I clench a hand over my heart as Dante mopes away. He’s my more sensitive child. He also has a violent side when he’s angry—something I need to tame. I’ll have to smooth this over later.
Once I’m sure Dante is gone, I go in search of Riccardo. I can’t find him anywhere. My anger rises with each passing moment.
I pull out my phone and call Beth. She’s not here today, but I think it’s time she comes over. We need to talk.
“Hey,” I breathe into the phone. “It’s time.”
“I’ll be there in a few.”
CHAPTER 2
Never Enough
Gio
I have this heavy feeling in my gut like I should have gone after my mother instead of taking off with Jace and Ny. My head is just so fucked up.
Nyla isn’t like any of the other girls at school. It’s not just the dark makeup and goth look. She’s a force of her own.
Her presence has a vibe all to itself. She fills a room like I can. Her presence matches mine. Shit, I never thought about how the three of us could take over a room, but still coexist.
Nyla is smart. Smarter than any of the girls my age. I want to protect that.
Her need to know and learn about everything places her in danger. She was dating an asshole at school I hate—Matthew Pike—just to find out who I was interested in. Matt brought her to a party and tried to feed her beers, thinking he could take advantage of her.
I had to put a stop to that shit. That was when I gave in and took her to the movies for our first date. The signs were there even then. She was venomous toward Jace’s date.
I think I’ve always known the truth. And still, I’m struggling with this. It’s not like Jace hasn’t always been around. Honestly, I know he’s better for her. He can give her all that emotional shit I’m not built for.
In my family’s line of work, feelings will get you killed or hurt the ones you love. I can’t allow anyone to know Ny is my one true weakness. Nonno told me a long time ago I needed to get that under control and never let it show to anyone. Which is why I’ll go along with this craziness for now.
But is it crazy? Look at how happy she is.
I look at Nyla sitting between myself and Jace in this ice cream parlor. The big smile on her face means everything to me. Compersion that’s what Ny’s research called it—some Uptonian community in New York coined the term in the seventies. The state of happiness and joy for another’s happiness.
Fuck, I’m finding logic for this shit. I may be able to find reason in what she wants from me, but my world never will. No one is going to want to hear that Jace and I are metamours. None of that verbiage will mean shit to them.
All my world will see is my mulignon girlfriend and my finook best friend which would by association makes me a finook. Three horny teenagers that decided to fuck each other. It doesn’t matter that I won’t have sex with Ny until she turns eighteen, I don’t give a shit what she says. That’s the one thing I’m not giving in on and I’ll beat the shit out of Jace if he tries.
Aw, fuck, am I really going to share what’s mine with another dude? I’ve shared everything with Jace. All my life, what’s been mine has been his. Including Ny, before now. She was our best friend, but when she became my girl, she was mine.
Now, as I look at her leaning her head against Jace’s shoulder, a part of me wants to flip this table over. Ny was the first thing I had to call my own. I’ve wanted her for so long.
I close my eyes as she shifts closer to me and slides her hand over my thigh. Her small breasts press against my arm, and she places her forehead against my cheek. How can we have this bond, and she still needs more?
“Stop overthinking it. Let’s be like old times. You never questioned sharing when we were little.”
“You weren’t asking me to share pussy back then,” I snap and regret it right away.
Ny snaps her head back. “I’m still not asking for that since you’re hell-bent on making me wait.”
I turn to her and tap my temple with my pinched fingers. “When did you become sex crazed? I don’t give you dick, so you want two? Where is this coming from? Where’s my Ny?”
“Fuck you, Gio. It has nothing to do with sex and you know it. Or did you not read anything I gave you?”
My face feels hot as I glare at her. I’m so pissed I start to bark at her in Italian.