“How’s the leg been?” She eyed my thigh. “I noticed you haven’t been limping as much.”
“Carmine has me seeing a specialist and he thinks we’re going to go into surgery soon,” I said, leaning back against the counter. Some bottles rattled as I stretched my back and rubbed my knee. “Doctor thinks that’ll finish any lingering issues I might have.”
“That’s amazing, right? I mean, you were a mess when you first came here.”
She was absolutely right. Months ago, back at the beginning of my college career, I was a total wreck.
But then I found Carmine, and things changed.
Now it was the first weekend after my first year of school and I felt… strange. Like I was missing something. Like I’d lost something.
But also good, like I had so much to look forward to.
“How’s Mal doing?”
Cap sighed. “Busy like always. Running the south side has him stressed.”
“But he’s good at it. Carmine says he’s killing it.”
“I think kill is the operative word there.”
I laughed and nodded. “Where Carmine rules with forgiveness and loyalty—”
“Mal rules with violence. That’s just how it goes in the Falsone world.” Cap grinned and raised her glass. “Here’s to the boys.”
I toasted her with my glass of Coke and took a long sip. Cap ran a hand through her hair and looked around before smiling.
“Hopefully, he won’t get sent to Dallas,” I said. “Carmine keeps grumbling about something happening up there with the Russians.”
“Don’t worry about that. Mal’s not interested in getting pulled into that nonsense.”
“And yet Carmine thinks it’s inevitable.”
Cap grinned at me. “You’re starting to see the cracks, huh? Not all’s perfect between them?”
“And here I was thinking they were the bestest of best friends.”
“They love each other. But they’re like two bucks slamming their antlers together and always will be.” She cocked her head and looked toward the door. “Speaking of the boys…” She trailed off, nodding.
I followed her gaze. Mal and Carmine stepped into the Lowdown, looking around with scowls on their faces. I smiled at Carmine, and his shoulders instantly eased as he saw me and walked over, slipping behind the bar and give me a deep kiss. Mal did the same with Cap, and for a second, the room was silent as I looked into Carmine’s eyes.
It still hit me. Every time he came near, it struck me. That tingling, excited, butterfly-feeling in my gut. He wrenched it all out and swirled it around and made me giddy with his nearness. I felt like it was all brand new—every day.
“How’s my favorite girl doing?” he asked quietly.
“Cap’s okay. And I’m busy.”
He laughed and kissed me. “Don’t be fresh.”
“I like being fresh. The punishments are worth it.”
“Oh, god,” Cap groaned. “You two are still disgusting.”
“Get a room,” Mal said quietly.
“Actually, I do need to talk to you,” Carmine said, squeezing my hand. “Would you two like to join as well?”
Cap pretended to look surprised. She was very bad at it. A stone lodged itself in my gut and I looked at them. “What’s going on?” I asked.
Carmine tugged me out from behind the bar.
“I’ll pour drinks,” Mal said, glaring like he always did.
Cap hurried after us, beaming.
“What’s happening?” I pressed Carmine. “We were just talking about Dallas, and all the trouble, and—”
“Forget Dallas,” Carmine said, and pushed open the office door.
It was draped in white twinkling fairy lights and drenched in flowers. Hundreds of flowers, from roses to tulips, huge bouquets of them thrown all over. I sucked in a surprised breath and noticed some flowers from back home, like the sword lily, and the dahlia, and marigolds. I looked around and finally turned back to Carmine.
He was on one knee with a ring box open in his palm.
My hands flew to my lips.
“This was a long time coming,” he said quietly. “I wanted to wait until you were finished with your first year of school before dropping it on you.”
“Carmine.”
“I love you, Jules. You changed my life. Before you, I was bitter and angry and lost. I didn’t think I could learn to live again. But you brought me back. Every day that I’m with you is better than the day before it, and I want to spend the rest of my life as your husband.”
“Carmine!”
“Will you marry me?”
“Yes, I’ll marry you. Of course I will!”
He slid the ring on my finger. Big diamonds, sparkling and bright. I could barely see them through my tears.
Cap clapped and cheered. I thought I heard Mal shout something happy, but probably not, it was still Mal after all.
But all I could think was Carmine, Carmine, Carmine.
He kissed me, deep and slow, and I held him tight. My forehead pressed against his.
“Is this why you’ve been so strange lately?” I asked quietly, blinking back the joy that streamed down my face.
“I wanted to surprise you.”
“Congratulations. You did it. Were Cap and Mal involved?”