“I slept well, thank you.” I cautiously replied as I cleaned up the kitchen, refusing to take that conversation further. I didn’t know what Lorenzo told him and a part of me believed that Lorenzo wouldn’t go parading about what occurred between the two of us last night. I just didn’t know.
“Lorenzo is still sleeping I see.”
“Actually, he has already had breakfast and went upstairs to get dressed, I am assuming.”
“He is awake?” Giovanni asked, looking at his watch.
“Yep. Woke before I did. Why?”
“That’s odd.”
“Let me guess. You didn’t expect him up till noon, right?”
“Well, yes.” Giovanni chuckled.
That was it. From the moment I met his family, they’ve done nothing but laugh, belittle, chastise, incriminate and treat Lorenzo like a child. Yes, most times, Lorenzo Valentinetti acted like a toddler, but he wasn’t what everyone believed. I may not have considered his marriage proposal as a legit proposal. More like a lapse in any cognitive thought but I knew the man was more than everyone saw.
He did have his moments. He was kind, considerate and genuinely cared about people. He proved that point a couple of times, like when he saved me from Luca Costa and last night when he took care of me when I had my mini freak out. He was protective when I needed him to be but mostly, he was a strong, caring misunderstood man that was constantly getting the short end of the stick.
Looking at Giovanni, I clearly said, “Your brother isn’t a child Giovanni. I would stop treating him like one.”
“My apologies if I upset you but you don’t know...”
I interrupted him, holding up my hand and saying, “My father told me there are only two types of conversations. The clear concise ones get to the point fast and then there are the ones that end in but. Anything said before the word but is meaningless. It’s what comes after that I need to concern myself with.”
Giovanni said nothing as I stared at him.
What could he say? I knew I was right and so did he.
Instead, he cleared his voice and tried again. “You are too good for him.”
“Funny, I don’t remember asking for your opinion in that regard.”
“My brother doesn’t deserve you.”
“Who are you to decide what Lorenzo deserves and doesn’t?”
“I’m his brother.”
“That’s right. His brother. Not his parent. Not his keeper and definitely not his maker. You think you know your brother. The fact is you don’t. None of you really know him. You only see what he shows you. You don’t see the man behind the mask.”
“And you do?”
“Yes.”
“Then I will deflect to you until I too see the man you see,” Giovanni said, getting to his feet. “I came by to tell you that your family will be arriving today.”
“I’m staying here.”
Giovanni nodded his head before he walked to the back door, where he stopped and turned back to me and sincerely added, “Regardless of what you think of us Donatella, we do love Lorenzo. We only want the best for him, to see him happy and loved.”
“So do I.”
As the door closed behind him, I let out a long breath and tried to calm my raging heart. I’ve read about dysfunctional families before but have never seen one in action. Each member of the Valentinetti family had distinct personalities, each vying for supremacy. Maybe it was the Italian blood running through their veins, maybe it was the way they were all raised, but belittling and chastising a family member because he doesn’t conform to the norm was unthinkable.
I didn’t come from a big family. It was just me and my sister, Penny. Yes, we fought and bickered but when it came to the nitty-gritty, we were both there for each other. We stood behind each other, supporting one another in everything.
To make matters worse, this family was forcing me to defend a man who could not only drive me insane with his kisses and body but give me apoplexy with his thinking and shenanigans.