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I congratulate myself mentally on the plan.
“If you do not sign it tonight, the deal is off,” I say firmly. I feel Gia shuffle next to me, uncomfortable with the way I am forcing the issue.
Caterina does look for support then. Her eyes land first on Sal, then flick to Marco. Sal looks at Marco as well, his emotions much more plain on his face.
Yes. He will be the one to watch. I know it in my bones.
Marco, to his credit, merely looks bored. He doesn’t look at Caterina once, considering my words calmly.
“Today,” he says finally. “You will marry today.”
There is a small squeak of surprise. “Marco, I need to prepare…”
“You are prepared enough, Caterina. I am entrusting you to Elio now. He will be able to care for you. To provide anything you might need.”
“Marco…”
“Anything,” he repeats.
Caterina falls silent, but the emotions roiling off of her scream into the room.
I tilt my head to study her.
What could she be so perplexed by? What hold does something else have on her?
Does she have a lover, that she was expecting more time with?
The thought makes my blood instantly heat.
No one touches Caterina but me.
Gia unfurls the marriage license, and hands me a pen. I scribble my signature on it quickly, then hand it to Marco, who signs his name as a witness. Gia does hers too, and finally the document lands in front of Caterina.
She stares at me. For a second, there is such sorrow in her gaze, my heart squeezes slightly. I hiss a breath out, dismissing the feeling. Caterina’s sorrow is not my problem.
And I am about to make it much, much worse.
Her eyes linger a moment longer. Then, with a shaking hand, she picks up the pen.
And she signs her name.
5
CATERINA
I never thoughtthat this is how my wedding would be.
I sign the papers, my heart sinking with every letter that I put onto the page. I keep trying to look at my brothers, but I’m not sure what I want. Do I want them to save me? Fix me? Fix this?
I guess.
A silly part of me wants Marco to stand up and slam his hand on the table, and rip apart the contract.
I want him to tell me that everything is going to be okay, and that I don’t have to do this. That he’ll figure out another way to get the information that we want and Luna and I can live peacefully in our little townhouse, happily ever after.
A wave of bitterness clutches at my throat.
After all this time, apparently, I’m still just a little girl who believes in fairy tales.
