Page 60 of A Treasure To Keep

I sit in the kitchen for several more hours, the glass untouched and the bourbon watered down with melted ice. I contemplate how the last year and a half brought me to a new relationship, falling for them, destroying it, and now fighting for the last piece. Even though this phase sucks, I wouldn’t change any of it.

Chapter 65

El

Today was a shit show. My lawyer couldn’t come, for a completely valid reason, of course. That reminds me, I need to send Oliver something cute to cuddle with. Anyway. Marco’s lawyer couldn’t get his shit together. And now the store is out of the pretzels I crave the most. The off-brand sits in the cart, and I’m convinced I may have a breakdown. I cannot let myself cry in the middle of this store. I’ve already cried in too many places in public. I want to turn heads because of my outfits and the confidence I can fake when needed, not the messy mascara under my eyes. I’m also not a pretty crier. Especially after the fact. I normally need a minimum of twenty minutes to resemble at least a version of myself. And trust me, I spent a concerning amount of time crying in front of the mirror as a teenager, attempting to be a prettier crier.

“What’s your internal monologue saying?” Andrea appears out of nowhere, snapping me back to real life. He’s the only one I’ve told about my internal monologue. His concerned eyes meetmine when he turns my head to him with his ridiculously soft hands.

“They didn’t have the right pretzels.” My cart is full of snacks, treats, and unrelated items that I’m not sure how they ended up in there. The evil, disgusting pretzels are the black sheep of the smorgasbord. Is this considered a smorgasbord?

“I see that. Let me scan around and see if they’ve put it somewhere else. Continue grabbing any snacks you’d enjoy. My treat for mon trésor.” Andrea kisses me on the forehead, calming my nerves before he walks off. I’m the luckiest woman ever. No one can convince me otherwise.

I let myself get lost and distracted in the store, and now I've prioritized what snacks I’m getting, added a new movie, and have several baby items in my cart. This store is dangerous. It’s been close to thirty minutes since Andrea went searching for my pretzels, and I can’t imagine it taking him this long.

I walk down each aisle in my attempt to find him. The second I turn down the fifth aisle, the shadow of a figure disappears, leaving Andrea there instead. He turns his head, eyes wide and mouth closed, trying to excuse what happened. Who did he see? And why will it irritate me?

Andrea slowly walks over to me, cautiously grasping my hands in his. He takes his time, gently kissing each of my hands when I ask him the question that I’m sure I’ll hate the answer to. “Who was that?”

Andrea drops my hands from his, sighing before he drags the back of his fingers down the side of my face. The words that are about to come out of his mouth may annoy me, but his touch makes me weak at the knees. “Mon trésor, you know I love you with every piece of my mind, body, and soul. I’ve promised you over and over again to tell you anything and everything. This case needs to be different. I will tell you one day, I promise. You need to trust me for now. Oui?”

My eyes don’t break eye contact with his while he spends what could be hours staring straight into my soul. “I don’t like this, Andrea. I trust you, though. If you don’t tell me before we get married, I’ll withhold my vows from you until you tell me. Deal?”

I step back, holding my hand out to shake his, sealing the deal like men do. Or whatever.

Andrea lets out a cheeky laugh before grasping my hand in his, shaking twice. As I go to pull my hand away, he pulls me close to him and kisses me deeply. My knees practically give out from under me until he breaks our kiss. I’m practically ready to jump out of my clothes right here, right now, in this store. “Deal. Also. Before I forget, I found these.”

He takes the cart from me, walking me to the end of the aisle. He grabs the pretzels I love from the shelf, exchanging them for the off-brand ones that I was about to settle on. Oh goodness, here I go, almost crying again. Blink away the tears, El. Get your shit together. It’s okay. We’re okay. Let’s keep walking.

This secret sits deep in my stomach and makes me nauseated the rest of the time we’re in the store. Or is that my baby? Who cares? Anyway, back to the original point. I know Andrea wouldn’t keep something from me willy-nilly, yet I can’t shake what he could be keeping from me.

By the time we’ve checked out from the store and gotten in the car, the last thing I want is those damn pretzels. Seriously. What is serious enough that Andrea has to keep this from me?

Chapter 66

Andrea

El is about four seconds away from a mental breakdown, all because the store is out of the pretzels she loves. In her defense, today was overwhelming, and now the only thing she could control isn’t going the way she had hoped. I’ve had to be more patient during this pregnancy than expected. What surprises everyone is that most of my patience is being tested with Marco, not El.

I’m deep in the hunt for the pretzels El loves when I turn the corner of this aisle and meet eyes with none other than her father. I haven’t had many interactions with her parents, choosing to keep my distance. It doesn’t matter how many interactions I have with them; I’ll never be good enough for her in their eyes. El and I quickly noticed that if I kept my distance, her parents would bug her about me less.

Mr. Gallo approaches me, scanning my body up and down until he speaks. “Andrea.”

“Mr. Gallo.” I’m trying to figure out what to do with my hands. If I put them in front of me, I could appear defensive, and if Iput them behind me, it could come off that I have a superiority complex. El went no contact with her parents after moving in, regardless of how much they tried to get hold of her. The last thing I want to give the Gallos is another reason for them to disapprove of me by appearing disrespectful. I settle with keeping my hands to my side, focusing on not nervously fiddling with my fingers. If there’s anything I can pick up from El, it is how to fake confidence when it may be lacking.

Eventually, he breaks the tension between us and our metaphorical Western movie standoff. “I saw Eleanora when you two walked in. Is she pregnant?”

“Yes. Twenty weeks. We found out earlier today that we’re having a son. We’re also engaged.” Once the words escaped my mouth, I realized that El and I haven’t decided whether we’re telling anyone outside of those who are required to know what we’re having. In my defense, we found out this morning. It’s better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission? Is this the correct time to use that saying?

“I see. It’s unfortunate that she hasn’t told herownparents that she’s going to be a mother.” He accentuates the word own, proving that El isn’t the only one he will gaslight about our relationship.

I close my eyes for a second, reminding myself of what ma mère would always tell me. Be kind, be respectful, be graceful. Those three rules will get you far in life. “Mr. Gallo, with all due respect, El is setting boundaries. The more you and your wife disrespect our relationship, the more you’re pushing her away. El and I are getting married and becoming parents. No matter how you two view me or our relationship, it won’t stop any of that from happening.”

He laughs while shaking his head, almost in disbelief at my response. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I think I’ve ever heard. My wife and I spent Eleanora’s life giving her everythingshe needs, including preparing her to find a husband who will give her the same lifestyle. Shit, we handed her the husband who will provide that, and she tossed him aside, practically gifting him to another woman. Her mother and I know what’s best for her. She grew up in a specific lifestyle, and an apartment will never fit that. She will see that one day, and when she does, my wife and I will be there to say I told you so.” How dare he!

Ma mère’s rules go out the window as I’m prepared to speak emotionally when suddenly Mr. Gallo gasps, disappearing around the corner, away from me. When I turn around, El is standing there, a defensive stare on her face. Oh no, I know that face. I’m going to need some good sweet-talking to excuse this. Especially considering that, other than my proposal plans, I’ve never hidden anything from her.

A few kisses, some puppy dog eyes, and a handshake later, I’ve got everything covered. At least for the time being.