Inceptive

by M. D. Melai

  “This is so awesome,” Elle breathed out.

  “Yes, it is.”

  It still caught me off-guard at how similar we looked. Tonight was going to be an amazing night, no matter what happened. I could feel it.

  Violet was patiently waiting for us when we made our way downstairs. She looked beautiful as always in a violet purple dress that had a long slit up to her thigh on the right side. Her dress was strapless with two-inch diamond belt that was right below where her bra line would have been. Her hair was pulled up, and her mask was a beautiful half black mask with lace and feathers.

  I held up a sign when we reached the bottom of the stairs that told her to pick which one was which.

  She stared at us for a while, and then finally decided. She had picked wrong. I figured that if my own best friend since kindergarten couldn’t tell us apart, then I was in good shape for tonight.

  As soon as Elle opened her mouth and shouted, “Let’s get this party started,” Violet leaned in to me and laughed.

  “Yeah, you better make sure she doesn’t talk tonight, because everyone will definitely know that she isn’t you.”

  ***

  The ballroom looked amazing when the three of us walked into it. Kay had done another amazing job. The room had black drapes that came out in stars bursts from the chandeliers that hung from the ceilings. There were green lights that lit up the walls along the outside of the room, and the tables were lined up on either side of the dance floor. Each table had a sheer black tablecloth and underneath was lit up with either a white or green glow. In the middle of each one was a different centerpiece. Some had lace covered mason jars with candles and white pumpkins. Others had white trees and with candles hanging from them. Everything looked exactly the way I had thought it would.

  The DJ was setting up and the caterers were laying out all the amazing foods. I just couldn’t believe what they had come up with this time. Several of my favorites were the green apples covered in black caramel, white chocolate dipped cherries with edible pearls, and of course, the witch’s brew drink. I was going to have to be sneaky when it came to eating—it was going to be almost impossible with this mask on.

  As the guests started to arrive, Elle and I greeted them along with Violet. It was hard since we weren’t allowed to talk. Violet would silently explain to them what we were doing. We received lots of smiles, and even a few winks.

  Even my family, as they filtered in, thought it was a good idea. Of course my mother knew as soon as she touched my hand that it was me. She winked and smiled at me before she leaned in and whispered that she wouldn’t tell anyone. I think she was curious if even my own brothers could tell us apart. The only one I was most curious about, or worried about, was Benito. I wondered if we had some sort of father-daughter bond to where he would know it was me, just like my mother had.

  The party was in full swing when Dante, Emilio, and Lucas finally showed up. Lorenzo and Paolo had been in charge of security, along with several others, so I started to get worried about them before they arrived.

  Dante made his way straight over to Violet as soon as he spotted us on the dance floor.

  “I’m so sorry we’re late,” he said as he leaned in to kiss her. “We got caught up.” He looked handsome in his tux and mask.

  I watched Emilio and Lucas from across the room. They both looked striking in their black tuxes. Their masks were both very representative of who they were. Lucas’s was a black and white mask that was almost like a ying-yang split in the middle, and Emilio’s was black with a blood red swirl design carved into it. His eyes met mine instantly, and his head tilted from side-to-side like he was concentrating on everything about me. Then he slightly moved his head and watched Elle as I nudged her and she met his gaze as well. When I looked back up, Lucas was doing the exact same thing to both of us.

  “Those two are checking us out,” I whispered towards Elle.

  “Hell yeah they are!” she laughed back. “Let’s go and make them jealous, shall we?” I didn’t have time to answer before she twirled me around into the back of some guy, who turned around and didn’t hesitate to begin dancing with me as he took me in. I shot her a look about the time she grabbed the guy next to her and started moving along with the music.

  That girl is going to get me in to trouble one day.

  We danced with half the guys there before Lucas finally made his way towards us. I had been watching both Emilio and Lucas out of the corner of my eye when I could. They both had been dancing with just about everyone there as well.

  “May I have this dance?” Lucas asked Elle.

  She nodded, and for the next song, Lucas spun her around the dance floor.

  When the song ended, he turned towards me.

  “May I have this next dance?”

  I nodded and took his hand. His eyes instantly widened, but he never said a word as he pulled me in and we danced. I kept a little distance between us, because I was scared he was going to be able to feel my heart beating out of my chest. I was sad when the song ended, but that soon changed to shock when he turned and went back to Elle and asked her for another dance. Did he think that she was me and I was her?

  The song started, and Lucas spun her around the dance floor as a new man pulled me in. It was hard not to stare at Lucas and Elle. The song was about halfway over when someone tapped my shoulder, and I turned to look. It was Lucas… again! I curtsied to the guy who I had been dancing with to thank him for the dance, and turned and took Lucas’s hand again.

  This time he pulled me in so close I knew he could feel my heart beating, because I could feel his.

  “Lily,” he whispered in my ear. “I knew it was you the moment you looked at me from across the room.”

  I squeezed his hand to let him know he was right. I let a small smile escape under my mask.

  My heart was still pounding as his lips closed in on my ear. His hot breath sent chills down my spine, and I couldn’t help it as my breath hitched.

