82. Enzo
EIGHTY-TWO
ENZO
I paced the living room after I got off the phone with Rosalie. She was only a few minutes away. Fox had come home long ago and went straight to his room. He and I needed to sit down and have a heart-to-heart.
But goddamn, he pissed me off.
I know this shit sucked, but it was our life now. He swore he was in. He knew that this was what would happen. Or at least I assumed he did.
It was an argument I was tired of having.
Truth be told, we were both mad at one another.
I was pissed because of a lot of shit he’d done, like letting Anson watch him fuck our girl, or not telling me about his old man and his ties to the De Santis family, about him and Rosalie discussing running away.
The list went on. I’m sure he had a list a mile long on me, too.
Headlights flashed in the window, and I immediately looked outside to see Rosalie pulling into the driveway.
I backed away from the glass, not wanting to overwhelm her by rushing outside. I heard Fox’s footsteps on the stairs. I assumed he’d been sitting at his window, watching and waiting like I had been.
He didn’t say a word to me as he swept past. I stood in the living room, watching out the window as he rushed to her and pulled her into his arms. I swallowed hard as he kissed her, cradling her face.
I wasn’t an idiot. I knew how much they loved one another.
Sometimes I wondered if she’d even stay if he went off to play pro ball.
It was one of the reasons I was trying so hard to get this wedding over with.
She’d be my wife, and then they’d both stick around.
Despite our recent issues, I loved Fox so goddamn much it hurt.
I just sucked at showing him.
Fox escorted Rosalie into the house. The air shifted as she stared at me.
“Hey, Sunshine.” I carved a smile onto my face and went to her. I promised myself I wouldn’t demand answers or push her on anything, hoping she’d tell me what was happening.
She wrapped me in a hug, her head against my chest. I closed my eyes and breathed her in. She didn’t smell like my Sunshine. She had a spicy cologne smell, and I bristled against it.
I glanced over her head to Fox, who stared back at me with a stony expression. He had to have smelled it, too.
“I missed you.” I kissed her gently. She didn’t hesitate. She kissed me right back.
“I missed you, too,” she answered.
I smiled down at her. “You smell like cologne.” The words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them. Fox shot me a glare. We swore we wouldn’t push this shit, but fuck me. I had to know.
“Let’s talk.” She took my hand and led me to the couch. I sat where she indicated, Fox following. She took a spot on the loveseat and focused on us.
“I’m glad Ethan and Cole are gone. I think this is actually good,” she started.
I breathed out, really fucking hoping she wasn’t going to shatter our world.
“I’m not going to lie or hide it from you guys. I was so upset because I was offered a recording contract. I-I turned it down.” She twisted her fingers in her lap, her voice cracking. “Seeing everyone fight was the last straw.”
“What? Why?” I demanded, sitting forward. Fox didn’t look the least bit fazed at the news.
Suddenly, it all clicked. The reason why Anson was so intent on reaching her that night. Why he was willing to fight Cole to get to her. He knew. He was trying to stop her from throwing her future away.
“Ethan needs me. He begged me not to leave, so I turned it down, but it’s more than that.
” She breathed in deeply. “Our lives aren’t good right now.
I worry that if I leave, it’ll only put more distance between us.
Right now, I want to focus on us. Ani said Alex would probably reconsider me if I decided to do it later.
For now, I’ll finish the semester in the music program before shifting to the teaching route in the fall. ”
“No,” I snarled at her. “Absolutely fucking not, Rosalie. You’re going to sign that goddamn contract?—”
“I’m not,” she said, her voice trembling. “I’ve made my decision. It’s final. I’ve already turned it down. I need to focus on what’s important to me, and that’s you guys. So I’m staying.”
I raked my fingers through my hair, irritated out of my fucking mind. Sure, I didn’t want her to go, but I didn’t want to be the reason she didn’t get her dreams. It was killing me inside.
“I want you to go, Rosie,” Fox murmured. “You can’t stay here. You’re right. Shit’s a mess, but you’ll end up resenting us later on if you miss out on this. Please reconsider.”
“I did. I chose you guys,” she whispered. “And I’ll keep choosing you. Always.”
I looked at Fox to see a stricken look cross his face.
He was holding a gold coin, flipping it over his knuckles.
I’d never seen him with it before, but fuck, I hadn’t been paying much attention.
Maybe it was something new, although the symbol made me frown.
I couldn’t quite place it, but it looked familiar.
