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That caught my interest. I dialed my sister’s number, and she picked up after the second ring.
“We should meet. I don’t want to discuss this over the phone.”
Greta released a small sigh that reminded me of Nino. It held a quiet but firm message full of disapproval. “You’re here?”
“Where can we meet, without your husband? I hope you won’t tell him anything.”
“I’m alone at home right now. I can leave, and we can meet in a park or café.”
“I’ll pick you up. I don’t want you running around alone.”
“I’m safe.”
It was strange to think that her safety wasn’t supposed to be my concern anymore. And now I was supposed to swallow the bitter pill of Aurora finding a new home in New York as well? Fuck it.
I hung up after we’d ironed out a park close to Greta’s apartment where we could meet. Of course, I didn’t head there. Instead I drove directly to the apartment. She left the building when I pulled up. Her eyes immediately went to my car. She ignored it and walked down the sidewalk, away from the surveillance cameras of the building. The smallest hitch in her walk from the injuries she’d suffered let new rage boil up inside me, but I wasn’t here to revisit my failures from the past. Well, not how I failed my sister. I smiled sardonically. I followed slowly until she eventually stopped and got into my car. She hugged me tightly. “I worry about you.”
“I’m not the one married to a madman and far away from my family.”
Greta pulled back with a frown. The concern in her dark eyes didn’t sit well with me.
She released another quiet sigh, then leaned back. I started the car to take us farther away from her home and possible prying eyes. I could just imagine how Amo would react if he knew I was in New York.
The drive to the park didn’t take long. Greta was quiet in the meantime, which wasn’t overly unusual for her but she was watching me in a way that suggested her silence had a deeper meaning.
The moment I parked and turned to her, Greta shook her head. “I don’t think you should be here.”
“Because your husband doesn’t trust me in his city?” Amo and I still weren’t friends, certainly not family. We tolerated each other because of Greta, and even that only barely. Maybe he thought I was here to cause havoc in his city. Or maybe Greta hadn’t told him yet.
“Amo doesn’t know about this yet. He’s at work.”
“You could have messaged him the moment you found out I was in the city.” I wasn’t sure why I still thought it was clever to test Greta’s loyalties. She had married Amo and left Las Vegas, the answer was clear.
“This isn’t about Amo. It’s about Aurora. She doesn’t want to see you. She came to New York because of that.”
“Who says I’m here to see Aurora?”
Greta let out a small sigh and curled her legs under her body. “You hurt her, Nevio. Physically and emotionally.”
The disappointment in Greta’s eyes was a knife in my chest. “What did she tell you?”
I wasn’t sure I wanted to know how much Greta knew.
“We met at Aria’s and Luca’s house a couple of days ago, and she told me a few things, more than you did anyway. Still not everything I believe but enough to make me really worry about you. How could you lose control like that?”
“I’m a mess. I don’t know why you’re surprised,” I said with a twisted smile. My smile died down after a moment. “What am I supposed to do now?”
“I don’t know. I think Aurora is heartbroken, and unless you want to be with her, I don’t think there’s anything you can do. I’m not even sure that would be enough. Aurora is trying to get over you, and I think it might be for the best.”
“I never saw her like that. She’s like one of us boys, not someone I’d fuck.” She wasn’t even my type. She was too good, too kind, too everything I was not.
“But you did, Nevio, and you took her first without care or consideration.” Greta opened the door and got out and left me sitting in the car. Girls and their firsts, bullshit. I didn’t even realize it was Aurora.
I got out too and followed her into the park. My eyes scanned our surroundings for any threats, but I didn’t detect anything. Still I never fully relaxed. Being in a different territory always felt wrong.
Greta sat down on a bench and I sank down beside her. “How do you feel about what happened?”
Feelings. My favorite topic. In the past, Greta was as wary of emotions as I was, but Amo had to come and ruin it.