  “You look absolutely gorgeous tonight,” he said as his breath became shallow. “If I knew it wouldn’t cause trouble, then I’d whisk you away and have you all to myself.”

  Oh my gosh!

  “By the way, I like the blue eyes, good touch. But I miss your shining emeralds,” he admitted.

  We danced until the song ended, and then he leaned in one more time. “I hope I confused Emilio enough now,” he said as his voice suddenly became shallow. “And just so you know, if I didn’t want to trick him so badly, then I would kiss you right here, right now.”

  His stare became intense as we stood there and looked at each other. He was the one to finally break eye contact.

  “I forgive you.” He half smiled at me before he spun on his heel and headed toward my family, leaving me standing there—paralyzed.

  ***

  The rest of the evening was a lot of fun. I think I danced with every man in the building at least once, if not twice. The only person I hadn’t danced with was Emilio.

  He had been twirling around every girl in the room this evening but me. He even had danced with Elle several times. I guess he thought “why dance with her, when I’m dancing with Lily now.” I guess Elle was going to be the winner.

  “The hostesses would like to thank everyone for coming out tonight. They hope everyone had an amazing time,” the DJ said in a low, sexy voice as everyone applauded. “Everyone grab that special someone, for this will be the last dance of the evening.”

  I watched as couples grabbed their spouse or someone close to them and began to dance. I was just about to take the last step off the dance floor when Emilio walked up to me.

  “Dance with me?” he asked as he held out his hand. I graciously took his hand as he led me out to the dance floor, just as the song hit the end of the first verse.

  Emilio didn’t speak a word as he pulled me in closer, and we started to dance. It was all I could do not to hold my breath.

  I couldn’t concentrate on anything else but the fe
el of his arms around me. His cologne tonight was intoxicating, and I found myself lost in him. Between the song and Emilio’s nearness I felt like we were the only two people in the room.

  I hadn’t even realized the song was over until I felt Emilio’s lips on the side of my head, right before he leaned in close and whispered in my ear. “You look so beautiful tonight, Liliana.”

  I just stood there, stunned as he backed away from me. His gray eyes pierced my soul as he looked straight into mine, kissed my hand, and headed off to the side to join my brothers.

  They both knew it was me.

  I thought tonight was supposed to make this easier for me, not harder.

  Now what was I supposed to do?

  Chapter 18

  Violet’s and Elle’s eyes were staring at me intently as they awaited my answer. Their bodies were hunched forward, intrigued by each word I said as I explained to them my interactions with both Emilio and Lucas from the night before. Violet had left early with Dante, and Elle was head of the cleanup crew, so neither one of them had the chance to ask me if Emilio or Lucas had recognized me.

  “And then Emilio kissed my hand and said ‘you look so beautiful tonight, Liliana’,” I said, concluding the story.

  “So we both win!” Violet shouted.

  “Well, actually I win,” I laughed.

  “Lily is right, technically she is the winner, but since they both recognized her, it’s only fair to say we’re all winners here today,” Elle added.

  “Yeah, I guess so,” I said not as enthusiastic as Elle or Violet.

  “That wasn’t what you wanted to happen, huh?” Violet asked, a somber look crossing her face.

  It took me a second to react, but after a few short moments, I shook my head. Violet knew that I was hoping that only one of them would know. That single person quite possibly could have made my decision between the two. But sadly, all it did was just make it harder.

  “So, Lucas said he knew as soon as you two locked eyes,” Elle recited. “But when did Emilio know it was you?”

  “He didn’t say. The only words he spoke to me were when he told me I looked beautiful.”

  Elle nodded and so did Violet when they realized that that might be an important piece of information to find out. But, in my heart, I already knew. He had known it was me the first time he saw me, the same as Lucas.

  “So, I know Dante didn’t recognize you,” Violet asked, changing the subject. “So how did your other brothers and Benito do?”

  “Funny you should ask that,” I laughed. “Neither Giorgio nor Dante figured it out. I won’t lie—I was really surprised. Giovanni and Marcello, though, the two I figured wouldn’t have figured it out, did! I guess I shouldn’t be so shocked by that, both of them are very observant people.”

  “Benito?” Elle asked before I could even get to him.

  “He did good,” I said with a smile. “I was really worried about him. I know our relationship is different, but I still wondered if he would know me, you know?”

  Violet and Elle both nodded.

  “Benito asked me to dance,” I continued. “And we were in the middle of the song when he told me that he knew I was Liliana. When I asked how? He said besides the obvious, which I’m still not sure what that is, my eyes are what gave me away.

  “He told me no matter what color of eyes I had, he would recognize them, and that he would know Adela’s eyes anywhere.”

  “That’s so sweet,” Elle squealed.

  “He really loves you,” Violet added.

  “Yeah I know,” I sighed.

  Lucas. Emilio. Benito.

  I had my hands full with all three relationships. Two different situations, both complicated in their own ways.

  ***

  Soothing music filled the whole room as I breathed in the intoxicating aroma of the scented candles the masseuse had lit. This was absolute paradise, and what made it even better was the relaxing feeling I got as she worked out the knots in my back. I had made the right decision when I went with the stress fix massage.

