Gabriella had barely waited six hours.
"Now's your chance," the woman said, motioning for Gabriella to speak. "You have the opportunity to defend yourself."
Lie, Dante had told her.
But she was sick of lying. Lying meant denying him. It meant discrediting everything that happened, like there was something shameful about it.
And heck, maybe there was.
Maybe she was supposed to be ashamed… ashamed of herself, ashamed of him… but she felt nothing of the sort. Despite the hot water it had her in, despite the chaos loving him caused, he'd been one of the greatest things to happen to her. She saw in him something she didn't see in many others. Civility. Ironic, maybe, considering the life he'd been living, considering the family he'd been given, but that just made it all the more powerful. Despite the odds stacked against him, Dante tried to live with honor. And maybe he failed sometimes, but oh how he tried…
"It's true," Gabriella said, looking around at the stern faces as shock set in. Everyone seemed stunned by her words except for Crabtree. He wasn't surprised in the least. "Although, I guess we see it differently. I know it's a morally gray area, being with Dante Galante… I was aware of that from the beginning. I took care of him when nobody else wanted to. The nurses gossiped, and the doctors sneered, and they all avoided him, writing him off, breaking every rule in the book. His medical information was shared in the halls. His wishes were disregarded like what he wanted didn't matter. He was treated more like a prisoner than a patient, but I gave him a chance. When nobody else was around, I was there. And maybe it's wrong, that something grew out of that, but I'm not the only one in the wrong."
"Maybe so," Crabtree said, "but your actions are the ones being discussed today, not any conceived slights you believe occurred."
"And fraternizing with patients isn't just a gray area," the CNO chimed in. "It's also a dangerous one. It's taking advantage."
Gabriella tried to keep a straight face, but she laughed at that.
Crabtree's eyes narrowed. "Something funny, Nurse Russo?"
"No… well, yeah, it is kind of funny, because if you think Dante Galante is the kind of man that someone can take advantage of, you've clearly not spent enough time with him. Which is sad, considering you were his doctor. The fact that you think I had the power to persuade him is laughable. Flattering that you think so highly of my abilities, but still… wow."
The doctor glared at her.
Gabriella knew she had not a chance in the world of walking away from this. It was the beginning of the end. Even if it weren't a terminable offense, which it was, they'd fire her out of spite.
"We have no choice but to take action against you, Nurse Russo," the CNO said. "And due to the seriousness, the state nursing board will have to be notified, so they can assess the impact this will have on your license, if any."
It would, without a doubt. Gabriella was certain. "So, you're firing me?"
"We're going to give you an opportunity to resign," Crabtree said. "If you turn in your resignation letter, clearing the hospital—"
"Of any wrongdoing," Gabriella said, interrupting. "Save you from shouldering the blame for anything and you'll let me save face."
Crabtree nodded. "You know how it goes."
"I do." Everybody's always worried about their own behinds, not caring what happens to anyone else. "But I'm sorry, you're going to have to fire me, because I refuse to do that."
Gabriella didn't give them time to respond, not wanting to be there when it played out. They'd take a vote, one that would be unanimous, and terminate her on the spot, declaring her services no longer needed. She'd heard of it happening to others, fired for stealing medication or neglecting patients, but she might've been the first to be fired for loving a patient they all hated.
At least Grey's Anatomy got something right, she thought as she strolled out of the hospital, her head down, arms wrapped around her chest to ward off the cold that even the sunshine couldn't suppress. The future keeps changing, and when you finally catch up to it, it's never how you expected it to be.
"How'd it go?"
The quiet voice made Gabriella stop short, her high heels planting in a pile of slush on the sidewalk. Looking to the metal bench along the building, her eyes met Dante's inquisitive gaze. She took in his unruly appearance, his messy bed-head and wrinkled clothes, fixating on his untied shoes. "Well… it seems I'll have a lot more time on my hands in the future."
