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Yeah, did I mention that Christiano insisted I fly up here in a private jet, with a fucking limousine waiting for me at the small local airport when I arrived? Talk about insane. Jodie was speechless for at least ten minutes when it pulled up outside thebeach house. As were the old couple next door. No doubt the neighborhood WhatsApp group has been on fire all week.
"Boy problems," I say.
Jodie snorts. "Aint no boy can afford a limousine, and you sure as shit can't. Come on, spill before I call your mother."
"You wouldn't!" Shit, if Mom hears about my trip to the hospital, she will go nuts. I have deliberately avoided calling her for the last week and a half, electing to message her instead with the excuse I'm busy with college.
"Yep, I would." She sits down opposite me and stares at me with her arms folded. It's like the Spanish Inquisition and I cringe, knowing the time has come to confess all my deepest and darkest secrets.
"So I met this guy at Thalia's wedding..." I begin.
???
The silence is deafening. Jodie knows everything, well almost everything. I didn't exactly give her the unfiltered version of my sex romps with Christiano, and I deliberately glossed over the fact the man who kidnapped and threatened me met with a bloody end. But she does know Christiano is part of a crime family, and she knows I was kidnapped. And she also knows how I feel about him.
"Well," she murmurs eventually. "That's a lot to unpack."
"Yup," I reply, staring at some guy strolling along the beach with his dog. The light from our house picks out the dog as it dashes past the picket fence. It's a huge orange retriever. Just the kind of dog I want one day when I'm married with a few kids. Will our kids have his red-brown hair or my darker hair? My mind conjures up a cute little girl with auburn ringlets and sparkling green eyes then I remember that I'm supposed to be distancing myself from the insanely hot mafia man I really shouldn't want.
"The heart wants what the heart wants, honey."
I turn my head to face Jodie. "So you're saying I should ignore all the many red flags and embrace this..." I wave my arms dramatically. "...whatever it is with Christiano?"
"OK, Cara, I'm going to be honest here. Everything you've told me will surely put your mother in an early grave. We both know she's very traditional in her outlook and is keen for you to settle down with someone safe and boring. But that's not you, is it?"
She's right. I've always been drawn to the walking red flags. I can't help it. I don't want boring and safe. The thought of getting married to an accountant and becoming a soccer mom kills my poor heart stone dead. Speaking of which, I never got around to canceling my Tinder date with Rick, which makes me feel like a complete bitch.
"So does this man make your heart flutter? Does he make your toes curl when he kisses you?"
"Yes." One million percent.
"And will he protect you and do everything in his power to keep you safe?"
I nod. I know he will. He's already proved that.
"Then maybe you should follow your heart, honey. Your best friend is married to his cousin, so even if you don't stay together, you can't escape the family unless you move to a different state. So why not give him a chance? He obviously cares for you. What happened to you was awful, Cara, I'm not trying to minimize that. Your safety is important, but there are dangers around every corner and from what you've told me, this man is uniquely placed to protect you from most of them."
I think about it for a moment. Yes, being with Christiano has put me in danger, but she has a point, I'll probably be safer with him than away from him. Thalia has freaking bodyguards with her wherever she goes these days, so I'd likely end up with the same if I stay with Christiano.
It would sure make life interesting, especially if it's Rico. I smile for the first time in a week and imagine how much fun I could have teasing Rico about his taste in music. Maybe Jodie is right. Maybe I am overthinking it.
"Are you going to tell Mom about this?"
Jodie chuckles. "Definitely not. I'll leave that to you."
The thought of Mom finding out my boyfriend is a member of a notorious Mafia family doesn't exactly fill me with joy, but there's zero chance of them meeting anytime soon, so I should be safe for now. And if this does work out, then Christiano is charming enough to brush away any doubts Mom might have about me dating a man ten years older than me.
"You should call him, honey. Put the man out of his misery."
She knows he's been messaging me all week and I haven't replied.
I pick up my phone and open the messaging app.
Me:Can we talk?
Less than a minute later, he replies.
Christiano:Yes.
