Page 35 of Coerced Queen

The hesitation that follows is so brief it’s almost unnoticeable, but I pay attention.

“I can work better here,” he says.

Without another word, he disappears around the door frame, the sound of the wheelchair soundless on the carpet runner.

At some point, he has to face people.He has to confront his demons in order to move on, but today isn’t that day.It’s too soon.I get that.

I fetch Claire and hold the fragile, perfect little girl on my arm, watching her hollow her tiny cheeks as she drinks greedily while I finish my breakfast with one hand.

I’m ready, dressed in champagne-colored pants and a matching sweater when Livy blows through the door in skinny jeans, a T-shirt withsweet as sugarsplashed over the front, and military style boots.An array of enamel pins with old pop group names are pinned onto the lapels of her oversized jacket, and a black scarf with a silver thread is wound loosely around her neck.

“Dante’s here.I packed homemade veggie lasagna to nuke at the office.It’s healthier than pizza and burgers.Do you need help with Claire?”

I smile.“I’m good, thanks.”

Livy grabs the diaper bag before darting to the door.I take the baby carrier.

“Where’s my gorgeous goddaughter?”Dante calls from the bottom of the stairs.

Leaning over the rail, I wave.“Coming.”

Saverio stands next to Dante, leaning on his crutches.

“You sure you don’t want to come?”Dante asks him.“The guys are asking about you at the club.”

Saverio purses his lips.“I have a physio appointment in ten.”

At the bottom of the staircase, Dante takes the baby carrier from me.“Hello, gorgeous.”He blows a kiss at Claire.“You’re going to have a ball today.I got us a stack of Disney movies.”

I laugh.“She’s too young.”

“There’s music.”Dante grins.“Babies are never too young for music.Got all the big classics too.”

When Dante changes hands, shifting the baby carrier to Saverio’s side, Saverio turns the scarred side of his face away from Claire.

“Please tell me you’re not going to make the DJ play Beethoven and Bach at the club,” Livy says.“I like them, but we can’t afford to lose more patrons.”

Dante snickers.“We’ll turn it into a new fashion.”

“You don’t have to come all the way out here to drive Anya and Livy,” Saverio says to Dante, not bothering to hide his irritation.“Kevin can take them.”

“In two weeks, I’ll be able to drive again,” I remind him.

Dante winks.“I don’t mind.”

“I can see that,” Saverio says with a narrowed gaze.

“We better go,” Livy suggests wisely.

Before Saverio’s unfounded jealousy gets out of hand, I usher Dante to the door.I’m about to follow when Saverio takes my hand.

“Aren’t you forgetting something,tesoro?”

The words recall that earlier version of us, the one we returned to last night.A memory of Saverio kissing me in front of the firm brings back bitter-sweet memories.

He reels me in until I stand flush against him, close enough for the heat of his body to wrap around me.I want to burrow deeper and pull away at the same time.I don’t want to be stuck in this strange limbo where I don’t know why he keeps me around.

Yes, he wanted me to leave, and when I made it clear I wasn’t going to abandon him when he was at his most vulnerable, he told me—no,warnedme—that I made my choice and that I’d have to live with it now.

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