I looked back up just in time to see his eyes flash in anger. “Did she take out the pain of their deaths on you?”
I bit my lip. “No… but she shut down. Nothing cheerful happened in that apartment. Soph and I left the day we turned eighteen. After that, our aunt gradually stopped talking to us. It wasn’t her fault. She was just depressed. We reminded her of her sister. You could see it in her eyes, the way she seemed to relive getting the news.”
“You’re saying that because she couldn’t deal with losing her sister, she turned her back on her nieces?”
I shrugged. “Not everyone can handle tragedy the same way. Look at me. I shut it out, along with so many of my earlier memories. I don’t even know if that’s something I chose to do, or if my subconscious did it to keep me from fracturing even more.”
Angelo hugged me tight. I relaxed into his arms.
“She’s a fool,” he whispered. “And if you don’t want to go pick out a tree we don’t have to. You and I can stay here.”
“No, it’s fine.” I disengaged from his embrace and went for the door knob.
“Are you sure?”
“Positive,” I stressed, my palm frozen on the knob. “I can handle it.”
Actually, I didn’t know that I could for sure.
But I needed to at least try.
The group went, piling into three cars and taking them to a Christmas tree stand nearby. The only trees left were small, thin ones and large, towering ones. Taking the biggest one available seemed to go without discussion. Perhaps it was a Salvatore thing.
The monolithic tree was too big to go on top of any one car, so Pops called a number to have it delivered and we went back home to wait for it to arrive.
I managed to breath evenly, and did not freak out.
At the house, we set about pulling boxes of ornaments and lights into the large living room. With the vaulted ceiling, the giant tree would be right at home.
“These are pretty,” I said, pulling out a string of white orbs.
“They’re from Italy,” Mrs. Salvatore proudly said.
The boxes seemed to go on and on, full of more decorations than any one tree, no matter how big, could possibly need. We pulled each piece out, though, and discussed the merits and disadvantages of them all. Mariel brought in some hot cider and Dominic lit a fire. The scene felt like something out of a movie.
“Oh,” Mrs. Salvatore sighed. “I forgot the box with the children’s ornaments.”
“What’s that?” Sophia asked. She’d wrapped some garland around herself, the shiny red and green stuff mimicking scarves. She looked like Liza Minelli about to ride a float in a Christmas parade.
“It’s full of ornaments the kids all made when they were little. It’s still in the back room.”
“I’ll get it,” I offered, standing up. My legs, sore and cramped from sitting on the floor for so long, were eager to move.
I went down the hallway, past the kitchen and the foyer, and into far part of the bottom floor. The very last room at the hall functioned as a storage unit. Though small, the boxes had been organized pretty well and I found the one marked ‘kids’ ornaments’ right away.
Lifting it, I hauled it back down the hall, going a bit slower thanks to the new weight.
Right before getting to the end of the hall, voices stopped me. They were coming from the foyer, and judging by the furious way words were whispered, the conversation being held was a heavy one.
I pressed my back against the wall, not quite sure what to do. I couldn’t very well walk across the foyer, but I also didn’t want to be caught looking like I was eavesdropping.
“I just don’t trust her,” came a harsh whisper. It unmistakably belonged to Lia.
“That’s your problem,” Dominic countered.
“Don’t turn this on me just because I’m looking out for Angelo.”
My chest constricted. They were talking about me.
Lia went on. “Just look at her situation.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Money.”
Dominic scoffed. “She has plenty of it. Do you not remember what Moretti left her?”
“Yeah, but before that she had none. Thing about how desperate that makes a person, how greedy.”
Heat filled my cheeks. Lia was insulting me on multiple levels, and she barely knew me.
“You’re being paranoid.” Heavy footsteps sounded as Dominic walked away.
I stayed where I was, almost not caring if Lia came down the hall and found me. Her attitude was beyond necessary. It was callous. I loved Angelo. The only thing I wanted from him was some of the love back.
Lia’s own footsteps sounded, gradually fading.
Still I stayed in the hall, my hands clutching the box.
There were a lot of things that could happen. I could confront her, demand to know why she had such a bias against me. I could try to let it go and just enjoy Christmas.
Neither one of those seemed doable. Not with the pain coursing through me.
I’d tried to be nice to her. I loved Angelo. Why couldn’t Lia see that?
I blinked hard, pushing the tears back, and headed for the living room.
My mood will not be ruined. My mood will not be ruined.
Except it already had been.
Angelo
“You’re going to have to make a sports-only section and put it in the back,” I told Franko and Tre.
Franko’s face wrinkled. “Aw man, stop being a downer.”
“I’m not. Ask Mom. You think she’s going to want your football and two dozen Louisiana State ornaments next to her Nativity one?”
Franko grumbled something and turned away. In the far corner, the men who brought the tree finished putting it up. Everyone stopped what they were doing to admire the sight.
“Wow,” Dominic said, coming into the room. “Admirable.”
Lia followed close behind, her arms folded and her jaw set.
“Did you guys see Paige?” I asked, realizing it had been a while since she went to retrieve the last box of ornaments.
