Page 156 of Alessio

“Oh?”

“Yeah, shit to take care of that you wouldn’t.”

Corrado stiffened, his throat growing tight. “And what does that mean?”

“This,” Alessio said, pointing between the two as he met Corrado’s gaze, “it’s not all about you. It’s about me, too. And someone else because you brought her into it. You keep thinking you’re also the only person here that gets to decide about it—like the choice to say fuck it, hide away, and pretend like nothing is wrong. The rest of us here aren’t always going to just fall in line with you, Corrado. That’s not how love works.”

That ache was back in his heart.

“You don’t get—”

“Yeah, I get you don’t like shit that hurts. Don’t worry.”

“I needed a minute to figure out what I was doing, Les.”

“Well, you got two weeks, and I’m fucking tired of waiting.”

“What?”

Alessio grinned and gestured at the mansion. “Do you know why I didn’t call you or come back home the last couple of days since I got back?”

“Because you wanted to punish me?”

“Really, that’s what you think it was?”

“That’s what it seemed like.”

Alessio’s smile drifted away. “I’m sorry.”

“You’re all I have, Les.”

“No, I’m not. I am one of two people for you, Corrado. And I’m fucking sorry that life gets in the way, and you’re not sure how to deal, but you gotta learn. Like the rest of us did, okay? You can’t run when shit gets rough. You can’t.”

Corrado nodded. “Yeah.”

“I didn’t call or come home because I didn’t want to lie to you. I don’t lie to you, no matter what. And so, if I didn’t see you or speak to you, then I wouldn’t have to do that, not even by omission.”

He stared at Alessio as still as stone.

Alessio stared back, waiting.

“What did you do?” Corrado asked.

“I brought her back for us. Ginevra is here tonight.”

He hadn’t been ready for that.

He also wasn’t at all surprised.

“She left.”

“Yes, because not everything in her life will always be about us, Corrado. We had a spread of time with her away from her life—without her responsibilities, and the things she left at home. She didn’t have to worry about that during our time, but that time ended. And she needed to get back to reality, but that doesn’t mean she didn’t want to stay.”

“If she wanted to stay—”

“It is possible she both wanted to leave and stay but with only those two choices … someone will always get hurt.”

“I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”