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* * *
“Uncle T, I bet I can eat another three scoops quicker than you can,” Isabella squeals over her bowl of midnight ice cream.
“You’re on,” T exclaims excitedly.
“Ah, no, you are not. It’s time to get you back into bed, Izzy. Say thank you and goodnight.”
“Grazie e buonanotte, Zio T e Zia Holly.”
“Buonanotte, bella,” T calls after the girl as Angelica shuffles her out of the kitchen.
Theo brought us to his family’s estate. His mother isn’t here, but I haven’t asked him where she is. I plan on asking her myself tomorrow when we have our daily call. For the past half hour, I’ve watched T and Isabella talk and joke over a shared bowl of ice cream, like they’ve known each other their whole lives. It amazes me how they’ve managed to bond. I don’t recall a time where I’ve seen T so relaxed—well, apart from when we’re in bed, but that’s a different kind of relaxed altogether.
“I think it’s time I took you to bed too, dolcezza.”
I’m honestly exhausted, and right now, all I want to do is curl up and go to sleep. “There is still a conversation we need to have, but it can wait until the morning. I’m tired, and I need sleep.” My tone is sharper than I intended it to be. I guess I’m still harboring that anger from earlier after all.
“Okay, we’ll talk tomorrow.”
I shower quickly and jump into bed. I watch T as he strips off his shirt, and my mouth waters at the sight of him. Nope, I will not let my body betray my mind right now. I roll over and close my eyes, the events of the day playing on repeat. Ten minutes later, I feel him climb into the bed behind me, his strong arms caging me against his larger frame.
“Dolcezza, stop worrying. It will all work itself out. Ti voglio bene.”
I roll over to face him. “I love you too. But you have to stop leaving me behind. We are either in this together, or we’re not in this at all.”
His eyes search mine silently for a few minutes, before he relents with a sigh. “We are in this together, always. I will work on not shutting you out of everything. But there will be times where I can’t tell you things, for your own well-being. There will be times where I need to leave you behind, so I know you’ll be safe. I won’t apologize for trying to keep you safe, Holly.”
“Okay.” I lean into him and close my eyes. I feel his lips on the top of my head as sleep overtakes me.
* * *
The light streams through the curtains as I look around, trying to get my bearings and remember where I am. This waking up in different rooms is getting old. I think it’s time that T and I find a place to live, somewhere we don’t have to run away from. Somewhere that I can invite my family to visit and know they’ll be safe from this world.
Carefully, I slip out from T’s arm, hoping I don’t wake him. Tiptoeing into the closet, I’m surprised to see a stack of new clothes, the shopping tags still attached. I really shouldn’t be surprised… T always has whatever we need, wherever we end up.
I run my hands over the expensive fabrics, stopping at a black dress. There is no way Theo actually chose any of these. But I’m thankful to whoever did. I tear the label off and pull the material up my body. It’s a Dolce and Gabbana fitted bodycon dress. It ends just above my knees at a respectable level, but shows all of my curves, and the cleavage boost is next-level. I grab a pair of patent leather pumps and shuffle into the bathroom. Shutting the door, I do my hair and makeup.
As I stare into my reflection, I finally emit a sense of strength that’s been missing the past few weeks. It feels good to look good. I’ve been sitting around in yoga pants and Theo’s shirts for way too long. I take one last peek in the mirror. “It’s time to start acting like the queen everyone is claiming you are, Holly,” I whisper to myself and walk back through the bedroom.
T is still asleep. I’m not surprised he hasn’t stirred. He hasn’t been sleeping lately. And I’m not about to wake him either. I have plans today, and I need to get out of this house before he notices. I make it down to the kitchen without running into anyone. However, that’s where my luck runs out. “Fuck! Holly, what on… what are you wearing?” Neo sputters the coffee he was drinking.
I look down at myself. “A dress?” I question, my brows drawn down in confusion.
He shakes his head. “That’s not a dress, babe. That’s a fucking death sentence.”
“It’s just a dress, Neo. How on earth can a dress be a death sentence?” I fill a cup of coffee from the pot he must have just made.
“Anyone caught looking at you in that is bound to meet the bottom of a shallow grave. I can’t believe T even let you out of the room like that.” He smirks.
I tilt my head. “You’re looking at me in this dress. And T’s still asleep.”
That drops the smirk right off his face. “For the love of God, go and change, Holly.”
I raise an eyebrow at him, while gulping down the hot liquid gold that is caffeine. Placing the cup in the sink, I ignore Neo as I search through the kitchen drawer—the same drawer I’ve seen T drop keys into before. I don’t even care whose car they belong to at this point. I just need a way to get around. I inspect the first set I pick up and smile at the Ferrari logo staring back at me.
“Wait, what in the ever-loving fuck are you doing?” Neo asks, jumping to his feet and shuffling around the counter.
“I’m running some errands,” I say, turning and walking in what I can only hope is the direction of the garage.
