Page 107 of Irreplaceable
He cut into a piece. “They gave me a warning. He was upset but understood once I explained what had happened.”
I nodded. “That’s good. Crew always speaks highly of Knox.”
Enzo’s fork screeched against the plate. “Crew? When did you talk to Crew?”
“He came to Juliana’s last weekend to watch the game.” As with all the other away games, we’d had a watch party at Juliana and Harrison’s. It was low-key but fun. And I loved spending so much time with my friends.
“You never mentioned that.”
I lifted a shoulder. “We’re friends. Our friends are married to each other.”
“I don’t like it. I don’t want you seeing him.”
I frowned, anger slithering through me. “You’re kidding me, right?”
“No.” He leaned his elbows on the table and angled toward me. “I’m not.”
I pushed back from the table and stood. I was not okay with Enzo telling me what to do. Who to see or where to go. Since we’d started dating, my choices had been restricted enough, and I was over it. “Do you realize how much I’ve given up to be with you?”
He jerked his head back and tossed his napkin on the table. “Excuse me?”
That had come out wrong. But now that I’d said the words, there was no taking them back. Besides, in a sense, they were true.
“I just—” I sighed, feeling defeated. Exhausted. Overwhelmed. Alone.
“I’m sorry you feel like it’s such a sacrifice to be with me,” he sneered, anger and hurt bleeding through his words.
“I’m not. That’s not what I meant.” He’d somehow turned this around to where I felt guilty.
He scoffed. “No? What did you mean then? Because I’ve given you everything, uccellina. A beautiful home. A car. Anything you could ever want is yours.”
Wow. I blinked a few times, taken aback by his statement. Did he not know me at all?
“That’s just it. I don’t care about things. I want to be able to go to a bakery with my friends without being photographed. I want to be able to do my job without being followed. I want my freedom.”
He clenched his jaw so hard I thought he might crack a molar. “No one’s forcing you to stay.”
My heart was in my throat. “Tell me the truth, Enzo.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “If there was no baby, would we even be together?”
His nostrils flared, and he stood and stalked toward me. “I can’t believe you’d ask me that.”
“And I can’t believe you’d try to tell me who I can and cannot see.” I massaged my temples, a headache building. “That isn’t love. Love is trust.”
This was why I dated the bad boys. Because if I was never emotionally invested, I could never get hurt. But I’d let Enzo in. I’d trusted him. I loved him. And I couldn’t imagine my life—or Aiden’s—without him.
But he’d never actually answered my question. When he still didn’t say anything, I turned and headed for the bedroom. My heart ached. I just wanted to go to sleep and pretend this day had never happened.
* * *
“Oh, Juliana,”I sighed, lifting my hands to my lips. I was overcome with emotion, and I wanted to blame it on my hormones, but I knew it was more than that.
Ever since the fight, things had been tense between Enzo and me. It didn’t help that we were both stubborn. Both stressed. I knew he was under a lot of pressure, but I’d wanted something… I don’t know. More.
He’d been in Italy the past two weeks, training, and I’d been miserably alone. I was so pregnant it was uncomfortable, and I was counting down the days until Aiden was born. Between the time difference and Enzo’s busy schedule, we barely had time to talk. Even so, it felt as if he was avoiding me.
“Aw.” Juliana hugged me to her. “I’m so glad you like it.”
I nodded and tried to focus on being present in this moment. I fingered the silver design of my bracelet, feeling as if the path of my life had just veered off course again. And I tried to remind myself that that was okay. Normal.