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Carlotta pursed her lips. “We’re just friends.”
I gave her a doubtful look.
She shrugged. “Why would he come over by himself? Maybe the trio comes over for movie night or so, but do you even want Nevio around? I thought you were trying to put some distance between you and him.”
That was working splendidly, now that I had agreed to take care of his son. Why was I such a sucker for people who needed help?
My phone beeped with a message from Nevio, in which he informed me that he was already in the elevator. I jumped up from the sofa.
Carlotta still lay spread-eagle on the sofa, her brown curls flung about her, and she made a face that expressed her concern for my sanity. “What’s wrong?”
I bit my lip when a knock sounded. “This is Nevio.”
“Nevio?” She sat up and swung her legs down. I gave her an apologetic smile then hurried to the door. Nevio must have waited with Battista right around the corner to be here this quickly after everyone left.
I opened the door, and my eyes widened in surprise. Nevio waited in front of it, no surprise there, but instead of Battista, he carried a huge cardboard box. Had he left the boy in the car and decided to carry his stuff up first?
“This is getting heavy,” he said with a cocked eyebrow. I stepped back, and opened the door wider. He passed by, and I closed the door after finding nothing and no one else in the hallway.
He put the box down slowly and opened the lid. My eyes widened in surprise. Inside was Battista in his carrier, fast asleep. “You put him in a box?” I asked.
Nevio motioned at the holes he’d put into the cardboard as if this was for a cat or bunny. “It was only for a few minutes. I put him in there in the parking lot across the street, then walked over here. I didn’t want to risk anything on the premises.”
Carlotta approached us with obvious curiosity and peered down into the box like I still did. Her eyes widened comically, and she slowly turned her head toward me. “There’s a baby inside the box.”
“Thanks for the heads-up,” Nevio said, but his voice was less cocky than usual. His hair was tousled, and he was sweaty. It seemed like being alone with a nine-month-old was too much for him.
Carlotta still stared at me, her eyes growing even wider. “There. Is. A. Baby. In. The. Box.”
I bent down and carefully picked up Battista. He briefly stirred but never opened his eyes as I pressed him to my chest.
“What’s going on?” Carlotta asked, her eyes narrowing on Nevio who shoved his hands into his pockets as if it wasn’t his job to explain the situation. If he thought his job was done here, he was very wrong. I would help him and Battista, but he would be part of this. He wouldn’t just keep on living as if nothing had changed.
“I have another box with his things in the car. I’ll pick them up,” he said and left the apartment without another word, leaving me alone with a very upset Carlotta.
She flung her arms up. “Aurora! What is going on? You’re my best friend, but if Nevio kidnapped this kid, I won’t just stand by and watch.”
“He didn’t kidnap him, Lotta, I swear.” I sighed.
Carlotta stared at the little boy and shook her head.
“You can’t tell anyone about this,” I told her. “Not even our families. No one.”
“He’s not yours, that’s for sure,” she said and her lips thinned. “I know only one person who’d mess up like that and then ask you for help. Fits that he’s the one who brings him here in a cardboard box.”
I shrugged. Of course, there was only one possible suspect in this case.
She moved closer and looked at Battista, who I cradled in my arms so his peaceful face was on display. “He’s Nevio’s son, isn’t he?”
I nodded because I didn’t want to lie to Carlotta. I needed her help with this. “Yeah. He found out about him yesterday. His birth mother dropped him off with Nevio because she doesn’t want to take care of him.”
Carlotta’s expression twisted with contempt. “I’ll never understand how a mother can abandon her child.”
I shrugged. I didn’t know the exact circumstances. What made me angrier than the fact that the woman had decided to give away her son was the fact that she hadn’t taken very good care of him before then.
“And to hand him over to a madman like Nevio?” Carlotta shook her head and scoffed. “He’s the last person I would put up with the task of watching a helpless child.”
“He’s not that bad.”
