Page 58 of The Killer Cupcake
[Exhaling slowly]
"God sees a son drowning in his mother's grief. A young man who traded pieces of his soul to atone for his mother’s sin."[Leaning closer]"You cannot undo the Sacrament—it is written in Heaven's book. But this arrangement? Sleeping at her feet like a servant?Thatcompounds the sin. You mock both the sacred vow and the innocent woman who bears your name."
Carmelo:
[Whisper raw as an open wound]
"So I should lie with Maria?Consummatethis farce? Destroy what Kathy and I built forever?"
Padre Vicente:
"No,figlio. You must choose: live with the choice you've made, as painful as it is… or confess the truth to both women. Face the consequences like the man God calls you to be. Let Him sort the ashes of whatever remains."
Carmelo:[Long silence, then a choked sob]
"Kathy will hate me. She'll never forgive this betrayal. I'll lose her completely. And if I lose her, I lose everything—I die.”
Padre Vicente:
"Perhaps you will lose her. But right now, she loves a man who doesn't exist—one who can promise her things you cannot deliver. And lies,mio caro, lies are the truest condemnation of all."
A Week Later-
"Maria?"
Maria stood at the kitchen sink with Caesar beside her, both laughing at something Caesar had just said. They looked up when Carmelo entered, their easy camaraderie a stark contrast to the tension he carried like a cloak on his shoulders. Caesar was supposed to drive him to the gym to meet Matteo and his new sparring partner—another step toward the championship fight that would eventually bring him back to the South, back to Kathy.
He had to break this lie. He had to tell the truth, no matter the cost.
"Can you wait in the car?" he asked Caesar quietly.
His brother's best friend read the gravity in his expression and nodded without question. "Sure thing, Melo." He squeezed Maria's shoulder affectionately. "Thanks for the coffee,bella."
After Caesar left, Maria returned to stirring her sauce, the wooden spoon moving in careful circles. "You hungry? I can pack something for you and Caesar to take to the gym."
"Can you... stop for a minute? Can we talk?"
"About what?" she asked, though her voice carried a note of resignation, as if she already knew what was coming.
"About us. About what's not happening between us. I think we need to?—"
"You know what?" Maria interrupted, setting down her spoon and turning to face him with forced brightness. "We could go to Coney Island this weekend. Just the two of us. Ride theCyclone, eat corn on the cob, walk on the beach." Her smile was heartbreaking in its hopefulness. "Like a real husband and wife."
He stared at her, this sweet young woman who deserved so much better than the shell of a marriage he'd given her. Since their union, his father had grown even bolder in his manipulations. Not only had he dragged Maria into their cursed life, but her mother was now living with his father, and there was talk of yet another marriage.
He sighed heavily. "Never mind, Maria. Forget I said anything."
He turned to leave, but her small hand caught his wrist, stopping him cold.
"I already know, Carmelo."
He looked back at her, his heart sinking. "Know what?"
"About her. About you and the girl you really love." Maria's voice was steady, but her dark eyes glistened with unshed tears. "Melo, everyone knows. I knew when you proposed that it was because of family obligations, not love. I'm not stupid." Her grip on his wrist tightened. "But you won't talk to me. You won't even look at me most days. You won't give me a chance to be your friend."
He stared down at her delicate hand, then up into eyes that held more wisdom and pain than any young woman should carry. "I ruined your life, Maria. I'm no better than my father—using people, destroying them for my own purposes."
"What?" Maria stepped back as if he'd slapped her, hurt flashing across her features. "How can you say that?"
