A/N: Hello again everyone! A new chapter is here! :D

Before we get started, I would like to thank everyone that read last chapter! I would also like to give a huge thank you to winterschild11, Anno1701, Guest, and RainbowDiamonds for reviewing!

This chapter picks up right where the last one left off. I hope you all enjoy!

"I was wondering if you were ever going to come over here," the man drawled, setting his cue stick down and leaning back against the pool table.

I smirked at him. "I just needed to talk to my friend first."

"And what do you need now?" He arched his brow at me flirtatiously as he tilted his beer bottle to his lips.

I watched as he licked a drop of beer from his bottom lip seductively before I took the bottle from his hand. I held his gaze as I took a drink then set the bottle down on the edge of the pool table. I reached for his hand and walked backward, stumbling just a bit from the effects of the alcohol as I led him to the dance floor. "Right now, I need to dance with you."

"What's your name, sexy?" he asked.

"No names," I responded. A cold chill swept through my body at the memory of the last time I said those words to a man.

He smiled at me and I pulled him close as a slow, seductive song came on. He leaned in to nuzzle my neck and I felt my body stiffen at the unfamiliar feel of his scratchy five o'clock shadow as it rubbed against my jawline. He didn't seem to notice because he reached around and grabbed my ass roughly, pulling me close enough to press his erection against my now flaccid cock.

I breathed in his strong, woodsy cologne and it smelled all wrong to my muddled mind. I craved the smell of citrus and sunshine. The alcohol churned in my stomach and I broke out into a sudden sweat.

He leaned in to kiss me, but I turned my head away before his lips could touch my own.

"What's up with you, man?" He asked, a frown marring his handsome face.

"I'm sorry, this was a mistake." I turned to walk away from him, but he grabbed my arm. I stumbled a bit as I pulled away from him and I felt the tequila burning my throat as it threatened to come back up.

I suddenly felt a firm body pressing up against my back and my eyes widened in surprise. "Okay, baby, you had fun getting me all worked up. I like watching you with this hot, sexy piece of eye candy, but now I want to take you home and work me over." My eyes widened in shock at Micah as he spoke in a very uncharacteristically campy voice, his hands running over my chest. "I'm sorry, sweetie." He wiggled his fingers playfully at the other man. "We didn't mean to tease, but you have to light those fires after twelve years together. I'm sure you understand." I stifled a laugh as Micah batted his eyelashes at the man, who rolled his eyes and muttered something about cock teases before walking away.

"Thanks, man," I said around a laugh as the room began to spin around me.

"It's part of my job description." Micah took my hand, leading me through the bar and out the front door.

"Job description?"

Micah put his arm around my shoulder and turned me when I went in the wrong direction. "Jeep's over here, buddy, come on."

"What job description?" My words swirled and I blinked heavily, trying to clear the foggy feeling in my brain.

"As your best friend, my job is to always, without fail, be on your side of any argument, that isn't with me of course," Micah answered with a smirk. "I'm also required to show up with a shovel when you need a body buried, and most importantly when you've had too much to drink, like tonight, it's my job to keep you from doing something I know you would seriously regret the next morning."

We reached his Jeep and he leaned my body against it as he dug in his pocket for his keys. He unlocked it quickly and grabbed my arm to help me into the car. "That's the most beautiful thing I've ever heard." I swooped him into a sloppy hug.

"Okay, okay, easy now." Micah chuckled as he settled me into the Jeep and went around to climb into the driver's seat. I fumbled with my seat belt and he reached over to buckle me up.

"Micah," I said around a yawn. "I miss Shane."

"I know you do, buddy, I know you do," he murmured right before I passed out.

XxX

I woke the next morning with my head pounding like a bass drum. I groaned in misery as I cracked an eye open but squeezed it shut when the light from my window threatened to burn my retinas. I threw my arm over my eyes to block the sun's rays and lay there for a moment, breathing through clenched teeth as my stomach roiled.

I could only remember bits and pieces of last night. I remembered Micah taking me to a bar and me dancing with a hot guy.

