Page 62 of Lie to Me

I’ve planned on giving my notice in to the hospital, though I haven’t actually gotten that far yet.

I’ve planned the exact words I would say to my brother to break the news of my leaving.

I’ve planned where I would go and what I would do when I got there.

And I planned to put as much distance between me and those goddamn Romanos as possible.

Though that last plan was shot to hell when I got a message this morning from Izzy, demanding my presence ather apartment tonight for girls’ night, otherwise she’d track me down and physically drag me there herself.

Fucking Izzy.

Doesn’t she understand that I just want to fucking run and that I don’t need any reminders of what I’ve lost? I don’t want to be around her and Robyn when they get to live out their own happily ever afters while mine was shot to shit ten years ago by my own father.

So, I’m being petty and selfish. Trust me, after the shit I’ve been through, it’s allowed.

I once again find myself stepping into Izzy’s apartment and hear hushed voices coming from the living room. I turn the corner to find both Izzy and Robyn looking at something on a laptop.

“Hey,” I mutter with a resigned sigh before flopping down in the chair opposite them.

“Hey,” Robyn says softly while Izzy raises a brow at me.

“So, when are you leaving?” Izzy asks with cold detachment while Robyn looks between us both with a confused look on her face.

I sigh. “How did you know?”

“Marco came to dinner last Sunday looking like someone had kicked his puppy. I asked him what was wrong, but he wouldn’t say a word. I then said I’d just ask you, and he wished me good luck because you’re leaving.”

“These fucking Romanos,” I grumble under my breath as I stare out of the window before turning to meet her harsh glare.

Both women are beautiful. While Izzy sits perfectly poised wearing a red silk blouse with black leather pants, Robyn wears flared jeans with what looks to be Enzo’s hoodie. And while Izzy’s blonde hair is perfectly styled and her makeup subtle yet flawless, Robyn’s brown hair is piled on top of her head in a messy bun, no makeup in sight. Their personalities arecompletely at odds with each other, yet their shared connection formed from their love of the Romano brothers seems to have developed an unlikely friendship.

A friendship that they seem intent to envelop me in, though I’m still not sure if they want to be friends with me or if it’s because of my history with Marco.

“What’s going on, Sloane? You guys seemed close the night of the gala, so what happened? Maybe we can help you work it out?” Robyn asks softly, and I swear she seems so sweet and freaking innocent, but there’s a challenging glint in her eyes that I’m guessing was learned from her husband.

“Where is Alec?” I ask in an attempt to change the subject.

Izzy scoffs. “He got caught. Luca came home to pick something up and found Alec on his way into the building. Needless to say, my husband blew a gasket when he found out that Alec had been joining weekly girls’ nights and now he’s declared a weekly boys’ night that Alec must attend, so that he can’t come to ours anymore.” She rolls her eyes before waving a dismissive hand in the air. “But stop trying to change the subject. What happened with Marco?”

I let out a resigned sigh. “He’s in love with me.”

Robyn’s brows furrow in confusion while Izzy barks out a laugh.

“No fucking shit. That man has been in love with you for years, what’s the issue?”

“We have a lot of history, and a lot of that history is only just now coming to light for me. I need some time to wrap my head around everything. And how can I just let myself be happy and forget the past? It isn’t fair.”

There’s a tense silence as both women stare at me.

“You’re being an idiot,” Izzy snaps. “You’re letting what happened in the past dictate your future. I don’t know what happened between you two exactly, but you’re throwing away afuture with the man you love because you’re so stuck in the past, you can’t see anything else.”

I grunt in acknowledgement. “My father happened.”

“And your father is dead. Don’t let him win. Take it from someone who’s whole life was pretty much a lie due to their asshole father. You. Cannot. Let. Him. Win. Now, answer this. Do you love him?” Izzy asks.

Do I?

Of course I do. I may have never said the words aloud, but the feelings have always been there. Even in the years we were apart, I could never fully give myself to another because my heart always belonged with Marco.

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