"Sorry to hear that," he said, standing up. "They'll never find another like you. You're one of a kind, Nurse Russo."
"Thank you," she whispered as he paused in front of her. "I always had the best of intentions."
"I know you did."
"Too bad that's not what pays the bills," she said. "I'll have to find a different job. I don't foresee another hospital hiring me after this."
"Someone will," he said. "They'll take one look at you and instantly know your worth."
"You think so?"
"I do," he said. "If I could find someone to believe in me, you've got it made. And besides, you know, you've got me. I can cover the rent and whatever else you need."
"Ah, do you have a job now?"
"No, but I can find something," he said. "I hear there's a diner across the country with a recent job opening."
"Sounds like a long commute."
He shrugged. "We do what we have to do."
Gabriella looked him over, smiling sadly when he wrapped his arms around her. Closing her eyes, she breathed him in. "You smell like a bar again."
"You smell like Heaven."
Gabriella tolerated it for a moment before her nose started to twitch. "Seriously, you stink."
"I was supposed to take a shower, but then I realized what day it was and what was happening. I wanted to be here for you. It was more important than showering."
"My nose disagrees," she said as he pressed a kiss to her temple, "but the rest of me is grateful."
Dante pulled away from her, taking a step back. "I also have something to give you. I've had it for a few days, but well, shit happened, and everything went crazy, and I kind of haven't found the right moment to give it to you yet. But when it's the right person, when you've found the right one, I don't think any moment is wrong."
Dante reached into his pocket for something, and a swell of intense dread washed through Gabriella, strong enough to make her knees weak and hands shake. Oh God. No. No. No. She grabbed his arm, pinning his hand in his pocket, drowning in irrational panic. "Don't do it."
Dante's eyes widened. "What?"
"Look, I love you," she said, shaking her head. Ugh, how to explain this? "I love you with everything inside of me, Dante. I do. When I look at you, I feel it, and I know there's nobody else in the world for me. But I just… I've never been that kind of girl, and ugh, I seriously hate weddings, and I would say yes, if you asked, but I need time to prepare, so I don't think proposing—"
A sharp bark of laughter cut off her flustered rambling. "Whoa, whoa, whoa… you think I'm proposing?"
"You're not?"
"Hell no." He made a face, which he quickly straightened back out, looking apologetic. "No offense. I love the fuck out of you, Gabriella, but marriage? Right now?"
She exhaled sharply. "Oh, thank God."
She let go of his arm, motioning for him to proceed with whatever he was doing.
"Anyway," he continued, "the other day, you know, I went to Michaels."
"I remember," she said. "Still have no idea who Michael is, though."
"Michaels, Gabriella. The shop."
"What?"
"That place with all the crafts."
Her brow furrowed. "Why would you go there?"
"I saw this flyer in the newspaper, this thing they were having, you know… this class… so I figured fuck it, why not?" Pulling his hand from his pocket, he opened his fist. "So I went."
Diagonally across his palm, blue, white, and purple string weaved together in a v-shaped patt
ern, the ends hanging loose. Her jaw dropped open as she stared at it.
A friendship bracelet.
"You made that?"
"Yeah."
"For me?"
"Yeah."
Tears filled Gabriella's eyes, ones she couldn't hold back. She covered her mouth with her hands, concealing her goofy grin, stifling the sob that threatened to escape, as emotion flooded her. He'd made her a friendship bracelet, a real one, with string he'd braided together by hand, the pattern all messed up in the middle like he'd lost his place and forgot how to do it, but yet he forged on. He went out of his way and had gone to a class, a class that was probably full of excited children, making presents for their friends.
"I bet it was nothing but kids, wasn't it?" she asked, her voice strained as she tried not to cry. "A bunch of little girls?"
"Yeah," he mumbled. "I'm probably on a watch list somewhere now. You should've seen the way they looked at me, grown ass man taking a kid's workshop. Not my finest moment. I told them it was for my girlfriend, but I don't think they bought that shit."