"Oh God," I groaned as I searched my memory for what I may have done with the man. A sudden flash of memory showed Micah pulling me away from the man and...acting like we were a couple? Was that right? I sighed with relief when I remembered getting into Micah's Jeep. I owed him for taking care of me last night. Everything after that was a complete blur.

When my stomach had quit roiling enough, and I thought it was safe to get out of bed to search for some aspirin, I sat up very slowly and smiled. On my bedside table, I found a glass of water, two aspirin, and a note from Micah that said, "Here's Juliana's current address. Please, go talk to her and get the closure you need so you can move on. I just want to see you happy, you deserve it. If you do this, I won't even make you come over and scrub out the vomit from the front seat of my Jeep." I wrinkled my nose in disgust as I realized I owed Micah for much more than I originally thought.

I swallowed the aspirin gratefully and enjoyed the feel of the cool water as it slid down my parched throat. Gingerly, I made my way to the bathroom where I brushed my teeth and took a long hot shower. Memories of the times I had shared this shower with Shane crept into my head, unasked, and I let the water rush over my body, washing my tears down the drain. I missed him so much.

I climbed out of the shower and stood in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection. A frown formed on my face as I looked at my usually bright, blue eyes, which now looked dull and held a deep sadness. Maybe Micah was right and I should talk to Juliana. I had waited a long time to get answers from her and Micah had provided the opportunity to get them. I needed this thing with Juliana to be over and done with, for my own sanity. I had already wasted too many years on that woman and it needed to end. Feeling determined, I quickly got dressed, not bothering to shave the scruff on my face, grabbed my keys, and headed out the door.

I parked my car and stood on the sidewalk for a moment, tilting my head back to peer at the giant high rise building in front of me. It was an all-glass building with modern architectural slopes and columns and appeared to be at least forty stories high. It looked like Juliana was finally living in the lap of luxury like she had always wanted. Sunlight streamed through the windows of the vestibule as I walked in and it felt stuffy and overly warm.

"May I help you, sir?" the brunette woman at the front desk asked me. She was twenty-something, thin, and her hair was pulled into a bun so tight it looked painful. Her lips, painted a bright red, pulled back in what I assumed was supposed to be a smile and I caught a glimpse of red lipstick smudged across her perfectly white teeth.

"Yes please, I'm looking for Juliana Russo...um, sorry, I suppose it's Juliana Jacobs now."

I felt my face flush as the woman gave me a hard look. "Is she expecting you?"

I didn't care for the haughty attitude, but I held my tongue since she was my only way in to see Juliana. "No, ma'am, I just decided to drop by."

"I.D. please," she huffed, obviously feeling put upon by my mere presence. I handed over my license with a thin smile and watched as she picked up the phone, her entire attitude changing into something much more pleasant as the call went through.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Jacobs. I'm so sorry to bother you, but there's a gentleman here to see you." She listened for a few seconds and glanced down at my license before continuing. "It's a Mr. Giovanni Russo. Yes, ma'am, I understand, thank you very much." I wasn't surprised when her pleasant phone voice disappeared as she spoke to me once again. "The elevators are down the hall and to your right, she's on the thirty-sixth floor, suite 23B." She turned her back on me dismissively before I could say a word.

I rode the elevator up the long flight and wondered to myself how long Juliana had lived here. Had she and Miles recently moved back or had they been right here in the same city as me this whole time?

I stepped out of the elevator and quickly found suite 23B. I stood there for a moment, staring at her door, and took a few calming breaths to steady my racing heart before finally knocking. The door swung open and Juliana stood in front of me looking nervous. She wore a red silk button-up shirt and a black pencil skirt that showed off her trim waist and long legs.

"Would you like to come in?" she asked politely. It seemed strange to me that this woman, who I once knew so intimately and had planned on spending the rest of my life with, was now nothing more than a stranger to me.

I nodded wordlessly and followed her through a foyer and into a spacious living room. The furniture was very modern, with bright colors and bold designs. Her red stilettos made a clicking noise as she walked across the marble floors to grab a glass of water from a table made out of chrome and glass.