  The weekend had been nice—nothing like a spa weekend to make a girl feel better. I had tried to soak up as much relaxation as I could, and I did. I tried not to think about anything else, but my mind would wander from time to time—always swinging back and forth between Emilio and Lucas.

  My mind was left with no remainders as it kept evaluating both men. How could they both have known it was me? But then again, how could they not? I had known Lucas for two and a half years now, and Emilio even longer.

  When I was with Lucas, he brought out a different side of me. I felt more like myself around him, and that I could tell him anything. He showed me new and exciting things, and he was always there for me no matter what I had done—good or bad.

  Then there was Emilio. My heart for some reason couldn’t move on from him. He was my first love, and he knew me. He really knew me—the deep dark ugly parts of me to the light beautiful parts. But for some reason I couldn’t move on. Why?

  “Ms. Dapprima, you okay?” Heidi, the masseuse, asked me. “Your muscles are tight again.”

  “I’m okay,” I assured her. “Just thinking.”

  “Would you like it if I turned on different music?” she asked in a heavy Swedish voice.

  “Sure, let’s try something different. Maybe it’ll help clear my head,” I replied.

  After Heidi changed the music, she asked me to take a few deep breaths and to try to clear my head of any thoughts. If she really knew me, then she would have known how impossible that was for me to do. But, I did as she said, and I slowly started to relax again. If a new thought popped into my head, then I would force it out before I dove back into the point of no return.

  ***

  “That was seriously the best massage I’ve ever had in my life,” Violet said as she met me and Elle in the lobby before we went to get facials. Elle agreed eagerly.

  I just nodded in agreement as well. It had been less relaxing for me, but that wasn’t anyone else’s fault besides my own.

  We spent the rest of the afternoon talking about Thanksgiving in-between our facials and mani-pedi’s. Violet suggested we do the same thing we had done in the years before. For a moment, I wondered if they had done the same thing last year while I was gone as they had the years before.

  This year it would be like always—Violet and I would cook the meal, and then we would just relax, play games, and argue with the guys over who gets the remote.

  “Do you want to go get something to eat after this?” Elle asked as her nail technician started to put on the top coat of fuchsia pink. “I’m starving.”

  “That sounds awesome,” I responded as I wiggled my toes and took in the luscious blue. My phone began to ring at the same moment.

  “Who is it?” Violet asked. Her vibrant orange nails had been finished for over ten minutes now.

  “It’s Faith,” I replied right before I slid my finger across the screen to answer. “Hello,” I spoke into the phone.

  “Lily?” she asked immediately.

  “Yes,” I dragged out.

  “Good,” she replied with a sigh of relief. “I was actually calling to check in to see if we could meet up tonight. I really need to speak to you about something in particular.”

  “What is it? Can you tell me now?” I begged.

  “I’m sorry, I can’t. But will you meet me tonight?”

  “Yeah, absolutely. When and where?” I asked eagerly.

  My mind went into overdrive as a million and one different scenarios played out in my head. I couldn’t help but wonder what was so important that she just had to meet with me so urgently.

  ***

  After dropping Elle off at her place and taking Violet home, I drove my Camaro back into the city, and into the dead center of all my family’s property.

  The parking garage was close to our meeting spot, so I drove up to the first floor before I found Faith’s car sitting there, still occupied by her. I shifted my car into par
k and reached up to cup my necklace.

  Violet said she would tell Emilio and Dante I had to run an errand… not a lie… and that I would be back later. I also told her if they harassed her too much to tell them I was meeting with Faith in the middle of our territory, and that I was fine.

  “Hey,” Faith said as I stepped out of my car and shut the door. “Do you mind if we go to the coffee shop across the street? It’s freezing out here.”

  “Yeah, that’s fine,” I replied.

  We walked across the street and found that the coffee shop was almost empty. I knew it was close to closing time, but as soon as I told them who I was, they were happy to stay open after hours. At least Faith and I knew we would be alone with no one to hear what we would be discussing.

  The waiter brought us our lattes and we took a quick drink before Faith started explaining, without hesitation, why she asked me to meet her.

  “Lily, you need to be careful,” was the first thing she said. “Especially when you’re around Lucas.”

  “I don’t understand,” I said. “What’s going on?”

  “Has Lucas ever mentioned anything about his parents to you?” she asked.

  “Yes, he has told me about them,” I said as I nodded my head a little confused.

  “Even the part where he’s doing research into their murder?” she asked.

  “I didn’t know he was doing that. All I know is that he is doing research into Adela’s murder,” I stated. “So he’s researching both his parents’ murder and Adela’s?” I asked.

  That’s weird. Why didn’t he tell me?

  “As far as I know, yes. He’s been having Nikolas look into a few things for him, since he has been shunned by my father and can’t do it himself.”

  “Did he get caught?” I asked instantly.

  “We’re not sure. There’s this guy that works for my father, James. Do you remember him from our meeting with my father?”

  “I do,” I said.

  I knew she didn’t know that I had met him before that meeting. The two times that I had seen him, chills went down my spine.