Page 13

S eeing Aurora that morning was a mistake. She was right—he was the one who said that he needed space and now, he was crowding hers. God, he missed her last night. Not having her in his bed felt wrong, but there was no way that he could ask her to just forget everything that he had said to her the day before. He had said too much and acted like an ass. Rocco was at least right about that, but when his so-called best friend asked Aurora to move into his place, his inner caveman went a little crazy. He wanted to tell Aurora not to go with Rocco and to stay with him, but he just couldn’t. He needed time to think and showing up at the bakery was a huge mistake—that much he didn’t need to think about.

Speaking at his grandfather’s funeral wasn’t something that he wanted to do. He just never knew that it would be something that he needed to do. He had pushed everyone and everything that he loved out of his life, and he was starting to see just how stupid he had been. He had turned into the one person he never wanted to be like—his mother. She had pushed him out of her life because she didn’t want to have to deal with his boxing. She said that she cared too much to watch him die the way that his father had. But the years of silence only proved to Tony that she didn’t care at all. Her showing up at his grandfather’s funeral to confront him only proved his point.

After he left the bakery, he decided to blow off some steam, and he knew the best way to do just that—sparring with the guys. He was still pissed at Rocco for offering Aurora his spare room, but maybe beating the crap out of his friend would help.

Tony walked into the gym and found Luca and Rocco already in the ring. “Well, look who’s here,” Rocco drawled. “It’s about time.”

“Actually, I’m early, asshole,” Tony spat. “I went by the bakery to help open up, as I usually do, and Aurora basically told me to get lost. I think she actually fired me.”

“Can you blame her?” Luca asked.

“You’re not even a part of this, so why are you opening your mouth?” Tony grumbled.

Luca shrugged, “Rocco told me about what happened after the funeral, and I have to say, man, you’re a fucking idiot. Did you really break up with Aurora?” He asked.

“I wasn’t planning on breaking up with her. I just needed to take a step back, but then things escalated, and I ended up sticking my foot in my mouth,” Tony admitted. He just wanted to suggest that they take a break because his head was all over the place, but when Aurora asked him if he was breaking up with her, he let her believe that he was. It was easier that way, and when things got heated, he ended up taking the easy way out.

“Well, Tony’s loss is my gain. Aurora is living with me now, and since you’re no longer together—“ Tony didn’t let Rocco finish his sentence. He knew that if he did, Tony would want to fucking murder him. He jumped into the ring and pushed Rocco against the ropes, ready to beat the hell out of him if necessary.

“Don’t fucking say it,” Tony breathed. “Just because we broke up doesn’t mean that you get to move in on my woman.” Rocco laughed—actually laughed and Tony released him. His friend had completely lost his mind.

“Why the fuck are you laughing?” Tony shouted. He ran his hands through his hair and started pacing, knowing that if he didn’t distract himself, he’d end up putting his hands on Rocco again, and this time, he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from pummeling him.

“Because you just called her your woman,” Rocco said. “If you still feel that way about Aurora, why the fuck is she sleeping at my house?”

Tony turned to face his friend again, staring him down. “Tell me that you have a spare room and that she didn’t sleep in your bed,” Tony ordered.

Rocco shrugged, “Why does it matter,” he asked.

“It matters because if you tell me that you slept with Aurora, I’m going to kill you,” Tony said. Rocco laughed again and this time, Luca joined him.

“Man, you’ve got it bad for her. Why don’t you just fucking admit that you messed up and ask her to take you back? Hell, ask her to marry you for fuck's sake,” Luca insisted.

Tony gasped and took a step back from his friend. Hearing those words from Luca, just a day after reading Elio’s note—it was like the universe was trying to give him a message. Hell, the universe was hitting him over the fucking head with a hammer, and he still wasn’t paying attention. Luca was right about one thing—he did fuck up and now, he worried that he’d never be able to get Aurora back. Showing up at the bakery was a mistake, and seemed to just piss her off even more, if that was even possible.

“What did you say?” Tony asked, needing to make sure that he had heard Luca correctly.

“I said that you should ask Aurora to marry you,” Luca repeated. Tony’s world felt like it was spinning around him, and he could only think of one thing to do. He needed to go home—to the house that was his grandparents’ and was now his. It might have sounded crazy, but it just felt like the right thing to do. Sure, Elio wouldn’t be there waiting for him, but it would still feel like home, and Tony needed that comfort right now.

“I’ve got to go,” Tony said. He hopped out of the ring and grabbed his gym bag and keys from the bench.

“You sure that you’re okay?” Rocco asked.

