A genuine giggle emerges from my lips. I rest my cheek against this shoulder.
“What do you want to do about it?” he asks.
“Honestly, I’m not sure. But he’s still out there.”
He nods. “How do you feel about that?”
Until now, I hadn’t thought about it. Ice slithers down my spine.
“Do you think he would come after me?” I wonder.
“Only if he’s stupid enough. Do you think Angelo or I would let him get anywhere near you again?”
I giggle nervously. “Neither of you could spend your days following me around.”
“All joking aside, I was serious about the connections, Eva.”
I chew on my lip and lower my gaze to his blue silk tie.
“What would you do?” I ask, allowing my eyes to flutter back to his.
“Do you really want to know?”
The answer is pretty obvious. They’re in the mafia after all. And could I really live with John’s death on my conscience?
“No.” My energy depletes, and I rest my cheek against his shoulder.
His fingertips glide through my hair again.
A tear escapes its confinement and slips down my face. “Are all men like that?”
“Like what?”
The memory of that night slithers into my mind. Those sinister eyes penetrate my own, revealing his vile intentions. My bottom lip quivers as I hear myself screaming for him to stop. Of all the macabre things he could do, he chose to defile me. Or try to, anyway. I just got lucky that I knocked him out for long enough to get away.
“Like John?” he offers when I remain silent.
I swallow a hard gulp of air. “Among others,” I whisper.
The warmth of his arms encloses around me like a protective shield. “No. Not all men are like that. It seems you’ve had the misfortune to meet the selective few animals who deserve to have their dicks cut off.”
In spite of myself, I giggle, though it doesn’t erase the thought that I’m tarnished now, and no one can love me.
“Mind if we swap?” Angelo asks.
I lift my head from Mario’s shoulder to find him standing by the table with Alice hiding behind him, peeping around his shoulder.
“What do you think, Eva?” Mario asks me.
As I turn to face him, he winks.
Before I can answer, Angelo slips his warm hand in mine, sending a jolt of electricity through our touch. I snap my head towards him and gaze into his sensual eyes. I wish I could hate him, but I can’t. The truth remains, I’m doomed to love someone who will never feel the same.
I rise from the sofa and allow him to lead me into the sea of people. He takes me by surprise when he releases my hand, only to wrap his arms around my waist and pull me close. The hummingbird beats her wings for the first time tonight, and I drape my arms around his neck, succumbing to his warmth as we meld into one.
How did he know this was what I needed? Just to feel his warmth, his love, even if we can only ever be friends.
His soft lips brush against my ear. “What’s wrong, angel?”
I bury my face into his shoulder and sniffle. I’m desperate to keep the freshly formed tears from shedding but find I’ve no strength to contain them. I can’t keep it inside anymore. I can’t keep lying, and I can’t take continuing to be lied to. Since Alice won’t tell me the truth, I’ll need to force it from him.
“Why are you here?” I mumble.
“Um, it’s my club?”
I tilt my head to stare at him with tears streaking down my face. “No, why are you here with me?”
A little gasp escapes his lips while his eyes widen. “Angel, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?”
Though I witness the anguish in his eyes, I’m too exhausted carrying this torch for him. And he can’t date Alice and pretend to care about me.
“I can't believe you,” I snap, causing him to liberate me, while his expression transforms to bewilderment. “Why do you want to dance with me, anyway? Shouldn't you be dancing with your girlfriend?”
“What are you talking about? What girlfriend?”
My hand gravitates to my hip. “Come on, Ange. I saw you with Alice.”
While one hand seeks solace within his trouser pocket, the other glides through his hair. “Eva, you've lost me.”
“I saw you at the movies with her, kissing her. Yet, only a week before that, you tried kissing me. What kind of man does that?”
The mischievous grin materializes on his face and he chuckles, infuriating me further.
I scoff. “What's so amusing?”
“Turn around.”
I narrow my eyes. “Why?”
