Page 61 of Comforting the Grump

“Oh my god, that was the best thing ever. We had so much fun, and it’s such a gorgeous city. My highlight was seeing the Sagrada Familia in person. It’s this massive cathedral they’ve been building since 1882, and it’s still not finished.”

My eyes widened. “Wait, what? They’ve been working on it for over a hundred years?”

Cas nodded. “Crazy, right? The original design is by the famous architect Gaudí, but they kept running out of money. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“That sounds amazing.”

“Tiago would love to take me all around the world, but I do actually need to work, unlike him.”

Tiago and his twin, Tomás, had been supermodels and had only recently retired from their modeling careers. “I get that you’re not ready to retire.”

“Dude, I feel like I’m only getting started. Tiago gets frustrated sometimes, but it’s because there’s so much he wants to show me, but he understands I need to prioritize my business. It’s great that he’s got money, but I don’t, and I need to look at my future.”

“How’s the contracting business going?”

Cas’s eyes lit up. “Booming, actually! I landed a huge project renovating an old Victorian. It’s going to be a monster, but the payoff will be worth it.”

I smiled, genuinely happy for my friend’s success. But I couldn’t quite quash the twinge of envy that pricked at my heart. If only I hadn’t lost all that money, maybe I’d be telling Cas about my own exciting business venture right now. Cas musthave sensed my mood shift. He reached across the table and squeezed my hand. “Hey, what’s going on in that pretty head of yours? You went quiet all of a sudden.”

I plastered on a bright smile. “Oh, it’s nothing. Just thinking about how much I’ve missed Forestville. And you, of course.”

Cas narrowed his eyes, clearly not buying it. But before he could press further, I quickly changed the subject. “So tell me more about this Victorian project. I bet it’s going to be stunning when you’re done with it!”

As Cas launched into the details, I tried to focus on his words and push my financial woes to the back of my mind. This was supposed to be a fun catch-up with an old friend, after all. No use dwelling on things I couldn’t change. But even as I nodded and laughed at Cas’s animated storytelling, my heart was heavy.

Cas’s story about the Victorian renovation trailed off, and he fixed me with a penetrating look. “Okay, spill it, Ennio. Something’s eating at you. I can tell.”

I sighed, my shoulders slumping. There was no use trying to hide it from Cas. He knew me too well. “Is it that obvious?”

“Only to someone who knows what a ray of sunshine you usually are,” Cas said gently. “What’s going on?”

I toyed with my napkin, avoiding his gaze. The bustling chatter of the restaurant faded into the background as I struggled to find the words. “I…I lost all my savings,” I finally admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.

Cas’s sharp intake of breath made me look up. His face was a mask of concern. “Oh, Ennio. What happened?”

The whole story came tumbling out then—the bad investment, the promise of high returns, the sickening realization that I’d been duped. As I spoke, I could feel the sting of tears threatening, but I blinked them back furiously. I wouldn’t cry. Not here, not now.

“I feel so stupid,” I finished, my voice cracking slightly. “All those years of saving, gone in an instant.”

“That’s why you’re staying with Marnin. It didn’t make sense to me that you wouldn’t simply stay in Forestville while applying for jobs, but you need the money.”

“Yeah, I do. And he’s been so generous, letting me stay without allowing me to pay for anything. He’s been amazing… And yes, the sex is still great, to answer your earlier question.”

“You’re falling for him…” Cas’s voice was gentle.

Of course he would pick up on that. “Spare me the warnings, okay? I know it’s stupid.”

Cas shrugged. “That’s what I told myself after meeting Tiago, and look how that turned out.”

“Marnin isn’t interested in anything serious. He’s made that abundantly clear.”

“People change, honey. Look at your own brother who suddenly fell for a man. Or at Tomás, who was the world’s most famous bachelor and is now a devoted stepdad.”

“I can’t allow myself to have hope… I’m afraid I’ll only end up even more hurt.”

“I’m so sorry about your money. It’s easy for me to say, but this was not your fault. He was a predator, a criminal, and you aren’t the only one who fell for it.”

“I know, and on some level, that does make me feel better, but only a little. But it doesn’t bring back my money. Or my dream.”

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