“I’m fine.” He didn’t look up, just kept moving down the counter.
I set the case down and leaned against the cabinets. “You going to tell me what that was all about?”
He filled the sink with soapy water, bracing himself against the edge as he leaned. “We were working out a few issues.”
“All over Maria’s living room?”
He shoved off, turning toward me. “I’ll get her a new rug.”
“What about Marco? You going to get him a new nose?”
“Breaks give a face character.” He thumbed the tip of his nose. “Don’t worry about Marco.”
“Just like that?”
“Just like that. It’s amazing how cathartic a few punches can be.” Luca’s eyes flared as his jaw tensed.
I opened the first aid box, pulling out a cleansing wipe. “Come here.” Luca shuffled next to me. We both leaned a hip against the counter as I went to work, wiping away the blood from his lip and cheek. “You’re lucky you’re so fucking beautiful. Not many people can pull off the beaten look.”
Luca scoffed, grabbing my hips and bringing me flush with him. “Who got beat? It was just a little tussle.”
Pursing my lips, I rubbed the cut above his eyebrow a little too aggressively, and he winced. “Sorry. I don’t like seeing you hurt.” The scars on his body told the story of a man who’d been put through enough violence for a few lifetimes.
“I’m okay.”
His nonchalance in the face of everything going on broke something inside me. “And that’s the fucked-up part.” I tossed the used wipe on the counter and glared at him. “You shouldn’t be okay with being hurt, Luca. You shouldn’t be walking around with black eyes.”
Luca dropped his chin to his chest. “Baby—” He let out a harsh breath, looking back at me with a pained stare. “That’s my life. That’s this life.”
“Family shouldn’t hurt family.” I cupped his cheek gently, avoiding the cut.
“No. But Marco and I are like brothers, and that’s how we settle shit. It’s been that way since we were kids. It’s what we were taught.”
“Might be time for family therapy.”
Luca let out a humorless laugh. “I’ll think about it.”
“Our kids won’t be brought up like this.” I pinched his chin. “You hear me?”
He frowned, his fingers digging into my fleshy hips. “Of course. No one will touch a hair on their heads. Our family is untouchable. Precious.”
“You’re precious too.”
He leaned down and kissed me hard, paying no mind to his split lip, turning to press me against the counter. The granite was hard and cold at my back, while Luca was hard and hot, molding me to his body. I twisted my fingers in his hair, craning my neck to meet his lips with fervor, not minding the hint of copper on my tongue.
The day had put so much into perspective. So much about our future was unknown and out of my control, but here in Luca’s arms, things were clear. Maybe it was fucked up, but we existed for one another. Our year apart proved we could survive without each other, but I didn’t want that. I wanted this. I wanted to fucking thrive, to live my life to the fullest.
Luca broke our kiss, his eyes shining. “Thank you.” He pecked my lips.
“For what?” I kissed the corner of his mouth.
“For loving me like no one else ever has.”
I tugged his hair. “How could I not?” I sighed and looked at the sink. “We should finish up here.”
Luca kissed me one last heart-stopping time. “Let me. You go check on Maria.”
“Okay.”