Page 47 of Out of the Shadow

That kiss has been haunting me ever since Thursday night. Why had I thought talking with my sister about this would be a good idea? “You don’t get it.”

“No. I don’t. You know what I think about your soul mate idea, Angie. It works for Mama because our father isalive. And Nonna was with Nonno forover sixty years. She’s not interested in moving on because she’s in her eighties, for God’s sake. Dante, may he rest is peace, has been gone for a decade and you’re barely thirty years old. You still have more than—I don’t know—fifty, sixty years ahead of you. You can’t be tied to someone you were married to for two years.”

“It’s not like that and you know it. I loved Dante.” I suck in my breath. “Love. I love him. To this day.” I swipe tears off my cheeks.

Over the phone, my sister’s voice gentles. “I know you love him, honey. And he loved you. But he wanted you to move on after he passed. Isn’t that what we he wrote as the last item on your Bucket List?”

I move my feet faster around my small apartment. This is something she only mentions when she wants to bring out the big guns. “Don’t mention that to me again. I never read that.”

“Sit down, Angie. I know you’re making a rut in your apartment.”

“Fine.” I stop in place and settle onto a stool that’s tucked under the kitchen peninsula. But my breathing doesn’t calm.

“Now listen to your big sister. I love you. And I loved Dante. He was a good man, who was taken from us much too soon. But he’s gone. And King is here.”

At the mention of my co-star’s name, I snort. “He’s a playboy.”

“Who kissed you. And who, might I add, you kissed back.”

“Did not,” I reply without too much force. Because, God help me, I did.

She ignores me and continues, “I’m not saying you have to marry the man. But he’s hot as hell.”

I tap the peninsula. It’s not just his looks, though. He’s been dedicated to the agency, working so hard to learn the real estate business. And he opened up to me in a way I never imagined he would. His childhood…

Through the phone, Juliana continues, “You need to get out. Live a little. Do something totally wild. Break free. Dante loved you because you had a zest for life. He wouldn’t recognize the shell of a woman you’ve become.”

Leave it to Juliana to tell it like she sees it, no matter how harsh.

I jump off my stool, which crashes onto the floor. “How dare you! I’m successful. I’m making a name for my real estate company. It’s hard work.”

A beat of silence stretches between us. “All I’m saying is that you need to reengage with life. And if King wants to be the man to reintroduce you to the land of the living, you should grab him and hold on. He looks like he could rock your world. And honey, you really need to be rocked.”

Although she’s been urging me to move on for a while now, for some reason her words strike home this time. Maybe it’s because she’s never dared to be this direct before. Maybe it’s because of that kiss. Even so, I’m not ready to think about it. “Thanks for your advice. I have to get out to the Open House.” I disconnect the phone before she can dispense any more “sisterly wisdom.”

The apartment is quiet except for the chiming of the grandfather clock Dante and I received from his parents for our wedding. They knew he was sick, of course, but they wanted us to cherish every moment we had together.

I right the stool and walk into my bedroom. Besides my sister and the delivery people who set up my bed and dresser, I’m the only person who’s ever been in here. The loneliness of the thought pulses within me as I open the nightstand drawer and pull out the Bucket List. This time, I skip all the other items and unfold the bottom of the page, the part of the list that always remains folded. There it is, scrawled in Dante’s oversized handwriting:

Angie gets married again, has babies, and lives a full life of adventure for the both of us—with my blessing

Crying, I fold it back over and tuck it into the drawer.

I can’t do this, Dante. You’re my soul mate. No one else will ever take your place.

King’s lips on mine felt electrifying. And so, so wrong.

“What should I do, Dante?” The last item on the Bucket List item mocks me. Hewantedme to move on. But if I move on, it’ll be like admitting he’s never coming back. It’ll be like saying he doesn’t matter to me anymore, and that’ll never, ever be true.

I grab a tissue and wipe away my tears, only to realize that my makeup is now a total disaster. Heading into my tiny bathroom, I fix up what I can. The show’s makeup department will have to do more work on me than usual.

Exhaling a deep breath, I put King out of my mind. His lips and tongue—which were like a little slice of heaven—don’t figure into my life. He wants to learn real estate? Well, I’m going to show him how things are really done by throwing an epic Open House today. And I’ll look good doing it.

I’m putting the final paperwork that I reviewed last night into my briefcase when a knock sounds at the front door of my apartment. Juliana. She must’ve driven like a bat out of hell to get over here so quickly. Well, too bad. I don’t want to see her. From inside the apartment, I say, “Juliana, I’m not—”

A baritone voice rings through the door. “It’s not Juliana. It’s me, King.”

My heart jumps into my throat.King. What is he doing here? “Go away.”

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