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“Who else is coming over? Have you planned another surprise ambush?” Dad asked in a sarcastic tone that made me choke on my water.
Aria cleared her throat after a look at Luca, then she said sternly, “Greta and Amo are late, and so is Valerio.”
“He always is,” Luca said, but his eyes were on Dad.
The tension seemed to rise to crushing dimensions when the front door opened. Valerio, Greta, and Amo appeared in the living room soon after. I was strangely nervous to meet Greta, which was ridiculous. Amo hovered close to Greta, one arm slung around her waist in a protective gesture. She appeared fragile, like a doll, but she’d survived things few other people had. I admired her for her strength.
“You’re late,” Aria said with narrowed eyes at Amo and Valerio before she sent Greta a smile and pulled her into a hug. Greta settled on my other side and gave me a small smile. I tried not to overanalyze every gesture. Greta had always been a restrained person.
Amo gave me a nod, and Valerio sent me a grin that let some of the tension slip away.
Greta acted at ease during dinner, her expression not suggesting that she knew anything about what went down between Nevio and me.
I wasn’t sure if that was because they weren’t as close as they used to be or if Nevio realized this was something he couldn’t share with anyone. Thanks to Aria and Valerio, the conversations stayed on safe ground.
After dinner, Greta asked me to join her in the garden, which could only mean she knew. Dad didn’t mind, so she led me away from the dining table.
The moment we were outside alone, Greta gave me a small, sad smile that made my stomach drop. “I’m sorry Nevio hurt you.”
I didn’t say anything and hoped my face wasn’t giving away anything either. Her words left room for plenty of interpretation, and I didn’t want to reveal more than necessary. I’d sworn I would be more careful.
She nodded slowly as if my reaction made sense and peered at the night sky. “Before Amo, I never really wasted time thinking about love or soulmates, and I’m still not entirely sure I believe in the latter. Now that I have Amo, I want the same for Nevio. I want someone who speaks to his soul and balances his dark.”
I laughed. “Nevio doesn’t have a soul, and if you know what happened, then you also know I’m not that person you want for him. I doubt someone like that exists. At least not on earth.”
Perhaps in hell.
Greta clasped her hands in front of her belly. “Nevio called me. I think he’s really upset that you left because of what he did. He cares about you, Aurora, and very few people can say that about themselves.”
Nevio certainly had a strange way of showing me how much he cared about me.
“You’re getting something wrong. Nevio doesn’t care about me, not like that. He’s probably just angry because I didn’t obey his command to stay in Vegas. He acts like a Capo, even when he’s not.”
Greta tilted her head, her eyes narrowed in thought. “I don’t think you’re right. For some of us, it isn’t easy to understand and act upon our feelings.”
“That would require Nevio to have feelings beyond anger and hatred,” I muttered.
Greta gave me a small smile, but I could tell she did it because she didn’t want to argue with me, not because she agreed. Maybe Nevio could feel more for someone, but I wouldn’t be the one who’d wade through layer after layer of whatever messed-up darkness covered it to uncover it. I was done with him. I’d made a fool out of myself, and I wouldn’t keep doing it.
When we returned to the dining room, only Aria was there. My belly tightened. “Where’s Dad?”
“He’s talking to Luca, Valerio, and Amo in the office.”
I cringed, considering what Dad would tell them. I bet he had a long list of rules. Before my worry could drive me crazy, the three emerged from the office. One look at Dad’s face told me he was ready to leave. He came toward me and grabbed my shoulders.
“I should return to the hotel to grab some sleep before my early flight. All right?”
I nodded with a reassuring smile. I could tell he was still wary of leaving me.
“If you need anything, call me. And if you change your mind, you can come home any time.”
“I’ll be fine.”
Dad stepped back with a nod, but his eyes remained worried.
Aria wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “You don’t have any reason to worry, Fabiano. Aurora will be perfectly safe here.”
The three of us moved toward the front door. I stepped forward once more and hugged Dad tightly.
