey’s arrival last summer and Anthony’s demand for a paternity test. Not a word about the Travatis’ upcoming trip to Switzerland without Anthony. No questions about whether Anthony was starting his own company. No, all conversation circled around Christmas, the Travati Teddy Bear Luncheon, the arrival of the new baby, and Shelly’s life in San Francisco.
“You two always fought like brothers, but now? It’s weird there was none of that ball-busting I remember, not from either of you.”
A tight band circled Anthony’s chest. Many years ago, what felt like a lifetime, he would have turned to Shelly first to talk about Max and Aubrey. He would have asked for Shelly’s thoughts, her guidance. He would have listened to what she told him, because he had trusted and loved her, and she had always been the person to advise him, talk him down when his first reaction was anger. That luxury, that relationship, that woman, his Shelly, the one he’d wanted to spend the rest of his life with, had disappeared when she run to Texas, leaving him and everyone else behind.
“He didn’t want to do a DNA test.”
“You needed a DNA test to know that Max is a Travati? All you have to do is look at him.”
The muscle in his jaw twitched. “I understand that my nephew looks like a Travati. But Aubrey…she slept with Justin once fifteen years ago, and then arrived on Justin’s doorstep with a fourteen-year-old boy.” He looked toward Shelly. “Excuse me for being pragmatic, but our business holdings are well over a billion dollars. I felt quite justified in wanting to protect them.”
“Yeah, and Justin feels justified in being pissed.”
“Because I was reasonable.”
“No, because you thought the woman he loved was a gold digger.”
“The test is simple and painless and easy to perform—”
“And kind of pointless. Justin married Aubrey, so what would it matter? Max would be his son and your nephew through marriage even without the DNA.”
“I needed to know.”
“Okay, just so I’ve got this straight, your needs outweighed family harmony? Accepting what Justin wanted? The wife and son he’d chosen?”
Heat flamed through Anthony’s chest. How could she make what he’d done sound so outrageous? He knew damn well he’d been the most sane, the most reasonable, the most pragmatic one of the entire family. He had kept his head when Leo and Devon had been practically racing to accept Aubrey. “You can’t possibly understand.”
“I can’t?” A wry smile decorated Shelly’s lips in the darkness. “You always hated how Justin got to make the rules because he’s the oldest. Always. You two fought since you could talk. I grew up with you. So here comes this woman and her son and your older brother falls in love. You think he’s getting duped, so here’s your opportunity to force him to do it your way, to finally play by your rules, because you think what you want makes perfect sense and is pragmatic.”
Though he drove through the darkness of night, eyes fixed on the road, Anthony could feel Shelly’s heavy gaze on him. Damn her. He shook his head and forced the car to go faster. She didn’t get it. The DNA test wasn’t about him getting his way, wasn’t about forcing Justin to finally play by his rules. That wasn’t it at all.
“The DNA test was to protect a billion-dollar enterprise.” If Shelly couldn’t understand that, then she’d lost more brain cells than he originally thought to her years of drug addiction.
“Oh, I understand what the test was meant to protect. But that’s money. Okay? Your brother is in love.” She sighed and her voice dropped. “There’s a big difference.”
The heat in Anthony’s chest built. Intense fury hit him like a wave. He wasn’t certain he understood the anger, and yet he couldn’t seem to force the rage from his body. A big difference? Did she think he couldn’t grasp the difference between commerce and love?
What did she know about love?
He gripped the steering wheel. He understood love. Love ripped your heart from your chest still beating and pumping. Love ground your desires beneath its heel. Love…like the love he saw when Aubrey looked at Justin, or when Justin had smoothed a gentle hand over Aubrey’s rounded belly after dinner tonight. Love like Anthony had held in his hand before—
“I’m the girl who grew up with you, the woman who left you, and the person who knows you better than anyone else. And I’m telling you that you can’t just think about money when the question is about love.”
With Shelly’s words, a roar filled Anthony’s chest and throat. Horrible thoughts and words he wanted to say filled his brain. He pulled to a sharp stop in front of Mrs. Bello’s home. Christmas lights furiously blinked their good cheer.
“You’re none of those things anymore.” His voice low, a growl. He bit the words out, turning a cold gaze to Shelly. “You’re an ex-girlfriend, and a recovering addict who may or may not stay clean. A girl I knew a long time ago, but someone who doesn’t mean much to my life now.” The muscle in his cheek flinched.
Shelly’s eyes revealed no emotion, but her face was pale as paste in the darkness of his car.
“Let’s make one thing clear. This playing nice with you I’m doing? It’s because I love your Nonna, and she loves you. I loved your brother like he was my brother. Don’t confuse my congeniality with forgiveness, because I’d just have soon left you in San Francisco or Texas or wherever the hell you were.”
To Shelly’s credit, she didn’t flinch. She didn’t cry. Instead a slow wry smile curled the corners of her mouth. “That’s the best you’ve got, Tony?” Shelly opened the door, her gaze still locked with his. “You keep pushing everyone away, pretty soon you’ll know what alone really feels like. And take it from me. Alone? It don’t feel so good.” Shelly climbed out of the car and slammed the door.
Her long legs strode up the sidewalk. Out of habit, he waited, watched her pull open the door and slip inside. He revved the engine, ready to pull away from the curb. Ready to punish the car for the conflicted feelings that raged through him. His foot pressed on the gas just as the front porch light flashed off and then back on.
His heart lurched. His foot came off the pedal. The memories of a million nights with Shelly filled his mind. Nights he’d wished were endless. Nights when he had dropped her off at home, back when they’d been dating, and she’d flashed the front porch light to let him know that everything was fine inside and she was heading to bed.
He gripped the steering wheel. Those days were gone. That life was dead. Shelly thought she knew him? Well, just like she was no longer the Shelly he’d fallen in love with, he was no longer the same guy she’d left behind.
He accelerated toward Manhattan, burning to put distance between himself and his old neighborhood. Because the farther he got from his past, the more likely he’d believe the lies he told himself about his future.