“Trust me. Turn around.”
For a moment, I maintain my glare on him, before turning in a slow circle.
A set of frozen hands grips my chest as I behold them.
I'm transported back to the cinema where I first witnessed Alice and Angelo together. As they hold each other close, the passion and love expels from them.
No wonder I felt such excitement with Mario. No wonder I admire his beauty, his physique. I said it before, he's Angelo's twin.
A set of warm hands rests on my hips, while his lips brush against my ear. “Still think I’m seeing Alice?”
A hot blush stains my cheeks and I wish the ground would just open up and swallow me whole.
Angelo gently encourages me to turn to face him, though I lower my head, allowing my hair to cascade around my face and conceal my humiliation. He slips his hands around to my back, drawing me closer to him, while my arms remain limp.
He nuzzles his face into my hair. “Not what you were expecting?” he asks.
I groan, causing him to chuckle again.
“Come on. Dance with me.”
I raise my head, only to rest my cheek against his shoulder, while my arms hang loosely around his neck.
“Can you explain something to me?” he asks.
“What?” I whine.
“Why would it be a problem if I was dating Alice?”
“Oh, gosh,” I say, burying my face in his chest.
Angelo laughs again and presses his lips to my head.
I’m glad this is so amusing for him, because I’m completely mortified. But at the same time, I can’t remember a time when I was happier. Because this means that I’m free to love the only man I’ve ever wanted.
As I pace the floor between our little kitchen and living room, my once-graceful hands move with fierce velocity as I berate Alice. She sits on a stool with her head hanging low. Her hair conceals her face like a set of curtains.
After the discovery of her relationship with Mario, I wanted to question her, but she was too drunk to give me the answers I needed last night, intensifying my frustration. All night, I wrestled with my emotions as I tried to comprehend her secrets.
Why didn’t she tell me she was dating Mario?
The moment she emerged from her room this morning, my anger erupted and has yet to simmer.
“Can I grab a coffee?” she asks the moment I take a breath.
I glance over my shoulder towards her. “What?”
She wears a forlorn expression as she gazes at me through her lashes. “I have a hangover and need a coffee. Maybe some aspirin too.”
I twist my body to face her while my hands gravitate to my hips. “Is this your way of evading me again?”
Her sea-green eyes widen. “No. I promise I'll tell you everything. I really need a coffee.”
A hand flutters to graze my face before returning to my hip. “Fine.”
She slinks off the stool to tiptoe her way into the kitchen, maintaining her timid demeanor as she readies her cup, causing guilt to penetrate my mind.
“Let me fetch you the aspirin,” I say before ambling to the bathroom.
I rest my palms on the sink and release an anguished sigh. How is it possible for Alice to instill guilt within me when for the past four months, she's allowed me to torture myself over loving Angelo? And they nev
er dated.
I straighten my body and retrieve the aspirin from the medicine cabinet before returning to find Alice back on her stool with her cup nestled between her palms.
“Here,” I say, handing over the bottle before sliding onto the vacant stool. I rest my elbow on the breakfast bar and nestle my cheek in the palm of my hand. “Why did you lie about him?”
She gathers her cup and takes a sip.
“Well, you were right to call me a hypocrite,” she says with melancholy thick in her voice.
“Were you dating him before or after I met Angelo?”
“Before.” A heavy sigh escapes her lips. “I know, Eva. I'm a terrible friend and had no right to forbid you from dating Angelo. But I had my reasons. At the time, I believed keeping you away from him would keep you safe. For most of your life, you've endured so much pain and I thought if you dated Angelo it would only become worse.”
I rise from my hand, wearing a bewildered expression. “But Angelo's never hurt me. In fact, he's always protecting me.”
“Yeah, I know, but…” She gazes into her cup as if to search for the words. “Remember that time at the club when the men played poker?”
I lower my hand to the bar top and pick at my nails. “Yeah, how could I forget?”
