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"All right. Now, let's go see where Unger scuttled off to."
ten
Emilia
My muscles burned pleasantlyas I stretched for the tennis ball, backhanding it across the net at Sofia. She caught it cleanly with her racket and returned it to the other side of the court with a solid thwack, grinning when it landed just inside the line.
"Head in the game, Russo!" she taunted. Her tennis whites were still pristine, while mine looked a little wilted.
"Keep your skirt on," I laughed, shaking out my legs. I served her the ball again. "It's hot out."
"That's what happens when you spend too much time indoors. You turn into a vampire."
"It's called working. You should try it sometime."
"Ha!" Sofia served a wicked slice to my weak side. "It's called mooning after your boyfriend."
I missed the ball and cursed. "Shut up, Sofia."
"You should just fuck him and get it over with."
"Like you would know." I palmed the tennis ball and held up my hand as she opened her mouth to reply. "Wait, no. Forget I said that. I don't want to know."
Sofia grinned and shook her head. "I've told you before, Emilia. You need to get laid."
"Not everything in life revolves around sex, Sofia."
"Sure." She raised an eyebrow, gesturing to the court. "You're just here, sweating in the sun, because you love me so much."
"Oh, hush." I served the ball to her again, but it went wide. I was tired. We'd been playing for a while now, and I was hot and hungry and sweaty, but I'd wanted to spend some time with my friends. Sofia was just looking out for me, and I couldn't deny that she was right. It had been weeks since I'd last seen Alfie, and while I was doing my best to move on and act like nothing had happened, I couldn't.
Damn him. As Rick said to Sam, "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walked into mine." Well, in this case it was a dusty old bookstore in Beacon Hill, starring an infuriatingly persistent Irishman from South Boston. Sea glass eyes, auburn curls, and a wicked smile.
Wicked fingers. Wicked tongue.
Alfie was too much for my bruised, sentimental heart. That didn't mean he hadn't carved out his place beside it.
Sofia must have caught the look on my face, because she let out a sigh and walked over to me. "You're really torn up about this guy, aren't you?"
"It doesn't matter anymore," I said. "I'm not going to see him again."
Sofia rolled her eyes. "Jesus, Emilia. Do you even listen to yourself? You're obviously in love with him."
"You don't know what you're talking about." My face heated. "I can't see him, Sofia. It's too dangerous."
"I'm not telling you what to do. Luca already told me off for interfering." She gave me a look. "I'm just saying maybe you should stop lying to yourself about it. I know you haven't stopped thinking about him. What are you so scared of?"
I was silent for a long moment, and then I took a deep breath. "He loves me, Sofia."
"Well, of course he does."
"No, I mean...helovesme."
She blinked. "Oh."
"Yeah."
"Do you love him back?"