"Can I get you something to drink?"

"No, thank you. Is Miles here?" I asked as she gestured for me to sit.

"No, he's at work still." She took the chair across from me and perched on the edge of it, her back perfectly straight.

I took a deep breath and looked down at my clasped hands as I gathered my thoughts. "I need some answers, Juliana."

"I know you do," she said, her voice barely above a whisper as her shoulders sagged with resignation.

"I'm not even sure where to start…"

"I'm so sorry…" we each spoke at the same time.

"Just tell me why. What did I do wrong? Was I not a good enough husband to you?" I whispered.

"Oh, Giovanni, no!" Juliana moved over to sit next to me on the couch and placed her hand over mine, but I quickly recoiled. Just the thought of her touching me made my stomach roil. She looked like I had slapped her, but continued speaking. "It was nothing like that, you were an amazing husband, so kind and attentive. I never should have said those horrible things to you at your restaurant and I regretted them immediately. It's no excuse, but I was so surprised to see you there that I sort of attacked you before you could attack me. The difference is, you would have had every right to attack me, I've treated you so badly."

"Yes, you have!" I shouted. It was her turn to recoil as she heard the venom in my voice. I felt a small measure of satisfaction at finally being able to release some of the anger I had felt for her over the past three years, but I reigned it in, still wanting answers to the questions that had plagued me. "If I was such a great husband then what happened? Why did you have an affair with Miles?"

"You remember what my childhood was like, right? My father was an abusive asshole who couldn't keep a job because he couldn't control his alcoholism. He was nothing but a big joke in our town. My mother was never around because she always had three jobs to try to make ends meet, but we still ended up losing our home and had to move in with my aunt." I nodded, because I had heard the story before. "I promised myself that when I was an adult I would never go through that again. I would always have money so that I would never have to go through the humiliation of losing my home again. I would have an important job and a place in society so I would never be a joke to anyone. Then, I went to college and the very first week I met you." A small smile graced her lips as she spoke softly. "You were this gorgeous, funny, really sweet guy and I fell in love with you so fast that I barely knew what had happened. For a while, I was able to forget what my childhood had been like and I just enjoyed being in love for the first time in my life. It's important that you know that I really did love you."

There had been a time when those words would have thrilled me, given me hope. Instead, I felt cold indifference. I sat in stony silence as she continued.

"After a while, my old fears started to creep in, especially when you talked about your dreams of owning your own restaurant. I knew you could make a decent living that way, but it would never be a prestigious job. I wanted you to have a career that commanded respect, so I nagged you until you switched to law. I watched you come home from the law office looking more and more unhappy each night and I knew it was all my fault. I loved you, but I was making you miserable because of my own insecurities and you would have given up all of your own dreams for me because you were the most generous, loving man."

"We always talked about having children, did you ever really want that?" I pleaded with my eyes for her to tell me the truth.

She looked at me with a sad smile. "I tried, Giovanni, I really tried. I never wanted kids because I was afraid of being the same kind of parent that I had grown up with, but you wanted them so badly and I figured you were already giving up so much for me that I should give you something."

"We're talking about children, Juliana, not a new tie! Jesus!" I spit out in frustration. It felt like our whole marriage had been a lie. "When did you start fucking your best friend?" I asked coldly.

I strained to hear her answer as she spoke quietly while staring at the floor. "Miles and I worked together at the design firm and we had a lot in common. He honestly was just my best friend for a long time. Then he started moving up the ladder and promised me he'd take me with him, and he did. We started collaborating on projects and were soon getting noticed for our design ideas and received several promotions. I was suddenly making really great money, people in our industry respected us, and I was able to travel to places I had only dreamed of before. I finally had the kind of life I promised myself I would have and Miles was a big part of that. One night we were working late and we kissed. The rest just...kind of happened." Her eyes pleaded with me to understand, but I could never understand how anyone could betray someone they were supposed to love so horribly.

I laid my head in my hands and ran my fingers through my hair in frustration as I sifted through everything she had told me.

