Too Late for You

Five years passed since I last heard from him, but out of the blue, my ex-boyfriend's voice crackled through the phone, demanding we get hitched in five days. The catch? My hubby was the top dog of the Mafia world, and we had two little rascals calling me mom.

"Villa d'Oro, five days. We're tying the knot," Bruce Laurent's voice was as commanding as ever, a blast from the past I could not shake.

Clutching the phone, I gazed out the villa's massive windows into the night, my mind racing. "Bruce, we ended things."

"Cut the kid stuff," he cut me off, a hint of a chuckle in his voice. "Eleanor, isn't this why you're back?"

I inhaled sharply. "We called off our engagement ages ago."

"Called off?" Bruce's laugh was light, but his words were heavy. "I don't remember agreeing to that. You stormed off, and now you're back. Time to keep our promise."

He shifted gears, his voice hardening. "And there's the matter of Bella. She's been my rock for five years. I expect you to be gracious. Without her, I'd have been alone."

I nearly snorted. "What are you saying?"

"Grow a big heart, Eleanor. Bella's had it rough, losing her brother. I'm all she's got. As my wife, you'd do well to treat her like a sister."

I ended the call, my heart pounding.

Bruce Laurent was the underboss of the Laurent family.

We grew up together, our families intertwined, with an engagement that seemed destined from childhood.

Five years ago, I dreamed of a fairytale wedding at Villa d'Oro with Bruce.

However, that was a lifetime ago. We moved on, and the engagement was nothing more than a whisper in the wind; even our parents knew it.

In the dead of night, a frantic pounding at the door shattered the silence of the villa.

"Eleanor! Open up!"

Bruce's voice, laced with impatience, echoed from outside.

I shuffled to the door in my comfy, if slightly outdated, gray pajamas.

The moment I cracked open the door, Bruce barged in, his eyes quickly scanning me.

"Look at yourself." He scowled. "Have you just let yourself go without me around?"

I glanced down at my clothes, soft and cozy, a gift from my mom, but admittedly not the height of fashion.

"Bruce, it's two in the morning."

"I'm well aware of the time." He strode into the living room, surveying the unchanged surroundings. "Just like you, everything's the same, still waiting for me."

I shut the door and faced him. "I'm not waiting for you."

"Cut the act." Bruce flopped onto the sofa, throwing one leg over the other with a smirk. "Would you have come back if it weren't for the news of my wedding?"

"I came back because-"

"Because you're jealous of Bella," He cut me off, "I get it, but I'm still generous enough to marry you, now that you're here."

His words struck me as ridiculous. "Generous?"

"Bella's a good person." Bruce stood and approached me. "I haven't forgotten the slap you gave her. Now that you're back, I expect an apology to her."

"Why should I apologize?"

"Because you hurt her," Bruce's tone hardened. "She lost her brother, and I'm the only one who can look after her. And you, as my future wife, should be treating her like your sister."

Memories of that night five years ago flooded back.

The illicit street race.

Bruce, in a bid to show off his bravery, tore through Chiverton's industrial zone in a souped-up sports car.

The engine overheated, fuel spilled, and in an instant, flames devoured half the street.

Bella's brother Marco got caught in a fire, and it changed his life forever.

Bruce, feeling guilty, took Bella under his wing, promising her the stars and the moon.

There I was, his supposed future wife, having to step aside for someone else.

Every time I tried to call Bella out, Bruce would give me that look, like I'd kicked a puppy.

"Eleanor, how can you be so heartless? She's all alone in the world now. Don't you feel even a little sorry for her?

"Maybe I've let you get away with too much. It's time for you to grow up."

He gave me the cold shoulder for a full three months after that.

Meanwhile, Bella was his new shadow, never leaving his side.

The rumor mill was working overtime, saying Bruce Laurent found the one.

"I am married already," I told him, keeping my cool.

Bruce did a double-take, then cracked up. "Married? To whom?"

"That's none of your business."

"Eleanor, cut it out." Bruce smirked, "With Edward's company going down the drain, who'd want you? No one's gonna take in a girl from a washed-up family, except me."

I stared at him, and it all came flooding back, that night five years ago.

The moment he lost it over Bella's crocodile tears, I knew we were toast.

On our last night, I texted him: [It's over.]

The next day, I was on a plane to Lonchester.

While getting my master's, I found what real love is.

Looking at him then, I had to laugh.

Did he really think I'd been waiting around for him for five years?