I grit my teeth. Like I said, there’s no use lying to Lorenzo. “I just don’t understand the timing. Syrus wasn’t even in the grave when you proposed to Amelia.”
“Mm, I see. Tell me, when would’ve been a good time for you?”
Here’s the tic. His jaw moves. The scar that runs over his eye and down his cheek twitches. He must be pissed.
I wave my hand. “Forget it.”
“I could take the ring back. I’m sure Amelia would understand.”
“Would you fucking stop?” I bark.
Lorenzo’s dark eyes stay menacing, but he leans back in his chair.
An awkwardness fills the air, and both of us fume, me staring at the wall while Lorenzo’s eyes burn me.
Doesit bother me that he’s getting married?
Kind of.
I don’t know why. I really don’t. I want him to be happy. He’s my brother, I love him. I want the world for him, and I even like the fiancée. She’s a little soft around the edges, but she’s devoted to Lorenzo. If there’s such a thing as soul mates, they found each other.
I think it’s me I’m not happy for, and that’s why it bothers me. Here he is, happy as can fucking be, and I’m here drowning in expectations with a desperate endeavor to fill my father’s shoes.
There is no happy ending for me. There was never going to be. One day, I will marry an Italian woman whom I do not love, have Italian babies, and raise my eldest son to be just like me. Then I’ll die, and the cycle will repeat. That’s my life. Endless power without a drop of freedom.
Excuse me if I’m not doing cartwheels watching my brother buck the system.
“What’s her name?”
I blink and turn to Lorenzo. “Who?”
“The girl. Romano’s son’s… what’s his name? Paolo?”
I nod.
“What is Paolo’s fiancée’s name?”
“Alexa… why?”
“Did you approach Alexa, or did she approach you?”
He’s talking about that day in the park. I give my head a shake to clear my thoughts.
“It wasn’t really like that. I was drinking outside, by the park bathroom behind the church, and she was there to smoke a joint.”
“You were there first?”
“Yes… What are you getting at?”
“Did you initiate sex or did she?”
I sigh and think back. She did. I hinted at it, but I was just messing with her. She wanted me to fuck her so Paolo wouldn’t be her first. Lorenzo is reading too much into this.
“Technically, she did.”
“Technically?”
“She had her reasons.”