Chapter Thirty-Four
Sue
My mother’s lips thinned. Paul set down his glass, shoulders stiffening. Michelle, sensing the shift, instinctively placed a protective hand over her belly.
Something heavy and cold settled in my stomach. What the hell was Neil doing here? I knew Mrs. Claven was a blabbermouth, but I didn’t expect word of my presence here to spread quite so quickly.
Paul pushed his chair back and stood, speaking through his teeth. “I’ll get rid of him.”
But before he could move, my father rose and stopped him with a gesture. He exuded pure Morelli patriarch authority as he strode toward the door and yanked it open.
There, on the front porch, smiling like the damn villain that he was, stood Neil Langley.
My fists clenched at my sides, aching with the need to wipe that smile off his face.
Neil had always been polished. He dressed the part of the rich, charming businessman, the Truffle Prince of Warwick. Now he wore a fitted blazer over a crisp white shirt, his hair carefully styled, his fake-ass smile perfectly in place.
It faltered a little when my father yanked open the door, murder in his eyes.
“Carlo.” Neil recovered quickly, pasting his smile back on. “Happy Easter.”
My father didn’t return the greeting. He didn’t even blink, just stared at Neil for ten long seconds.
“What do you want?” he said after Neil started to sweat. Dad’s voice was pure steel.
Neil let out a faux laugh, as though this was just a friendly visit. His gaze flicked past my father’s shoulder, searching the dining room.
“I heard Susanne was in town.” His eyes landed on me, unreadable. “I thought I’d stop by.”
Paul stepped in next to my father. “Well, you thought wrong.”
Neil frowned, looking perplexed at his best friend. Although he should check again with my brother about that.
“Paul, what’s up, buddy?”
“Don’t buddy me, Neil,” Paul said through his teeth. “I know what you did to my sister.”
Neil’s face was remarkably puzzled. “What are you talking about?”
Michelle crossed her arms. “You cheated on Susanne, you asshole.”
Neil exhaled dramatically, putting his hands in his pockets. “That was a misunderstanding. Besides, it happened years ago. You’d think I was the devil himself the way you’re all acting.”
“The devil at least has charm,” my mother spoke, her eyes darting ice and fire at Neil.
“You and I are going to talk about this in private,” Paul said flatly.
Neil’s eyes flared, but he forced his smile to stay in place. He looked at me again. “I look forward to it. I can explain everything. But for now, I’d like to talk to Sue.”
I stared at him. The last time I’d seen him was nearly ten years ago.
And now he was here, pretending that we could just pick up where we left off?
Like I hadn’t spent the past decade trying to erase the damage he’d done?
Maybe in his sick mind this was indeed just a misunderstanding.
The man had no concept of the harm he’d done to me.
I stood slowly, my chair scraping against the hardwood floor. “Fine, talk. You’ve got two minutes.”
Neil stepped forward, no doubt expecting me to invite him inside.
Paul physically blocked him.
Neil huffed. “Can we at least talk in private?”
I folded my arms. “This is as private as we’re getting.”
A muscle ticked in his jaw as he gazed around the table, taking in the stony faces and hostile stares. He clearly wasn’t getting the welcome he’d expected.
“Alright.” He exhaled loudly. “I’ll just say it. I made a mistake, Sue. I never should have let you go.”
A bitter laugh escaped me before I could stop it. “Oh, that’s rich. You let me go? That’s what you’re calling it?”
“I’m serious.” He took another step forward. “Sally was a mistake. Everything that happened after you left was a mistake. I—”
“You cheated on me, Neil.” My voice was sharp, clear as I pressed my hands down hard on the table and stared into his soulless eyes. “Not once. Not twice. You screwed my best friend behind my back repeatedly. And now you want to come crawling back because… what? She left you? Took your money?”
His mask cracked for a second. Then he swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down, and forced another smile. “You and I were meant to be together, Sue. Don’t you see? I made a mistake, I admit it, but everything that happened helped prove that we’re meant to be together.”
A chill ran down my spine. The man was insane.
I cocked my head, staring at him, beyond the handsome face and expensive clothes, straight into his little black heart. “You really believe that, don’t you?”
