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"Maybe so, but she’s family"

"True, which is why I’ll do what’s expected of h I have no idea how Antonio dealt with her all those years The man was a saint"

"My father?" Celia asked "Did we even know the same man?"

"Every man sins, Celia Even the saints"

Dinner wore on, as did the conversation It ell past nightfall when they separated, Tess and Do back to Indiana, while Carmine and Haven made their way down the block All was silent between the Car brewed in his expression He stopped abruptly a few feet fro from Haven’s as she continued on

She turned to hi the furrow of his brow and the hard line of his lips "What’s wrong?"

"Tell me about New York"

She raised her eyebrows "Now?"

"Yes"

"But I already told you"

"You told , but I wanna hear the good You know, the dream Your dream"

He didn’t say it, but she saw it in his eyes: He wanted to know if leaving her had really been a mistake

"Well, New York was busy, just like you said the city would be," she started "There was always so on People everywhere"

It all spilled out of her, every detail of her life there, as the two of the back, wanting hiood life It s rarely were

Car in every word, and didn’t speak until she was done "You love it there," he said quietly

"I do" She smiled "I really love it"

They stared at each other again as that truth hung in the air between them Haven watched his expression slowly shift, another question for its existence, instead waiting for hiather up the courage to say the words

Love me more, his eyes said

"Do you, uh?" He ran his hands down his face as he let out a deep sigh "Would you stay?"

"Stay?"

He nodded "Stay here"

"I would"

The corner of his mouth twitched as he restrained a smile "Will you?"

"Stay?"

"With me" He cleared his throat nervously "You know, stay with me?"

She opened her mouth to respond, but the words didn’t have ti in Car the best of him

"Christ, I can’t believe I just asked you that What the fuck is wrong with ht! I can’t ask you to choosehi me to choose you There’s no choice about it It’s always been you Your father once toldI think so It’s natural It’s a part of us It just happens We can hold our breath and try not to breathe anymore, and it’ll work for a few minutes, but we’ll eventually pass out and nature takes over We can’t just not breathe, just like I can’t just not love you"

"But New York," he said "Your life"

"The best parts of life have nothing to do with a place Love, friendship, happinessI don’t need to be in New York to have those things I have it all here"

"But school? Painting? What about that?"

"I can do those things anywhere, Caro"

The hopeful smile twisted his lips, held back no et"

"Which is still pretty fucking dirty"

She laughed, watching hi her hand A nervous blush warmed her cheeks Clean slate "I’m Haven"

"Car name, Haven"

"It means a safe place," she said

"I know," he replied, entwining their fingers again "And so tells me it fits you perfectly"

43

The heads of the five fa table in the back room of a swanky Italian restaurant just outside of New York City Their unrestrained chatter overshadowed the hter and exuberance palpable fro lot

The hostess pointed Corrado in their direction the moment he stepped inside, no words necessary They had been expecting hi each one before slipping into the only empty chair

"Moretti," the Don of the Calabrese falad you could join us"