"And so you just took off and never look back. I wasn't even worth saying goodbye to?" My voice shook with my growing anger.

"You were definitely worth it, Giovanni, I just couldn't face the pain I knew I was putting you through. You were a much better man than I deserved, everything that went wrong in our marriage was because of me and I'm sorry for that. I'm so sorry I hurt you."

I leveled my gaze on her, seeing things clearly for the first time since she walked out of my life.

"I would have given you everything, Juliana. Your happiness meant more to me than my own, that's why I walked away from my dreams and pursued a career in law instead. It's why I bought you a fancy house and let you decorate it any way you wanted, regardless of my personal tastes. Even after all of that, I wasn't what you wanted. I have spent the last three years torturing myself, trying to figure out what I had done to drive you away. But now, I realize that this was never about me, it was always about you. Yes, you had a terrible childhood, but you know what, Juliana? Get over it! A lot of people have rough childhoods. You should see what some of the kids at the center I volunteer at have gone through, but they don't use it as an excuse to destroy other people. You are an incredibly selfish woman and you almost destroyed me. I built walls around me to protect myself from ever being hurt again, the way you had hurt me. Because of those walls, I pushed away the one person who means the most to me. I lashed out at him because of the hurtful things you had said to me, but I'm not giving you that kind of power anymore. You no longer hold any power over me because I don't give two fucks about you anymore." I walked towards the door and opened it. I turned back to see her stricken. "I'm glad I finally got to see you again, because in doing so, you've set me free. Goodbye, Juliana." Without waiting for a response, I shut the door behind me. A feeling of complete calmness and peace washed over me and a wide smile spread over my face.

I left her building, climbed into my car, and sat there, replaying our conversation in my mind.

After Juliana filed for divorce, I had been devastated and full of questions. I had lived with those questions for the last three years, using them as an excuse to keep anyone from getting close enough to hurt me. I had tried so hard to give her everything she wanted and to be who she wanted me to be and when she filed for divorce anyway, I had convinced myself that Juliana left because of some flaw she had found in me as a person, that I wasn't a good enough husband to her. Now I realized that the flaw lay within Juliana herself.

She came to me, damaged from a terrible childhood, and carried those scars around with her like a cloak. She needed money and prestige to feel secure in her life and I wanted a family and my own restaurant. Simply put, we were two people who wanted different things out of life and therefore should have never gotten married. Looking back with clear eyes, I could see that as hard as I tried to change so that I could become what Juliana needed, I was only losing myself. I could honestly say that I wasn't happy back then. I leaned my head back on my seat and let the truth settle over me.

Three years ago Juliana had left me so suddenly and with no explanation that I was left with self-doubt and bitterness. I had quickly sold the house so that I could start the restaurant and threw myself into my business, telling myself that I didn't need or want anyone in my life...and then Shane came along.

I started the car and drove to work feeling lighter than I had in a long time. I had gotten the closure I needed from Juliana and finally felt like I could finally let the past go and move on. As I pulled into Russo's and parked Roxie, I felt nerves stirring in my stomach at the prospect of seeing Shane for the first time since that night. I felt horrible that I had lashed out at him, hurting him so badly. I knew I had probably ruined everything between us beyond repair, but I needed to apologize to him as quickly as possible.

I stepped into the back door and noticed Marco was alone in the kitchen. Checking the time on my watch I noted that it was way past time for Shane to have started his shift. Marco smiled at me sadly as I moved to the dining area to check and see if Shane was in there. Ashley saw me pop my head around the corner and shook her head at me. "No word from him, G, sorry."

Anger and self-loathing surged through me. Shane had always been patient and loving to me and had come to my rescue when I was being attacked by Juliana and Miles. He had welcomed me into his family and opened his heart to me, always being completely honest with me about how he felt. All he wanted was to be allowed to love me, even when I insisted I couldn't love him back; and how did I treat him? I made him feel like garbage and threw his love away, like it meant nothing to me. To top it off, now he obviously didn't feel comfortable coming in to do the job I knew he loved because he'd have to see me.