Gabriella couldn't hold it back anymore, tears streaming down her cheeks as laughter burst from her. She threw herself at him, clinging to him, hysterical. "You're such a friggin idiot."
He sighed. "I know I am."
"Never change," she whispered. "I swear to God, I don't know what I would do if you ever changed your stupid ways."
"Yeah, well, I can pretty much promise that won't happen. If I haven't learned my lesson yet, I doubt I ever will."
"Good." She pulled back, grasping his face, staring into his eyes. "I'll happily drink your poison."
"I'll never ask you to." He grabbed her hand and pulled it away from his face to loosely knot the bracelet around her wrist. "Although, someday I will ask you to marry me. Someday. Because your family will kill me if I don't, so prepare yourself."
She ran her fingertips along the bracelet, swallowing thickly. "What kind of benefits does that come with?"
"Benefits?"
"Yeah, I've already got rides from work and orgasms and macaroni and foot rubs. What do I get if I marry you?"
"Jewelry?"
"You just gave me a bracelet."
"My last name?"
"I prefer Russo."
"Half of everything I've got?"
"I think I've got more than you."
"Conjugal visits?"
That one made her pause. Huh.
"Come on," Dante said, pulling out his keys before draping his arm over her shoulder. "Let me drive you home from work one last time, you know, for old time's sake, while you consider if marrying me is worth it if it means I'll still get to fuck you when I inevitably land my ass in prison someday."
Traffic was light on the drive to Little Italy. They encountered more green lights than red. Not a single police car trailed them. No one cut them off or got in their way. When they arrived at the apartment, a car parked in front of the building pulled away. Dante swung right into the spot, parallel parking to perfection.
He'd never been a big believer in luck. If it existed, he'd been dealt the shittiest hand around. But as everything seemed to fall into place, things turning around, he had to wonder if maybe it was his time.
Maybe he'd just been stockpiling luck over the years, hoarding it like a crazy cat lady with a house full of shit, and time had come for him to cash in his chips.
"I'm really sorry, you know," Gabriella said, taking his hand as he stepped onto the curb, pulling him to a stop beside the car. People moved past them, going about their business. "It wasn't right that I kept the truth from you."
"I get it," Dante said. "It wasn't your secret to tell. Besides, there's something I should've told you. Something I did last year… something you deserve to know."
Gabriella's expression softened. "Something like… Enzo?"
Dante nodded.
"I heard rumors," she said. "Matty confirmed it."
Matteo. Dante's lips twitched as he tried not to sneer at the mention of that guy. "I just figured, in the name of full disclosure, you should know in case that changes things."
"Pfft, please, you're stuck with me."
"Sounds nice." Dante leaned over to kiss her. "Stuck with you. Sticking it in you. Same thing, right?"
"Pretty much."
"You want to go do that now?"
"I want you to go shower, honestly."
Dante laughed, about to suggest they multi-task, when an excited voice cut through their conversation. "Holy shit!"
Genna burst out of the building, eyes wide, her expression lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. She barged over, pushing past him, purposely knocking him out of the way on her quest to reach his car.
"A McLaren?" she asked, hand glossing over the slick blue paint. "You bought a supercar and didn't even tell me? What kind of shit is that?"
Dante shrugged as she spread out across the hood, hugging the damn thing, squishing her stomach against it. "You didn't ask."
"He's driving that sport's car," Genna said, making a face as her voice dropped into a low, mocking tone. "Flashy fucker. How stupid can he get?"
Dante's brow furrowed. "What?"
"That's what you said about Matty," Genna said. "Those were pretty much your exact words. So excuse me for never in a million years imagining when you bought a new car, it would be this."
"My father's a good salesman," Gabriella chimed in, slipping around in front of Dante, her back pressed to his chest as she leaned into him. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her from behind. "He can talk anyone into anything."
