“I know the place, but I don’t think I know who she is.” At least my voice didn’t betray me.
“They seem quite close.” He swiped to another video, and it was all I could do not to toss his phone in the little fountain next to me. “See, right here.” He pointed to when she rested her head on his shoulder and he stroked her back tenderly.
“Maybe a friend of Aurora’s?” I pulled my sunglasses back down and blinked at the prickly feeling that assaulted my eyes. “There were always a lot of women trying to get their claws into Elio and his cousins, so to see that doesn’t really shock me.”
“Was he faithful to you?”
“Does it matter?” I loathed his question.
“Yes,” he cleared his throat, “because any man who would be so lucky to have you should hold you on a pedestal, not take you for granted.”
“Well, it’s a good thing we aren’t together anymore, then.”
“Yes, I think it is.” He tucked his phone away but showed no sign of leaving.
I looked away, not wanting his attention. I just wanted to be left alone to mull over what I’d just seen, but that wasn’t going to happen. As much as seeing that video burned me to the core, I knew it was Elio’s part of the plan. I knew this moment was coming and what it meant when it did, that Elio needed to make a move because something big happened at home. Still, it hurt.
“You never heard of him seeing anyone all the time you were together?”
“Not to my knowledge,” I whispered, hating to say anything remotely bad about Elio. He might be a lot of things, but when he was created, they had me in mind.
“He never hurt you?”
“I never said that.” The words popped out, and I instantly wanted to take it back. Those were my thoughts, my wounds to deal with.
“It explains a lot.”
“Pardon?”
“Sometimes you can’t see me, but I want you to know that I know. I can see you’ve been hurt.” He shrugged.
“What did I miss?”
“You miss the fact that I’m often nearby, that I smile whenever you talk, and that I find any excuse to touch you.” He brushed his fingers over mine.
“It’s not intentional,” I lied. Though I did think Salvo liked me, I certainly didn’t realize it had reached this point. I had been so caught up in my role that I’d almost missed an opportunity to gain information from a great source, and he was sitting right here in front of me. Should I risk it? I did need to find someone and hold off the marriage for as long as I could before we made our final play.
“And now that you know how I feel?”
Oh, I didn’t like this feeling at all. I felt like I was cheating not only on Elio but his entire family.
“You have my attention,” I swallowed around the sandpaper that lined my throat, “but you need to know that this,” I waved around the property, “is a lot for me right now, so if something was ever to happen between us, it would have to be at a painfully slow pace.”
“I understand.” He smiled warmly. “Did anyone else catch your attention at the party?”
Yes, the man who kissed me.
“Yes, the man who checked in on me twice.” I matched his smile, which took a lot of effort.
“Did the uncles explain about the party?”
“Yes, and I’ve already run my plan past them, and they’ve agreed that things will go at my pace, with the understanding that I will marry someone of my choosing, but I’m to understand there is a deadline.”
“Look at you.” He nodded, impressed, then his voice went serious. “Stefano is going to have a real problem with this.”
“I know, but—”
“But you’re Theo’s daughter, so he will have to step down.”