Dominic shook his head and went to sit on the couch.
Leaving the swaths of decorations on the floor behind, I left the room.
Paige was halfway down the hallway, the cardboard box pressed against her stomach.
“Hi.” She smiled at me over the box flaps, but the grin didn’t reach her eyes… Eyes that were puffy and red.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she quickly said.
I took the box from her. “Don’t do that.”
She sighed and looked past me at the living room. “I just heard Lia and Dominic talking about me. Lia thinks that I...” Her eyes shifted to the side. “That I’m into you for your money.”
I couldn’t contain the scoff. “No. She wouldn’t say something like that.”
She dismally looked back at me. “I heard it myself.”
I wasn’t too surprised. It was Lia, after all. Her delicate exterior was the perfect contrast for her inner toughness. She wasn’t callous, but she could be careful and critical, as well as overly protective. Her strong personality was both her strength and, sometimes, her fault.
“I’m sorry she said that.”
Paige’s shoulders sagged. “It’s not your fault.”
“I know you’re not. That’s all that matters.”
Noise and laughter erupted from the living room. I glanced over my shoulder. “She’s my sister, I said, lowering my voice. “Sometimes she can be hard on people. It’s because she’s so protective. I’ll have a talk with her.”
More like rail into her. Paige was my girlfriend. The first woman I ever went so far as to bring home. Not even Lia could get away with giving Paige any disrespect.
“No,” Paige pleaded. “Please don’t. I don’t want to be the subject of any drama.”
I put the box down and placed my hand on her shoulder. “This is already dramatic. If we ignore it, things might get wo
rse. She has to accept you, Paige. You’re a part of our family now.”
A small smile played at the corners of her mouth. “All right, but go easy on her.”
“Why? Doesn’t sound like she’s returning the favor with you.”
“Come on. Maybe she’s just being a protective sis. I know all about how far that can go.”
“I will.”
“And don’t make a scene.”
“I won’t make a scene,” I promised. “Come on. Let’s get those ornaments in there. Just wait till you see how great the tree looks.”
The tree trimming passed flawlessly. I kept an eye on Lia from the corner of my eye. Once or twice she glanced Paige’s way, the expression on her face unreadable, but mostly she stayed on the couch, untangling lights or joking with Franko.
With the tree finally finished, everyone dispersed to get ready for a late lunch.
“Lia,” I said in a low voice as she rose from the couch.
She froze and eyed me, everyone else filtering out of the room. Paige glanced over her shoulder at me, her plea to keep things chill practically audible.
“What’s up?” Lia asked.
I stepped closer to her and waited till we were alone in the room. “I get the feeling you don’t like Paige very much.”
She scoffed out a short burst of laughter. “What gives you that idea?” She folded her arms and stared me down.
“Come on, drop the facade. I know you better than that.”
She sighed. “She’s using you, Angelo. It’s plain as day.”
Anger flashed through me but I kept it contained. “You barely know her.”
“I don’t need to. I know you, and I know her circumstances. She wants at your money.”
“She has her own money.”
Lia rolled her eyes. “This is the exact same conversation I had with Dom. Don’t you guys get it? Gold diggers are greedy. They’re not going to stop at ten million. After that they want twenty, and after that...”
“I get the picture,” I hissed.
Her eyes narrowed. “She’ll break your heart.”
“If she does it won’t be due to money. I love Paige and she loves me. That’s just something you’re going to have to deal with.”
Lia’s upper lip curled. “Wow. It sure sounds like you’re whipped.”
“Watch your mouth, and quit it with the resting bitch face, little sister,” I snarled.
“Call me bitch one more time, you little shit,” Lia said calmly, all the threatening made with her eyes.
I held her gaze. Backing down from Lia was the worst thing anyone could do. “Be nice and I won’t have to,” I grunted out.
“I’m not being mean to her.”
“Yeah. Right.”
Lia just gazed back at me.
“You’re wrong about her. But honestly, I don’t give a crap what you think of her. Just show her some respect.”
Lia jutted out her chin, ready for more arguing, but I was done. I stomped past her and out of the room.
I’d been rougher than I meant to be. I knew that. I couldn’t take anyone treating Paige unfairly. The fact that the offender was my own sister made the hurt sting twice as much.
I had to make things right between all of us.
I had no idea how I’d make it happen.
Paige
Lia practically stomped into the dining room. I quickly averted my eyes and turned to look at Mrs. Salvatore, who was telling Soph something about the neighbors down the street.
“...and it’s the same every year,” she said. “Those wreaths stay up until July.”
I held my breath as Lia selected one of the last few free seats. When she settled down at the one furthest away from me I finally let out an exhale. Her mood was easily readable. She was pissed about something.
Presumably, her conversation with Angelo had not gone very well.
When Angelo entered the room, he wore an equally strained expression. He settled in the seat across from me and shot me a tense smile. I tried to smile back, but the bag of rocks in my stomach made it hard. Just when I thought things were looking up, just when I thought I might be able to deal with Christmas like a normal human being, this had to happen.