“I’m not staying, baby,” Fox said gently, sitting forward. I swallowed hard at his words. I knew he was leaving. I wouldn’t want to hold him back from his dreams either. But fuck, did it suck.
“I, uh, I’ll probably leave to play ball. I’m not going to stay behind. I’ve made my decision if I get drafted. None of us should stay here if we can get out.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” I asked tightly.
“It means that if there’s a fucking out, we should take it,” Fox answered back, his focus entirely on Rosalie.
“Fox,” I started.
“We’re not doing this,” Rosalie called out. “I’m not going to listen to more fighting. Foxy, I want you to play ball. I’ll be here waiting for you to come home. I’ll be your biggest fan. You know I will.”
“It’s not going to be like that,” Fox said, his voice shaking. “If I leave, I’m not coming back. I-I’ll be in another state to play for whatever team takes me.”
I ground my teeth at that. I knew that was a real possibility, but motherfucker…
“I don’t understand.” Rosalie frowned. “Are-Are you leaving us?”
Fox sighed. “I don’t want to. I just… if I leave, you need to as well. It’s unfair for me to get my dreams while you don’t. I don’t want that for you. I don’t want that for any of us. It comes back to me not wanting you to resent us.”
“But are you saying you-you’ll break it off with m-me?” Her voice shook as she stared at him.
A pained expression crossed his face, making my heart clench.
There was no fucking way he’d leave her.
Something was going on with him. Yes, we’d all been tense lately, but Fox wasn’t himself.
Quieter. Moodier. Sad. This wasn’t the Fox Evans I knew.
Fox would fucking cut the stars from the night sky and die on their points for our girl. He’d not walk out.
But he’d been saying he wanted out…
“You’re not going to leave us,” I said softly. “You know the rules, Fox. The only way out is in a fucking body bag.”
Fox finally looked at me, his blue eyes filled with so much sadness that my breath caught. He stopped flipping his coin.
“That’s what I’m afraid of, Enzo.”
“I promise,” I choked out, reaching for his hand. I grasped it hard. “Fox, I fucking promise. Please. I don’t want our family torn apart. I can make this work for us.”
“You can’t, Enzo. You know you can’t. Rosalie is going to give up her dreams for this. You know she will. We can’t let her. Fucking tell her, man. Make her go . I-I don’t want someone to get hurt. Or worse. Please. I’m fucking begging you to listen to me. Lorenzo. I need you to listen to me.”
I searched his face, my chest tight. “Fox…”
“Please,” he whispered. “I’ll do anything, man. Just listen to me for once.”
“I…my father…my family.”
“We’re your family too,” he murmured. “We are. We’re falling apart. Just walk away. Once you do, then we’ll have it all. I would give up anything for Rosalie, even my life. What are you willing to give up?”
His words made my heart ache. “I would die for her, too.”
“It should never come to it. It wouldn’t come to it if we left.”
“Fox, man, please. I can’t disappoint my father.
I’ve never done shit in my life to make him proud.
Now I am. He and my mom need me right now.
They need my protection. Even if I wanted to go, I-I can’t.
I’m in too deep. This is my life now. I’m sorry.
I swear to you that I’ll make it to the top for us and take care of my family.
I need you. Rosalie needs you. Fucking E and Cole need you.
Just…stay. You can play ball, but we’re your home.
Your family. Please. Don’t throw us away. ”
“I’m not the one throwing us away,” he whispered.
“This is something we should all discuss,” Rosalie said. “With Cole and Ethan, too.”
“We don’t need to because we’re not going to break our family up. Right, Fox?” I stared at him, his hand still in mine.
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed.
“Right. We’re not. We’re in it until the death,” he whispered, his voice shaking.
I closed my eyes and rested my forehead against his. “Forever, Constantino. No outs. Not ever. Promise me. Even in death, we will return to one another.”
“No outs,” he choked out. “Even in death we return.”
I pulled away and kissed the corner of his lips gently. “Thank you. This means the world to me. To us.”
He said nothing as I released his hand. I turned my focus back to Rosalie, feeling like shit over everything. The fear was still gnawing at me despite his saying he’d not break us up.
“Sunshine. What else?” I swallowed hard and stared at her. “You’ll call Alex, right?”
She wiped at the tears on her cheek before inhaling. “I’m not calling Alex. Not right now. Maybe I can try if I still feel like doing it in a few years. Right now, my answer has to be no.”
I shook my head, furious at her choice. “You’re making a mistake?—”
“Maybe,” she answered, her voice small. “But it’s my mistake to make.”