"He can sell me one of these babies," Genna said, standing up straight as someone exited the building, a smile lighting up her face. Dante didn't have to look to know it would be Matteo. Hell, he didn't want to look, so he didn't. He stared straight ahead at his sister, trying damn hard to ignore the guy's presence. "Matty, how much money do we have?"
"Not enough for one of those," Matteo said, his voice quiet, marked with a light laugh. "Besides, no place in there for a car seat."
"Uh, yeah there is." Genna motioned toward the passenger side. "You can take the subway. Me and little sugar cube here are riding in style."
"Anything for you," Matteo mumbled as a phone rang, the generic brand of chirping causing Dante's eyes to unwittingly drift right to it. Matteo pulled out a phone. A burner phone, Dante knew right away. Matteo answered the call, turning so his back faced Dante. "Hey, we're over by Gabby's apartment. You know where she's living? See you in a second."
Dante's back stiffened, his grip on Gabriella tightening enough for her to take notice. Brow furrowing, she glanced back at him but said nothing. Dante was grateful for it, considering he had no explanation. Despite everything he knew logically, the Barsanti skepticism still rooted deep within him.
Matteo's gaze swept around them before settling across the street. Dante cautiously looked that way, groaning. Gavin.
Gavin jogged over, flashing a smile at Matteo before looking at Dante. He approached, staring at him like he had something to say, but he averted his gaze at the last second, his attention going to Genna instead. "Well, if it isn't Genna with a G, my favorite person."
Genna tensed as she grumbled, "Son of a bitch."
"My mother isn't a bitch," Gavin said, standing beside her. "She's the nicest of the Brazzi sisters."
"I like to think that title went to my mom," Matteo chimed in. "Aunt Lena is nice, but come on..."
Gavin scowled, his gaze going to Gabriella. "Gabby, back me up here."
"Uh-uh, don't even drag me into that," Gabriella said. "All I know is it's not my mom."
"I have to give it to Savina," Genna said. "She's probably the nicest person I've ever met."
"Only because you don't know my mom," Gavin said.
"I've met her."
"So? You don't know her."
"That's because she never talked to me," Genna pointed out. "She didn't look at me, either. She wasn't even very nice to me, now that I think
about it."
Gavin waved that off. "You're a Galante. You guys are like the Mets around here… nobody cheers for them, but you've gotta assume, since they're here, someone out there gives a shit, right?"
"Hey!" Gabriella said. "I like the Mets."
"Yeah, and you like Galante there, too, which seriously calls into question your judgment." Gavin looked around at all of them. "Actually, you know, I'm not sure about any of you. You're all crazy, driving flashy ass cars around like you're invincible."
"Hey now," Genna said, leaning against the McLaren again. "You talk all the shit you want about us but leave the cars out of it. They're innocent."
Matteo strolled over to her, pressing his hand to her back as his gaze traveled the length of the car. "It's a beauty. Zero to sixty in what, four seconds?"
"Two-point-eight," Genna chimed in.
"And I'm guessing top speed is about 200."
"More like 218." Genna glowered at him. "Jesus Christ, Matty, you graduated from Princeton. You should know things."
Matteo laughed. "I must've slept through that class."
"Well, wake up and smell the motor oil," she said, "because this pretty blue baby is coming home with us, whether my brother knows it or not."
Matteo shook his head. "I'm not so sure he's going to hand over the key."
"Whatever, I can hotwire it," she said, glancing in the driver's side window. "Go get me a screwdriver and some bubble gum. I'll MacGyver this shit in about five minutes."
"Please don't." Dante reached into his pocket and pulled out the key. "Take it for a drive, if you want, but don't defile it."
Genna swung his way so fast she nearly knocked herself off balance. "Seriously?"
"Take it," he said, dangling the key. "Just bring yourself back in one piece."
Genna squealed, snatching the key from him. "You're still not driving my Lincoln."
"I'm not surprised."
She skipped over to the McLaren. "Come on, Matty, let's go for a joyride."