“Yeah, you look a little pale, man,” Luca agreed.

“I’ll be fine,” Tony said, “I just remembered that I need to do something.” He didn’t miss the way that his friends looked at each other as he turned to leave. Standing there and explaining how he was feeling wasn’t going to happen, and his friends wouldn’t let him off the hook. He didn’t like talking about his fucking feelings, but right now, that didn’t matter. He planned on going home and spilling his guts into the air, hoping that somehow, Elio was listening and would give him a sign of what to do next because right now, Tony was lost.

Tony pulled into the driveway, parked his car, and looked the house over. As soon as he saw the place he felt the comfort and peacefulness that he always had when he went home. His grandparents might be gone, but their spirits were still there. He could feel them, and right now, he needed to talk to them, even if that made him sound like a crazy person. He knew that they weren’t actually there, but hopefully, he’d find what he was looking for through the mahogany door that seemed to be begging him to come in.

He walked back to the kitchen, holding his breath that he’d find them both back there—his Nonna cooking and his Nonno eating and fussing at her to hurry up and make more. He laughed at the memory as he stepped into the kitchen. “Hey guys,” he said, just as he used to every time he greeted them. He was almost sad that there was no response.

Tony walked over to the counter where Nonna would make everyone pasta for dinner and found a piece of notebook paper and another envelope with Elio’s writing on it. This one was smaller, and he had to admit, his curiosity was peeked.

He pulled the paper up first, waiting to see what sage advice his grandfather had left for him this time. He unfolded it and read Elio’s words to himself, “What the hell are you waiting for?” His grandfather was nothing if not subtle. He never minced words and now was no different. Nonno knew that Tony would struggle with the fact that he was gone, and he was leaving him one last bit of advice—to marry the woman that he had fallen in love with.

How Nonno knew that he loved Aurora was a mystery, but then again, the old man seemed to know a lot of things that Tony didn’t. It was true though—he had fallen in love with Aurora and pushing her out of his life was the biggest mistake that he had ever made. Elio was right he needed to quit stalling and ask her to marry him.

He picked up the small envelope and opened it to find his Nonna’s wedding ring. Elio wasn’t giving him any way out of following his advice—not that he wanted a way out. He had given Tony so much in life, and now, he was leaving him one more precious thing in death—a future with the woman that he loved.

Tony knew that there was only one thing to do—go over to Rocco’s and beg Aurora to give him another chance. Because living without her wasn’t an option for him anymore.

He put the ring into his pocket and started for the front door, turning back to smile at the empty kitchen. “Thanks, guys,” he whispered into the air. Somehow, Tony knew that both his grandparents could hear him, and that made him happier than he had been in a damn long time.

Tony didn’t bother to tell Rocco that he was stopping by. If he knew his friend, he would warn Aurora, and she’d probably take off. He pulled up to Rocco’s place and cut the engine to his truck. He sat there for a few minutes trying to work up the nerve to actually walk up to the front door and knock on it. But when he saw Aurora peek out of the second-floor bedroom window, he knew that his time was up if he wanted his chance to talk to her.

He got out of his truck and walked up to the front door, ringing the doorbell. He wasn’t surprised that Rocco was the one who answered the door and from the look on his friend’s face Aurora already gave him orders to send Tony packing.

“You showing up here unannounced isn’t your brightest idea, man,” Rocco said.

“I had no choice. If I had told you that I was stopping by, you would have warned Aurora, and I wouldn’t have had the chance to talk to her. At least this way, I know that she’s home. Just let me see her, Rocco,” Tony begged.

“She said to send you away, and that she doesn’t want to see you, Tony,” Rocco said, as though reading from a script.

He couldn’t help his smile. Aurora was stubborn as hell, but so was he. “Well, I don’t plan on going anywhere without her, Rocco,” he said.

“Then we’re going to have a problem,” Rocco said, “because she’s pretty adamant that you need to go.” Tony could hear Aurora whispering to Rocco from behind the door and he knew that she was standing right there, giving him orders. That meant that she could hear everything that Tony said, and if that was the only way that he’d be able to reach her, then he’d talk to the fucking door all day long.

“Okay, well, can you tell her that I know that I fucked up?” Tony asked.

Rocco hesitated, “Um, I’m pretty sure that she’s aware of that fact,” he said.

Tony chuckled, “Then can you tell her that I love her and that living without her isn’t an option.”

