Epilogue
EPILOGUE
STEFANO
FOUR MONTHS LATER…
“ Y ou have some fucking nerve, Tiero,” Dante says, levelling a glare at me that could wither fresh cut flowers. While he’s been far more understanding than I ever thought he would be, things are still more than a little strained between us.
I mean, I can’t blame the man. I am in love with his daughter. That was never going to go down well, but he’s handling it with more grace than I have a right to expect. He’s even started inviting me back to his family dinners. Although that has more to do with Katerina refusing to attend if he didn’t than him actually wanting me there. It’s progress though.
“I realise that. But I can’t imagine not having you there.” This is as close to begging as I’m ever likely to get in my life, but I’ll do it if it means I can have my best friend stand by my side at my wedding.
The damage to our friendship hurt me almost as much as I expected it to, but I wouldn’t sacrifice what I found with Katerina for it, and I think that’s what hurt Dante the most. It’s an unspoken truth that if it came down to it I’d choose a life with Katerina every time over a lifetime of friendship. That’s a hard fact to overcome and it weighs heavy between us, but there’s no escaping it.
And it’s the way it should be. I love her above anyone or anything else in my life.
“Let me get this straight. You’re not asking for my permission to marry my daughter. You’re asking me to be your best man? Have you got a death wish, because you are testing the limits of my newfound acceptance of your relationship with my daughter?”
“Katerina doesn’t need anyone’s permission, Dante. And if she found out I asked, she’d kick both of our asses on principle,” I reply, a smirk teasing my lips, imagining her doing just that. Dante lets out a huff of laughter, knowing full well she’d have no qualms giving us a piece of her mind. Reaching a hand out to rest it on his shoulder, I continue, “When I marry your daughter, she wants you to walk her down the aisle, and I want nothing more than for you to stand by my side when I do. I know, believe me, I know that I’m asking a lot. But even if you say no, nothing is going to stop me marrying her.” I fold my arms across my chest, preparing to hear the worst.
The silence grows from merely awkward to next-level painful, but I don’t falter, waiting for as long as it will take to hear his response.
“Fine.” My brows raise, shooting somewhere close to my hairline in complete shock. I mean, it’s hardly an enthusiastic response, but considering the state of our friendship, it’s probably more than I could have expected.
I can’t contain my happiness, and he grumbles as I pull him in for a brief and heartfelt hug. It’s awkward, but it goes a long way to reassuring me that one day we’ll be close again.
“So, when is this wedding?” He grinds out as I finally release him and take a step back, knowing my expression must be more than a little sheepish right now. “Stefano?”
“That’s the thing… what are you doing this afternoon?”
Want to find out how Aurora Bianchi became don?
Go back to the start and read Broken Princess & Brutal Queen , the introduction to the The Bianchi Chronicles
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