Page 8 of Mafia Book Boyfriend

Yaya snorted. “I doubt that. Xander doesn’t get angry easily. You guys seemed so happy. What happened?”

I took a deep breath and told her the whole situation. I was glad to have someone who wanted to listen to my explanation and didn’t just storm off like a child. When I finished, she x-rayed me with the hard brown stare of a teddy bear. “Are you here to spy on him, on us?”

“No. Oh, my God, Yaya, no. Absolutely not. I swear—”

She stopped me and shook her head. “I believe you—”

“You do?” Tears filled my eyes. “Why couldn’t it have been that simple with Xander? A two-minute explanation and we could’ve continued enjoying our visit. Why couldn’t he wait to ask?”

“Scared.” I shook my head, but she ignored it. “It’s hard to hold your destiny in your arms. It’s so easy to wish, dream, and hope for someone to love and be loved by. But to accept it takes a lot of courage.”

“He cared so much that he couldn’t even hang around to discuss it with me?”

“Which proves my point. He would have just sat down and listened if his feelings weren’t on the line. It would have been easy to hear you out. But now he’s running. He’s scared. Scared that he made a mistake. That he fell for the wrong person.”

“That’s ridiculous. I’m the one who got matched with him. I’m the one who signed up for the agency. No one tricked me into joining. I wanted this.”

Yaya nodded. “And you still do. Don’t you?”

The sea was the bluest I’d ever seen it. The waves went out and returned a few times before I answered. “Yes. I still want him. But I worked hard to build up my self-confidence.” I focused on her again. “Part of that, a huge part, was learning when to let go. If someone doesn’t want you, then maybe it’s time…”

“Oh, I see.” She sat back, watching the sea as I’d done.

“What?”

“Now, you’re running scared. I understand. It’s as I said. Finding your destiny is difficult. Accepting love—”

“We never said we loved each other. We haven’t known each other very long—”

“Pfft.” She smacked her lips and rolled her eyes. Yaya gave great eye rolls. “It took one week, and I was in love with my husband. Now, I let him chase me for six months. Chasing is the best part. You young girls don’t know what you’re missing. He ended it when he saw me flirting with another man. He lost it. He put his foot down and said, now or never.” She sighed. “We were married within a week.”

“You planned a wedding in a week?” I asked, trying to keep the astonishment from my voice.

She winked and gave me a saucy grin. “I found my dress, the bridesmaid’s dresses, the cake, and the ring I wanted, all picked out by the second week.” I laughed, and she joined me. “Told you, I knew. And I wasn’t wrong. We were married, God rest his soul, for fifty-six years.” She pointed to my heart. “And you know, too.” She held up a hand before I responded. “No, don’t tell me. The first time you say it. He should be the one who hears it.”

“Only he’ll never hear it. He left the house and hasn’t been back for three days. He doesn’t want anything to do with me.”

“I doubt it. How have you been getting around?”

My nostrils flared, and I shook my head. “He didn’t even give me a way to leave.”

She tipped her head smugly. “Exactly. What does that tell you?” Before I could find a way to tactfully say; that he’s an asshole. She said. “He’s not letting you get away.”

“Well, he can’t keep me here in limbo forever. He needs to get back up here soon, or I’ll be gone. Even if I have to swim to the mainland.”

“Don’t start swimming yet. I’ll get him up here.”

“How? I’m not begging him. I mean it, Yaya.”

“Don’t worry about it. Nicos will take care of it.”

“Nicos?”

She nodded and winked at me. “Nicos”

* * *

“So, you’re the girl that’s got Xander’s panties twisted in a bunch.” A deep voice rattled the library where I’d curled on a couch. He’d startled me so much that I dropped my book, but he scooped it up before it hit the ground. Catching it impossibly fast. I reached for the book and froze. Holy hell, this guy was fucking hot. Xander was handsome, his face, dimples, body could turn me on with a single look.

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