“On the way home, I told you he would hurt you, even unintentionally. Do you know how much Mario loves me?”
The rising laughter escapes my lips before I acknowledge its existence. Does she even realize what she’s saying? No, I have no clue how much Mario loves her. Because she hasn’t told me a single thing about him or their relationship.
“I deserved that,” she replies glumly.
“I had no idea you two were dating until last night.”
She sighs heavily. “Babe, I wanted to tell you everything, but I honestly thought I was protecting you by keeping it a secret.”
I reach out a hand to gather hers. “Can you can tell me everything now?”
A slight curve caresses her lips. “Yes.”
“So, if Mario loves you, why would he hurt you?”
“He doesn't choose to. It's unintentional. He calls it an occupational hazard. Every member of the Bellini family must show their devotion to the Don. That goes for Angelo too.”
“What do you mean?”
“Mario's father wanted to meet me. Everything went well. His father was friendly, and I adored his stepmom, Rosalia, so his father suggested taking us out for a meal. To be honest, it was a little strange getting in a car with bodyguards, but he is the Don and has enemies. When we arrived at the restaurant, the moment Don Bellini got out of the car, people shot at him.”
While my eyes widen, my mouth hangs agape. Much like the recent visit at the Don’s mansion.
“It was terrifying. Mario’s stepmom grabbed my hand and pulled me back with her while the bodyguards chased down the gunmen. When I couldn't find Mario, I cried. I assumed he went with them. Rosalia explained that Mario and his father ran for cover in the restaurant. What's worse, she and I remained trapped in the car until the bodyguards came back, though they checked on the Don first. Later, I asked Mario about it and he explained his responsibility is to protect the Don, no matter what. No matter who else is with him.”
I raise my free hand to conceal my mouth, preventing any sounds from emerging.
But if Angelo is supposed to protect the Don at all costs, why did he come to me and Lily first when all hell broke loose?
A heavy sigh escapes her lips as her gaze drifts down to our hands. “When John attacked you, I couldn't forgive myself. I still can't forgive myself.”
“Why?”
“That was the moment I realized just how perfect Angelo is for you.”
The sound of his name causes the hummingbird to flutter around her cage, together with a curve to dance along my lips. My hand flutters up to tuck my hair behind my ear.
“Yeah, I know you're in love with him,” she says, wearing a broad smile.
“How did you know?”
She laughs. “Are you serious? How long have we known each other?”
I open my mouth to respond, only to seal it closed once again. All this time I believed I was fooling her.
“Will we ever learn it's impossible to keep secrets from each other? Even though I had the wrong guy, I knew you were in love,” I tell her.
Her radiant smile transforms to sorrow. “Do you realize the guilt I've endured, knowing you're crazy in love with him and he's crazy in love with you, and I've prohibited the pair of you from dating?”
The world and everything in it ceases to function, including my lungs. I have to remind myself to breathe.
A warmth radiates throughout my body. Angelo loves me? Did she really say that?
But wait. She knew how I felt, and how Angelo apparently felt, and she had prohibited us from pursuing it?
All the burning fury erupts once again.
“What gave you the right?” I spit. “Who do you think you are that you can go around telling people who they can and can’t date?”
“I was trying to protect you, Eva!” she protests.
“I’m not a child, Alice!” I practically scream. “Have you forgotten everything I’ve been through in my life? Have you forgotten what I went through not even a week ago because you told Angelo and I that we weren’t allowed to be interested in each other? Do you realize I never would have gone out with John at all if you hadn’t driven me away from Angelo? Some job you did of protecting me.”
“And I feel horrible about that,” she says. “That’s all my fault.”
A sob tears from her throat, yet I refuse to allow guilt to swallow me whole.