I broke out in a cold sweat as I wondered if he was already out looking for another job.

What if I never saw him again? What if I had lost the one person that had broken through my walls and made me feel alive again?

As I stomped back to my office and slammed the door behind me, I knew one thing for sure.

If I had lost Shane forever, I had no one to blame but myself.

XxX

I spent the next morning with Micah, helping him move furniture into his new apartment. It was the least I could do after vomiting in his Jeep. When we were finally finished, I was exhausted and covered in sweat. I went home and took a long shower, letting the hot water soothe my sore muscles.

An hour later, I arrived at work and went into my office. There was a message on my desk from Ashley saying that she wasn't coming in because she was taking a mental health break. I felt horrible knowing that my bad mood was more than likely the reason she was staying away. She was already under enough pressure with the wedding coming up and I had just added to her stress. I'd have to buy her an extra big wedding present.

I worked for about an hour on things that couldn't wait and then pushed away from my desk. As much as I would love to hide in my office for another night, with Ashley gone I needed to go out and help. Being around the customers and helping out in the kitchen used to be my favorite part of the job, but it just didn't hold the same appeal now that Shane wasn't here. I let out a long sigh and squared my shoulders, mentally preparing myself for having to fake happiness for the next several hours.

I was making my way through the hallway when I heard a large crash in the kitchen. I hurried in to see if everything was all right, but when I stepped through the doorway I stopped in my tracks.

"Shit, sorry," I heard him mutter and my breath caught in my throat as Shane stood from where he was cleaning up the bowl full of diced vegetables he had obviously dropped on the floor.

"Are you feeling alright, Shane? You're acting all nervous and twitchy tonight," Marco asked with concern.

Shane glanced up and caught me looking at him and quickly spun away from me. Okay, so he obviously wasn't ready to talk to me, but I couldn't help the feeling of hope that swelled in me as I realized that he apparently hadn't quit yet. Maybe it wasn't too late to turn things around.

He looked good, I didn't see any of the dark circles under his eyes or the haunted look that I knew could be seen on my own face. Although Marco was right, he did seem nervous which was understandable; after all, so was I.

Not wanting to make him feel uncomfortable, I moved into the dining area and helped get things set up in there. It was another very busy night, and we soon had a full dining room. I wandered around speaking to the patrons and was surprised to find many tables had been waiting a long time for their meals. I went to see what the hold up was and was amazed by what was happening in my kitchen.

Instead of the synchronized precision with which Marco and Shane usually performed, the room was in complete chaos and resembled a scene from a disaster movie.

Marco's face was red as he rushed around stirring sauces and dicing vegetables, mumbling something under his breath which I was probably lucky I couldn't hear. Meanwhile, Shane was standing near the stove with what looked like marinara sauce dripping from his hair as he tried to flip something that was searing in a pan. As I stared wide-eyed, the wrist of Shane's white chef's coat got too close to the stovetop and quickly caught fire.

"Shane!" I yelled as I ran across the room, grabbing him and pulling him over to the sink where I held his arm under the running water until the fire was out. Luckily the skin of his arm was unharmed.

We stood there staring at each other for a few long moments and I noticed Shane looked scared and...a bit guilty? My heart continued to race with adrenaline as everything suddenly clicked. I took a few deep calming breaths as I watched him closely. My eyes narrowed as I said into his ear, "My office, now." I saw him gulp and his eyes widened slightly before his shoulders slumped and he turned to follow me out of the room.

Before I made it to the kitchen, Marco rushed over and whispered in my ear, "Boss, you've gotta fix this. I think you broke him." Instead of answering, I simply nodded my head before leading Shane to my office.

I shut the door and indicated that he should sit. As I moved around to take my seat behind my desk, Shane let his apology tumble from his mouth. "Boss, I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me. I think I ate some bad fish and it made me kind of woozy so that's why I'm acting all crazy out there. I promise I'll be better in just a few days...hopefully...I'll let you know. Just please, don't fire me yet."

