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“I’m glad I could help.” She was worried about her business, and I was sleeping with her brother. She hadn’t said that, and she was genuinely appreciative, so I wasn’t sure why I was thinking about Leo.
“I wanted to let you know that whatever’s going on between you and Leo won’t affect your job here. I’m not that kind of person. I hire people because they’re qualified, and I don’t want to lose you. Your working here has nothing to do with our friendship. You’ve more than proven yourself.”
“I have always wondered if you didn’t give me the job as a favor to me or a handout,” I said, voicing my biggest fear out loud.
“I wouldn’t do that. You deserve it,” Gia said firmly.
“Thank you.” It meant a lot to me that I’d earned this job on my own merit. I might have become known to Gia because we were friends, but she saw something in me. She hadn’t given me the job because we were friends.
I was almost to the door when Gia said my name.
“Yes?” I asked as I turned to face her.
“You deserve Leo too. If you love each other.”
I smiled sadly. “I do love him. But he hasn’t told me how he feels.” He said he was falling for me, but I wasn’t sure if he had.
“He wouldn’t have pursued anything with you if you weren’t important to him,” Gia said confidently.
“He didn’t want to risk hurting anyone in his family. I know your parents would never approve of us.” I couldn’t get Leo’s words out of my head.
Gia frowned. “I’m not sure that’s true. I mean, Mamma can be vocal about what she wants, but that doesn’t mean she won’t accept someone else if it’s who Leo wants.”
“We haven’t really discussed it, so I’m not sure what’s going on. We’re supposed to talk tomorrow night.”
“Hear him out. Give him a chance to explain what he was thinking. Guys can be out of touch with their emotions.”
“Would you be okay if we dated?” I wasn’t even sure that was what Leo wanted, but I had to be sure.
Gia smiled sadly. “It doesn’t matter what I think, and I wouldn’t come between you two if it’s what you wanted. I’m not saying I wasn’t hurt that it happened, and you kept it a secret—”
“I’m sorry, Gia. I didn’t want to hurt you, but that’s exactly what happened.” The worst part was that we both knew this would happen, and we did it anyway.
“I don’t think things are that black and white. We can’t help who we like.” Then her eyes clouded over.
Did Gia like someone she shouldn’t? Was she in a similar situation where she wanted someone she couldn’t have? I couldn’t help but think of Silas. There was something there, even if it was purely physical, but he was her brother's best friend. Was she sympathetic to my situation because she liked Silas?
As soon as the idea entered my head, I dismissed it. Gia wouldn’t sleep with a man she saw as her main competitor. She always spoke of him as if he were her enemy. There was no way she’d give in to the physical attraction.
“I love Leo, but I’m not sure he feels the same way or that it’s worth hurting everyone he loves to be with me.”
“You won’t know if you don’t talk to him.”
I finally nodded and left the room, wondering what had just happened. I wished I'd have clarified things a bit further because it almost sounded like Gia was okay with me dating her brother. She was hurt by my betrayal, and it would take her some time to get over it, but she wanted her brother to be happy.
Was a future with Leo possible? Hope soared in my chest before I pulled back because I wasn’t sure what Leo was thinking or how he felt. For all I knew, I might be in this alone. He might not feel the same or, even worse, he loved my daughter but not me.
I spent the afternoon corresponding via email with Seyona regarding the contract and the next steps to plan her wedding. By the time I was supposed to meet with Aria, my head was throbbing.
She’d responded to my text, saying she could meet me at Max’s. She was already sitting on a barstool when I arrived. I sat on the empty one next to her. “Thanks for meeting me here.”
She turned slightly on her seat. “Of course. I haven’t been out with friends in a while.”
We ordered drinks and then I said, “I wanted to talk to you because Ireland is your best friend, and you’re dating her brother.”
Aria laughed. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t make light of it because it wasn’t funny when Finn and I were hooking up. We were worried about what Ireland and Gia would think and what would happen at work. In the end, it was fine. But you don’t know when you’re in the middle of it.” Then she frowned. “Why? Are you in a similar situation?”
“I’ve been seeing Gia’s brother, Leo.”