“Nope,” I scoff, folding my arms across my chest. “You don’t get to play the martyr now. The only reason you feel bad about this is because of what happened with John? Not because you let me believe that I was in love your boyfriend and let the guilt that I was in love with the man I thought you were dating eat me alive? You’ve done so much for me and I thought that because of that, the least I could do was try to be happy for you and try to move on from loving the man I thought was your boyfriend. And you knew. You knew! You knew how I felt, and you knew I thought you were dating Angelo, and you let me keep thinking that and you let me keep feeling guilty that I couldn’t stop myself from loving him. What kind of friend does that? You broke my heart, Alice. Do you realize that?”
She sniffles. “I knew you loved him, but I didn’t realize you thought he was dating me. Please, Eva, forgive me?”
I snort and shake my head. “I love you, but you really hurt me, Alice. Of all the people I know, I never would have expected this from you.”
She sighs. “You’re right. I don’t deserve your forgiveness. And the strangest part of all is I should have listened to the people who I was trying to protect you from.”
I narrow my eyes. “What are you talking about? Who?”
“Mario and Angelo.” She pouts. “The first night we met Angelo, he knew I was dating Mario and called me a hypocrite from trying to keep you away from him. Even Mario gave me crap about it. I saw Angelo with other women, and I thought he would treat you like he treated them. I was sure that after he slept with you, he’d be onto the next girl. I wanted to tell you about Mario and I was going to, but with each passing day, I felt I couldn’t. Mario and Angelo threatened to tell you themselves, but I begged them not to. I’m such an idiot and was so afraid I’d hurt you.”
“Oh, you were afraid you would hurt me? Well, newsflash. You did anyway! You hurt me even more because I knew you were lying to me.”
“I know. And I’m so sorry.” She sighs. “The one guy I thought would never love you proved me wrong the night you were attacked. I saw him in a totally new light. He really loves you, Eva. So much.”
I bite on my cheek to prevent the emerging smile. I’m still mad at her, even if she did repeat her statement about Angelo loving me.
“He actually scared me a little,” she says.
“Why?
” I ask.
She lowers her head, allowing her locks to veil her face.
“Well, when you went to get changed, he let me have it. Kind of like you are right now.” She sniffles. “And I deserved it. Every bit of it.”
If this is true, why was he hugging her when I left my room?
As she tucks her hair behind her ears, she gazes at me through her lashes. The anguish remains on her face and her tears continue to fall.
“I told him how sorry I was and that he had to pursue you.”
Oh, how kind of her. Now we’re allowed to date each other? Because the guy she pushed me towards turned out to be someone who wanted to rape me? Really?
But still, now I have to know. Is there a chance for us?
“What did he say?” I ask her.
She wipes her nose with the sleeve of her hoodie. Though her tears cease to flow, her eyes remind me of two glimmering emeralds.
“He said he wanted to,” she tells me.
“Well, he had his chance last night and did nothing. Maybe you got it wrong? Maybe he doesn't love me the way I love him.”
“It's only been three days since your attack. He’s respecting you.”
“How do you know all this?”
“He told me last night while we were dancing.”
“If you knew all this, then why were you flirting with him all night?”
She shrinks within her clothes as her body sags, and she groans and buries her face in her hands.
“Well, I was nervous as hell because I figured you’d see how in love I was with Mario,” she mumbles.
“Seriously?” I scoff. What kind of excuse is that?
Her hands fall into her lap, yet she averts her eyes from me. “I was wasted and as stupid as this sounds, I figured if I focused on Angelo, you’d be none the wiser. I didn’t realize it would strengthen your belief that we were together. Then when you told me you saw me with my boyfriend at the movies, yes, I should have told you right there and then. But you were so mad at me, and I was mad at myself. I needed a moment to think, so I asked Angelo to dance with me.” She finally looks up. “And, guess what? He told me off again.”
I have to stifle my rising chuckle.
“I know. I deserve that too.”
The sound of the buzzer startles both of us. We cling to one another before bursting out laughing, and a lot of the anger I’ve been holding onto dissipates as I realize that we have bigger problems in our lives than this.
Twisted City: (Twisted City Book 1) Page 29