I leaned back in my chair and crossed my arms as I stared at him, unflinchingly for several minutes. He squirmed self-consciously in his seat.

"Don't worry, I won't fire you yet...James."

His eyes bugged out and his jaw dropped open. "How did you know?"

I couldn't stop the bark of laughter that escaped my mouth. "Are you serious? Should I list all the ways?"

"Yes, I think you should. Nobody has ever been able to tell us apart except Mom." He stared at me incredulously.

I smirked and raised the fingers on my hand as I counted out the list. "You don't move like Shane, you don't smell like Shane, Shane would never call me Boss, and the tornado that just blew through my kitchen, leaving a wake of destruction, was most certainly not Shane. He could move around that kitchen and create amazing dishes with his eyes closed."

He tilted his head at me as he studied my face. "Wow," he breathed out. "You really love him don't you?"

Instead of answering his question I asked my own, quietly. "How is he?"

James pursed his lips, seeming to weigh his answer. "He's a mess. I've never seen him hurting so badly. I could feel his pain and it took my breath away." Seeing my questioning look he explained. "Sometimes we can feel what the other is feeling, especially if it's a really strong emotion. I guess it's just one of those twin things." He shrugged his shoulders. "I can tell you now, he's never felt like this before. He loves you and his heart is breaking."

I winced at James' words, but appreciated his honesty. "I have no excuse for what I said to him. He's the most amazing man I've ever met and he didn't deserve the cruel way I treated him." I stared down at the floor, feeling too ashamed to meet his gaze.

"Then fix it before it's too late, please," James pleaded. "You're not the only one who stands to lose him."

"What are you talking about?"

"Shane thinks maybe he'd be better off moving back to Europe. I can't lose my brother again, especially after I just got him back. He's my best friend."

I rubbed at my chest, suddenly finding it very difficult to draw enough air into my lungs. The thought of never seeing Shane again caused a searing pain to shoot through me. Even though I hadn't known James all that long, it was still shocking to see the usually playful, happy-go-lucky guy acting so distraught.

"Do you think he'd listen to me if I tried to talk to him?" my voice sounded weak to my ears.

"What have you got to lose?"

Everything, I thought painfully.

"So, why did you do all of this?" I gestured towards his sticky hair and destroyed uniform.

He chuckled slightly and looked a little embarrassed. "I was worried about him losing his job since he hasn't shown up in a few days and I figured, what the hell? I've pretended to be him before, how hard could it be to do his job?" I raised my eyebrows at him in amusement. "Yeah, yeah," he said, laughing at himself. "I guess there's a reason why I live off cold cereal. That cooking shit is hard!"

We both laughed as we finally found the humor in the situation.

"You know...Shane mentioned that you often look for odd jobs to supplement your income in between music gigs. I need a waiter if you're interested."

He looked at me in surprise. "Seriously?"

I nodded. "Yes, I am. The job's yours if you want it. Just promise me you won't ever step foot into my kitchen again. Ever."

"Sure, no problem," he answered through a laugh.

"All right, I better go help Marco scrape the lasagna off the ceiling," I teased.

We stood and headed towards the door, but just before he opened it he turned around to face me. "What does he smell like?"

"Pardon me?" I asked, wrinkling my forehead in confusion.

"You said I don't smell like Shane, what exactly does he smell like?"

A blush heated my face. "Oranges and sunshine," I murmured quietly, avoiding eye contact.

An amused smirk teased his lips. "Good to know." I was man enough to admit that the mischievous gleam in his eyes scared me just a little bit.

As I helped Marco clean up the kitchen and got dinner out to the customers, I sorted through ideas for how to win back the man I was in love with.

Done! So, a Giovanni focused chapter this time. But he got the closure he needed and had a talk with James.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter, as well as if you happened to have a favorite part/moment!

Again, I hope you all enjoyed and that you all are having a great week so far! The next chapter of this probably won't be up until next week, this weekend at the earliest. And for those of you reading The Ghost of Ravenswood, the next chapter of that will most likely be up on Wednesday.

Until then!

-Epically Obsessed