Something dark flickered in his eyes. “You belong with me and your family here in Warwick, not with some fancy city slicker. And he left you, just like I planned. I was trying to get you back, that’s why I did it all. The dating site, the kinky stuff—”
He stopped short, probably because my face had grown as white as a sheet.
But it was too late. I’d heard the son of a bitch loud and clear.
Paul sucked in a slow breath. “Wait. What?”
Neil realized his mistake a second too late.
“Oh my God,” I whispered. “It was you.”
I had been so sure Britt was behind the pranks, the sex swing, the fake dating profiles, the phone calls...
But it had been Neil. Looking back, I realized Britt had never actually claimed responsibility for any of it. Cam and I had just mistaken her lack of denial for an admission.
I stared at him in horror. “You were trying to sabotage my relationship with Cam. You wanted him to leave me, so you tried to make it look like I was some sort of—”
I stopped myself just in time. I couldn’t think of a synonym for slut that was appropriate to say in front of my parents. But Neil’s expression spoke volumes. That had been exactly his plan. He’d really thought Cam was that shallow and gullible.
Neil didn’t deny it. On the contrary, his expression was almost smug.
“Tell me that’s not romantic. Has any man gone to so much trouble to get his woman back? Has Mister Fancy CEO ever gone to so much trouble for you?”
I was speechless. His delusions had no limits.
How could a person be so oblivious to other people’s feelings, so self-absorbed?
It was beyond my understanding. The situation would be hilarious if it weren’t for my family, their hackles raised, waiting to tear Neil apart.
God, how tempted I was to lead the pack!
“What is he talking about?” Mom asked, clearly tired of this situation.
I waved a hand, gesturing vaguely. “I’ll fill you in later. Neil, let’s take this outside.”
Paul stepped in front of me; my father growled a protest; my mother and Michelle stood, ready to physically stop me from going outside with Neil.
My heart softened as I saw those four people who were ready to go to battle to defend me. My dear family. But this was one battle that I needed to finish alone. I wanted to.
I looked at all of them in turn. “I’ve got to do this. I’ll be right on the porch, and it will only take a minute.”
They took their sweet time before they reluctantly backed off.
“I’ll keep my eyes on you,” my father said to Neil, his voice lethal.
Neil swallowed audibly and turned toward the door.
Once we were outside, I closed the door behind me and turned to face Neil. I stared up at his handsome face, the sun making me squint a little. I had known that face so well. I used to see my future in it. Now all I saw was a mask that hid a whole lot of emptiness.
For the first time, Neil seemed to read something in my expression because his hopeful smile faded. “You’re not coming back to me?”
“No. Never.”
He looked genuinely puzzled. “Why not? Sue, we were great together, remember?”
I pushed the hair out of my face, shaking my head. Laughter bubbled in my throat. “Neil, do you have any idea what you did to me? Do you have any idea what I felt when I found you with my best friend? Can you comprehend the pain I felt, the trauma you caused me?”
His face was blank for a moment. Then I thought I saw a shadow of remorse cross over his features.
He looked down at his shoes, shoving his hands into his pockets.
“I said I was sorry. I begged you to forgive me, but you refused to even talk to me after that moment. I never even saw you again, because you left Warwick immediately.”
“It was the only way I could survive such a heartbreak. A new start.” I licked my lips. “Why did you do it? Why did you cheat on me? What did Sally have that I didn’t?”
He shrugged, still not looking me in the eyes. “Nothing. She didn’t have anything that you didn’t. On the contrary, she’s a bitter vindictive bitch, whereas you… Well, you’re treating me with more grace than she ever has.”
What a compliment. Still, I persisted. “Then why did you cheat on me? Were you in love with her?”
“Hell, no.” He finally looked me in the eyes. “There was no specific reason, Sue. I just didn’t know better. She was cute, flirty, she put out… It’s all a man needs. We’re not made to be monogamous, you know. It’s a scientific fact.”
I wanted to punch him so badly that I had to curl my fists and bury my fingernails in my palms.
I stared at him in disbelief. “That’s all you have to say? That’s why you broke my heart and destroyed my innocence, my hopes, my dreams? Because you think genetics dictates what you do with your dick?”