Rocco rolled his eyes at Tony and sighed. “You know what, I’m not going to be the go-between for all this sappy shit. You want to tell her you love her, do it yourself.” Rocco reached behind the door and struggled to pull Aurora out from behind it. She was giving him a fight and for once, Tony was rooting against her. “Just stop, Aurora,” Rocco insisted, “if you don’t want to talk to him, tell him yourself. But with the way that you’ve been moping around here, maybe you should hear him out.” He pulled Aurora out to face Tony, and he could tell that she had been crying. He wanted to go to her and pull her into his arms, but he also knew that she would need to hear what he had to say first before allowing him to do that.

“I stopped by my grandparent’s house—well, I guess it’s my house now,” he almost whispered. “I’m not sure that I’ll ever get used to saying that though. It will always be their house, but that isn’t why I’m here.”

“Why are you here, Tony?” Aurora spat. Her anger was palpable, but at least she was talking to him.

“I’m here to tell you that my grandfather was right,” Tony said.

“Elio was right about what?” Aurora asked. He was fucking this all up, and he just needed to get out what he needed to say.

“The envelope that the lawyer gave me was from Elio,” he said.

“I figured,” she breathed.

“The piece of paper inside had two words on it—‘Marry her.’ He was sending me a message from the grave, telling me to marry you, and instead of following his advice, I fucked everything up with you. It scared the hell out of me, Aurora, knowing that he could see that we were right for each other and I was still so clueless. I felt hopeless knowing that he wasn’t going to be here to tell me what I should do anymore, and that my decisions were just that now—mine. He was always my sounding board, you know?” Aurora nodded and opened the door, stepping out onto the porch with him. Tony took that as a good sign and decided to get to the next part of the story.

“So, I went over to the house. I almost felt as though Nonno was calling me to the place, as crazy as that sounds,” he said.

“It doesn’t sound crazy at all. You two had a strong bond and maybe he’s still trying to help you,” she said.

“That’s what I thought too, so I went over there and when I walked into the kitchen, I could almost hear them both saying that they had been waiting for me. My grandmother was always in the kitchen cooking, which meant that Nonno was always in the kitchen eating,” he said, barking out his laugh. “They were quite a team.” Aurora giggled and he reached for her hand, needing contact with her. Tony was surprised that she allowed it. This next part scared the hell, but he also knew that it was what he wanted. The part that scared him was the part where she’d have to give him an answer.

“On the kitchen counter, just where my Nonna used to stand making pasta, was her wedding ring, with a note from Nonno that said, ‘What the hell are you waiting for?’ He knew that I’d stall after reading his first letter to me that was left with the lawyer. He knew me so well,” Tony whispered; tears now freely falling down his face. He didn’t care about that though. He wanted Aurora to see all of him—to know every part of him, even his grief.

“Tony,” she whispered, pulling him into her body. She wrapped her arms around him and for the first time since Elio’s funeral, he felt whole again. That was what Aurora did for him—made him feel as though he was home.

“Marry me, Aurora,” he breathed while still holding her. “I don’t want to live another day without you.” He released her and got down on one knee, holding out the ring that Elio had left for him at the house. “My grandfather gave this ring to my Nonna when he asked her to marry him back in Italy. They married and came to America together to build a life here. They are the reason that I am who I am, and I’d love you to wear her ring. But if you’d rather have something of your own, I’d be okay with that too.”

Aurora looked down at the ring and smiled at him. “I love the ring, Tony, and I love you too. Are you sure about this?” she asked. He hated that his actions had caused doubt in Aurora’s mind about him.

“I’ve never been surer about anything in my life, honey,” he insisted. “I love you, Aurora, and I want you to be my wife.”

“Then, yes,” she whispered, “I’d love to marry you, but on one condition,” she said. He felt as though he was holding his damn breath waiting for her to tell him the stipulation that might make or break his entire existence. He’d do anything that she asked of him, and from the smirk on her beautiful face, she knew it too.

“Which is?” Tony asked.

“I’d like to live in your grandparent’s house if that’s something that you’d like to do. It’s where Elio and I would talk about your grandmother. That home holds a special place in my heart too. I feel as though I know your Nonna because of everything Elio told me about her.” There was no question about where they would build their future together. He wanted to live in that house with her too and hopefully raise a family there with her.

“Deal,” he quickly agreed. She giggled and clapped her hands, and he thought it was the cutest thing he’d ever seen. Tony stood and pulled Aurora into his arms, knowing that he had just won the biggest prize of his life, and he didn’t have to get into the ring to do it. She was a knockout, and he had fallen for her—hook, line, and sinker.

The End

What’s releasing next from K.L.? Here’s a sneak peek! Be the first to get your hands on Sucker Punch (No Mercy: An MMA/Boxer Romance Series Book 2 ), coming July 2025!