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I looked down at my feet and laughed.
“You’re asking too much from me.” Slowly, I started peeling off the bloody shank wraps off my toes and Pina gasped.
“Oh,Cristo, that looks bad. Do you need anything?”
“Just some ice water and analgesic ointment.” When I would leave the Studio to meet Salvatore, he always waited for me by the door, picked me up, and carried me to a bubbly bathtub to look after my feet. He would sit on his knees and clean me up, no words, nothing. Every time it happened, my heart swelled in my chest.
“My driver is waiting outside if you want a ride.”
“Yes, that would be nice. Thank you.” Usually, I’d look forward to the walk home, especially when it was so nice outside, but today I didn’t have it in me.
Pina waited patiently while I gathered all my things and put them in the gym bag, and then we walked out together, climbing in the backseat of her mother’s favorite car.
“Hey, Pina, what did you mean when you said Salvatore and I used to drive Ariana crazy?”
She looked at me and then bit her lip.
“Ah, you know.”
“Your sister had a crush on Salvatore. Was it that bad?”
“You know Ariana. She likes to feel… entitled. Her and Salvatore were the most popular in their class in high school. I guess she always thought that your engagement was more of an obligation and she’d get to brag thatil principe[19]was a notch on her bedpost.” Over my dead and buried body maybe. “It’s a status thing, and I know you and I don’t care about that stuff, but Ariana does. It’s mom’s fault, she raised her like that.”
“I see.”
“Ari cares about you, just like I do, but you were born a level above us, and she just wants to be the one on top all the time.”
“I’m happy to give her my place on the throne, Pina, but she’ll never get Salvatore.”
“I don’t think you have to worry about that. He already turned her down three times, even when she walked in on him naked. I don’t think anything would change now, even if you’re not in the way.”
If Pina would have told me she had six nipples, I wouldn’t have been so shocked. She mentioned that thing about Ari like it was common knowledge, but it was the first time I was hearing about it.
“What do you mean he turned her down? When did that happen? Why was she naked?”
“I… you said you know.”
“I know about the crush. A stupid childhood crush! Ariana tried to sleep with Salvatore?”
“Oh, Grazia, I’m sorry. I should have kept my mouth shut.”
“No, I should have known this. When?”
“I don’t know.”
“Pina!”
“I’m really not sure. Back when the families were on good terms.”
When I was with him. When the whole world knew he was to be mine. Ariana was lucky she wasn’t in front of me because I could have snapped her like a twig. Rage was blinding me.
“Your sister likes to play along some dangerous lines.”
“It was a stupid thing she did when she got too tipsy. Please, don’t say anything. It doesn’t even matter. He said no.”
“It matters, Pina. She’s supposed to be my friend!”
“It’s just who she is. Can you let it go? For me?”
