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Luca got into Harvard University using none of his family’s connections. He was also the valedictorian of his graduating class for both his undergrad and MBA degrees.
Marcello bobbed his head in agreement. “I hated school. It was boring and didn’t seem to have a point. I wanted to attend York Military Academy, but my dad wouldn’t allow it. So I begged him to let me train with some of his men at Salvatore Global when I was a sophomore in high school. It was basically like ROTC, but more intense.”
“If you could do anything, what would it be?”
“People like us don’t have choices,” he pointed out.
“My parents didn’t want me to paint. My mother did everything in her power to destroy my art, and look at how far I’ve come with my career.”
“You don’t know my dad.” He tucked a few curls behind my ear and frowned. “None of us had a choice.”
“Luca doesn’t seem to hate it.”
He shook his head. “No, Luca is where he wants to be. He’s my father’s twin. Two megalomaniacs plotting world domination.”
“Yeah, I can see that.” I readjusted my position, so I wasn’t putting so much weight on his chest. “When your dad moves, Luca moves with him. I’m kinda surprised they’re so close after seeing Luca’s back and chest.”
He pursed his lips and stared up at the ceiling. “Luca took the brunt of the punishments.”
“You’re loyal to Luca, even when you shouldn’t be. Do you feel you owe him for helping you?”
“Yeah, I guess.” His eyes met mine once more. “We were never close as kids, but after my mom died, he would throw himself in front of me and take my dad’s punishments. I think he liked it.”
“Your brother is a monster.”
“No, he’s not,” he said with a bite to his tone. “Luca cares about you, Alex. I know he has a funny way of showing it, but Luca needs you.”
“If that were true, he would have treated me better. He doesn’t love me. Most of the time, he hates me.”
“He doesn’t hate you, not even close. My brother can’t process emotions.” He raised his arm a few inches and winced, looking away from me, so I couldn’t see he was in pain. “When Luca was younger, my parents took him to different doctors. They thought he had alexithymia, but none of the doctors could pinpoint his diagnosis.”
“What is alexithymia?”
“It’s a disorder that prevents a person from expressing and feeling emotions. They’re angry all the time, confused and disconnected from people, not affectionate. Have a lack of empathy. But Luca doesn’t have any of the underlying medical conditions associated with alexithymia. So the doctors refused to label him. My parents forced Luca to talk to psychologists and psychiatrists. The doctors thought he was making progress, but he’s so fucking smart he figured out how to manipulate them. They all fed right into the palm of his hand.”
My eyebrows rose at his confession. “Even as a child?”
He nodded. “You don’t know how manipulative Luca can be.”
“Yes, I do.” I snorted with laughter. “Sociopaths don’t have feelings.”
He tapped his fingers against mine with a stern expression on his face. “You’re trying to rationalize your feelings for Luca by adding a title to his bad traits. It’s not that simple with my brother.”
“I just want to understand why he’s like this. You’re nothing like him, even though you had the same parents.”
“We had different roles to fill within the family. Luca will unravel if he loses you. He’s been slowly falling apart since the meeting with your grandfather.” Marcello squeezed my hand. “I won’t make excuses for Luca, but I will say this. Talk to him. Tell him what you want. And if he tells you no, then you have your answer.”
I stared into his eyes for a moment and had the itch to draw him. “I love you, Marcello.”
He reached over to grab the back of my head and kissed me. “I’ve been in love with you for years, princess.”
We kissed until it was time for Marcello to take another dose of pain medication. He didn’t need to be on bedrest anymore, but I could tell he still needed the meds.
I loved him.
He loved me.
As we dozed off in each other’s arms, I let his words roll around in my head. I was so happy I passed out with a smile on my face.