His eyes widened in shock, but I was done listening. I’d finally found my voice.
“You hurt me in ways you’ll never understand, Neil Langley.
But you know what? I’m grateful. Because if you hadn’t, I might have actually married you.
I might have wasted my life with someone who never deserved me.
I would never have had the chance to meet and fall in love with a real man, a man who is kind, honorable, and everything you never were. ”
His jaw tensed. “So you’re in love with that guy? Even though he dumped you when he thought you were a perverted sex maniac?”
I thought about Cam, about the ridiculous sex swing incident. That was an unfortunate misunderstanding I needed to warn him about. But Neil had no idea how wrong he was.
“He didn’t dump me. He never believed any of the crap you tried to set up.
And if you think all of this was some romantic gesture, then you’re even more delusional than I thought.
” I let out a short, humorless laugh. “I’m glad you came here today, Neil.
Because now I get to look you in the eye and tell you exactly what I should have said years ago—I would never, ever take you back.
Not in this lifetime, not in the next, not even if you were the last man on earth.
There is no way in heaven or hell that you will ever come back into my life. ”
His expression shifted, something mean and ugly surfacing, but I cut him off before he could speak.
“Go find your next victim,” I said coldly.
“I’m not it, not anymore, never again. And if you don’t want to test just how protective an Italian family can be, I suggest you get the hell out of here and never set foot on this land again.
You don’t have to be part of the Cosa Nostra to know how to make a man disappear. ”
He gulped audibly. His lips parted as though he wanted to argue, but then he took one look at my father—who was standing in the open door with his arms crossed, staring him down as though he was nothing more than a weed in his vineyard—and thought better of it.
Without another word, Neil turned on his heel and stalked off down the driveway, his footsteps crunching against the gravel.
I took the deepest breath I’d had in a long time, then turned and walked back inside, closing the door with firm finality.
My family was waiting for me, a wall of quiet support.
“Thank you, guys, for letting me do that,” I murmured.
My mother was the first to move. She stood, wrapping her arms around me. I sank into the warmth of her embrace, inhaling the scent of Italian perfume, home-cooked food, and the safety I had spent so many years running from.
“I’m proud of you, honey,” she whispered.
My father stepped forward next, placing a heavy, calloused hand on my shoulder. “Go and rest, bambina. It’s been a hard day. You did well.”
Something in my chest unclenched. His voice, his rough and steady touch felt like a refuge in the middle of an emotional storm. I turned and hugged him tightly.
Then Michelle pushed her huge belly against mine in a bear hug, and even Paul gave me a nod of approval before pulling me in for a quick, brotherly squeeze.
“Good job, Sis,” he muttered. “I’m still pissed at you for not telling me sooner. I spent years thinking he was my friend.”
I winced. “I didn’t want to ruin your friendship.”
“You shouldn’t have protected him.” His jaw tightened. “But at least now he knows exactly where he stands—with all of us.”
My gaze dropped slightly. “Yeah. Thank you. All of you.”
Paul studied me for a beat, then crossed his arms. “So… what’s your plan with Cam?”
I froze in the middle of crossing my arms.
My mother arched an eyebrow, suddenly far too interested in the answer.
I forced a tight smile. “I don’t know yet.”
Which wasn’t a lie. I needed time to process, to think. To gather the courage to face the feelings I had spent days trying to suppress. To be more honest with myself than I had ever been.
“I’m going to rest for a bit,” I said instead. “Thank you for lunch, Mom. It was amazing, as always.”
She waved me off, but her eyes were soft and shiny.
I dragged myself up the stairs, exhaustion weighing down on me with every step. It was strange how emotional battles could leave you feeling as though you’d physically run a marathon. One day I had to ask Lily all about this phenomenon. Or Helen—if I ever saw her again.
Collapsing onto my childhood bed, I let out a slow breath. The past forty-eight hours had been a whirlwind. I had fought two of the most important battles of my life—against my mother and against my past. And somehow, miraculously, I had won both.
But one battle still remained. For the first time, I knew exactly what I had to do. I just needed the courage to do it. After everything I had faced, I now felt that courage was finally within my grasp.