Read Online Sempre: Redemption by J. M. Darhower - Free Book Online Page B

the family room, an eternity seeming to pass with each tick of its hand. Time was a merciless bitch, taunting him as it slipped away. One second; two seconds; twenty minutes; an hour. A century could have gone by, or no time at all.
    Carmine’s chest ached. He wished it would just fucking stop.
    Footsteps on the stairs behind him made him feel like he was going to be sick. He was afraid Haven would wake up and catch him sitting there alone—part of him treacherously hoping she would find him and stop him, even though he knew it was too late.
    “I’m surprised you’re still here,” Vincent said, stepping past. “I thought you’d be gone by now.”
    “So did I,” he said, his voice shaking as he continued to stare at the bag on the floor. “She’s gonna hate me. She’s gonna regret ever letting me into her life.”
    “She’ll understand someday.”
    Carmine clenched his hands into fists as his eyes burned with unshed tears. “This is gonna fucking devastate her.”
    “Yeah, it probably will.”
    “Great,” he spat, glaring at his father. “Thanks for making me feel better.”
    “Do you want me to lie to you?” Vincent asked, raising his eyebrows. “Of course it’s going to hurt her, Carmine. There’s no getting around that.”
    “This is fucked up,” he said, shaking his head. “This isn’t how it’s supposed to be. It wasn’t supposed to end up like this. We’re supposed to be together, get away from all of this bullshit and just be . For once in our fucking lives, we were going to just be, and now look at everything.”
    “Are you rethinking this?” he asked. “It isn’t too late.”
    “It is too late,” he said. “The moment I went to Sal, it became too late. She’s better than the life I can offer her.”
    “Then what do you want me to say, son?”
    “I want you to say she’s better off without me, that we’re better off apart.”
    “Fine,” Vincent said, “but who’s going to convince you of that?”
    His question caught Carmine off guard. He stared at his father pointedly, awaiting some answer to ease his concern, but the mere thought of stepping out of that front door without Haven hurt worse than Carmine ever imagined it would.
    Before he could come up with something to say, the front door opened and Dominic stepped inside. He froze when he caught sight of Carmine and narrowed his eyes as he slammed the door. Dominic rarely lost his temper, but when he did another side of him came out that was unpredictable, his words often hurting just as much as Carmine vaguely recalled his fists did.
    “I see you haven’t walked out on her yet,” he said, his words cutting deep.
    “Leave him alone, Dom,” Vincent said. “You’re just making it worse.”
    “I’m making it worse?” he asked with disbelief. “ Someone has to try to talk him out of this before he makes the biggest mistake of his life. She’s the best thing that ever happened to him!”
    “You think I don’t know that?” Carmine snapped. “She deserves to be free to do what she wants!”
    “Then why are you taking that from her?” Dominic asked. “You’re doing this so she’ll be free to do what she wants, but you’re making the choice for her!”
    “I can’t let her first decision be whether she follows her dreams or me. What kinda bullshit is that to ask of her? She always worries about everyone else because assholes have beat her down, and I’d be no better than them if I asked her to put me first! She deserves to find out what’s out there for her, whether she realizes it or not.”
    “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard,” Dominic said. “Do you even hear yourself? What gives you the right to decide for her—because you know better than she does? Could you be more condescending?”
    “Fuck you! I may be what she wants, but I’m not what she needs !”
    “According to you,” Dominic spat, stalking forward and getting in Carmine’s face. “But like I said, you didn’t even