Angelo and Lia both said little throughout lunch, and I mostly picked at my salmon. When Pops and Mrs. Salvatore stood up to leave the table, Angelo looked over at me.
“How about we go do that shopping we still need to get to?”
I tried to smile. “All right.”
Sophia eyed us, her chops probably watering at the mere suggestion of a mall. Angelo turned away from her, though, calling an Uber and specifically saying it was for two.
Sophia rolled her eyes and stood up from the table. “Have fun shopping,” she told me with a wink.
We retrieved our coats and hats and went to wait outside. The moment we stepped out, the Uber was already there, pulling up the drive.
Angelo opened up the back door and we hopped in. After giving the driver the name of a shopping center I didn’t recognize, he fell back into the seat.
A long moment passed.
“It didn’t go very well,” he finally, grimly said.
I sighed. “Okay.”
Angelo’s lips pursed. “Sorry. What I mean is she gave me some attitude. But she’s going to leave you alone.”
“Really?”
He averted his eyes. “Absolutely.”
I studied his profile. “You don’t seem so certain about that.”
Angelo turned to stare into my eyes. “I’m going to make sure she leaves you alone.”
A heaviness pressed onto me. “Oh.”
Angelo’s eyebrow cocked.
“Thank you,” I quickly said. “For talking to her. But now I’m thinking I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“Paige...”
“Now she knows I heard her talking about me, and that I have a problem with her, and it might just make everything between us worse...”
“She doesn’t know you overheard her conversation with Dom. I left that part out.”
I pulled fretfully at my grown-out bangs. “She’ll figure it out. And it doesn’t matter anyway. Maybe I should just talk to her.”
“You don’t have to do that,” he quickly said.
“Why not?”
“Because it will stress you out, and you don’t need any extra stress right now.”
“I’m already stressed out, Angelo. Lia hates me… She’s your sister.”
“Hey.” He scooted a little closer and slipped his arm around my waist. “This isn’t over yet. We’ve all got years to figure out how to get along. Let’s just enjoy this little bit of alone time you and I are getting. It’ll probably be the only amount we get all week.”
“Mm,” I sighed into his coat. “True.”
We arrived at the mall, a mostly outdoor venue with small trees and pots and cobblestone walkways leading up to the name brand stores. It was definitely the ‘nicer’ shopping center in the area.
Angelo already had a list we’d written back in the city tucked into his coat’s breast pocket. We still yet had to pick up something for Tre or for Sophia. I’d gotten Soph a pretty necklace holder, since she’d run out of space to put her jewels on long ago, but Angelo insisted that he get her something all on his own.
He took me to the most bohemian looking store and had me try on clothes to find the right size. From the slew of options, I picked a skirt and infinity scarf for Sophia.
“Do you think she’ll like this?” he asked as we left the shop.
I guffawed. “Anything even resembling clothing she likes.”
After that we went to a few other stores, kind of at a loss as to what to get Trey. We considered getting him some sort of Louisiana State paraphernalia, but didn’t know what he had and didn’t. Eventually we settled on a nice, complete set of cookware.
“I’ve been to his place,” Angelo explained. “The guy lives on take out and anything that comes in a box.”
&n
bsp; “It’s a good present,” I smiled at him as the sales girl wrapped the pots and pans up. “Girls love men who can cook.”
“Oh yeah?” He reached around me and gave my butt a squeeze. I slapped his hand away and quickly looked to make sure no one had seen the PDA.
“Anything else?” I asked as we walked back down the main walkway arm in arm.
“How about in there?” He nodded to a lingerie store.
I bit back a smile. “Who do you need to get panties for? Your mom?”
“No you, saucy vixen.”
This time he slapped my butt.
“Stop,” I nearly shrieked. “People are going to see.”
We entered the lingerie store and unbuttoned our coats. Though it was extremely chilly outside, the inside of each store was superbly warm.
“Hello,” a cheery female voice said.
A tall, blonde woman sidled over. “Can I help you find anything?”
“Oh no,” I quickly said. “We’re just looking.”
“No problem.” Her eyes sidled over towards Angelo, quickly dropping to blatantly study every square inch of his body. The owner of the pupils realized what she was doing and quickly lifted her gaze back to his face. “Let me know if you need any help. All rompers are buy one get one fifty percent off.” She smiled at Angelo, seemingly having forgotten I even existed.
I turned away and bit back the smile. I was used to women fawning over Angelo. It was pretty funny, actually, to see the way people could completely lose their minds in the presence of an attractive person. At first, when it would happen, I would get jealous. Eventually him getting checked out became such a commonplace thing that I expected it whenever we went out together.
“What are we looking for?” I asked in a low voice.
Angelo slid by me and lifted a lacy black garter belt set from a table. “How about one of these?”
I cocked an eyebrow, pretending to consider. “No, too conservative.”
“Just what I’m looking for,” he deadpanned back, selecting my size.
We browsed for a little while longer, collecting a few pieces. The blonde salesclerk arrived once more, eagerly taking flight from where she’d been watching Angelo from her perch behind the counter.
The Billionaire and The Virgin Page 26