"I had some business to take care of," I murmur. I take her hands in mine. "I am so sorry I interrupted your engagement."
"Oh pfft." She waves me off. "It doesn’t matter. Besides, because the engagement was interrupted, Diego demanded the Sovranos to push the date of the marriage forward."
My heart leapfrogs into my throat. A massive weight seems to have parked itself on my chest. I force out the words, "They… They have?" I glance away, then back at her. "How do you feel about it?"
She raises a shoulder. "Guess I’m okay with it."
"You don’t sound very convinced."
"I’m fine with it… I suppose." She blows out a breath. "To be honest, I don’t think I have too much of an opinion about it."
"It’s your wedding, your engagement... your life, Solene." I squeeze her fingers. "You need to expect more from it."
She scans my features. "That’s why I’ve always envied you. You’ve always known what you want, Livvy. And you’ve gone after it. The only thing I’ve loved is singing."
"And I’ve told you, you could make it professionally, if you wanted. You just need to—"
"Leave home and try my luck in LA, I know." She shuffles her feet. "I’ve never had the self-confidence you have. I don’t think I’d survive out there on my own."
"You wouldn’t be alone; you’d have me," I point out.
"I wouldn’t want to cramp your style." She bites the inside of her cheek. "Remember when we were younger, how I’d always tag along behind you and try to imitate you?"
"And I loved it."
She narrows her gaze on me.
I release her hands. "Okay, not always. You could be a pain sometimes, but I enjoyed having you along.”
She half-smiles. "You’re a wonderful sister, and now you’re going to become a famous actress."
I laugh weakly. "Somehow, I don’t think so." I raise my hand to touch the scar on my cheek, then lower it to my side.
"It doesn’t take away from your beauty. It only adds to your mystique, you know?"
"If you say so." I scan her features. "I just came to make sure you’re okay."
"I am," she says in a soft voice.
"You sure?"
She nods.
"I didn’t mean for him to follow me out like that… I’m not sure why he did it."
She frowns up at me. "I guess he was being a gentleman and making sure you were okay?"
I tilt my head. Is that what she chooses to believe? Was the tension between me and Massimo not that obvious? Maybe I’m the only one who noticed it? Should I put her right? And what would I say?
"Olivia, is that you?" my brother calls out from inside the house. "Come in and visit with us, will you?"
Thank God for the distraction. Not that I want to see my brother, or anyone else in my family. I back away from the door. "I have to get going, uh... another thing that I need to be at."
I hear my brother’s footsteps and he appears behind Solene. "Come in and have dinner with us. You owe us that much, after the stunt you pulled earlier."
A-n-d that’s Diego for you. If he’d said he missed me, I’d have gladly joined them, but he had to turn this into a negotiation, as if I owe him something. If he could achieve something by threatening me or making it transactional, he would, when the straightforward route would work much better with me. He spins around and walks off, leaving Solene to look apologetically at me. "You know he doesn’t mean to be this abrasive. He loves you, Livvy."
"He has a funny way of showing it." I blow out a breath. "Come on, let’s join them before he bellows again."