Inappropriate humor stemming from my emotional wounds fizzles in my stomach and then surges through my chest to pour from my lips. I slap a hand over my mouth to stifle the sounds, but it ends up making me snort. At first Carina looks at me as though I’ve lost my mind, and maybe that’s true, but then she joins me. Our laughter is cathartic and she has no idea how desperately I’ve needed it.
And how much I’ve missed her.
“I’m sorry,” I say in the midst of gasping for air. “I don’t know what came over me.”
Carina stops and her eyes go wide. “You’re speaking to me?” Before I can confirm or explain, she tackles me in a hug and her words stream from her in what seems like a single sentence. “Oh, my God, I was so worried about you. I thought you’d been mentally damaged because of something our father did and I’ve felt guilty for the last two years because I left you alone, even though it was the only way to obtain the means to get you out of there.”
I pull back from her and grip her hands, sucking in a preparatory breath. “It wasn’t him, but you’re not wrong.”
Her face falls when I reveal that I witnessed her assault. Carina weeps as I describe the crippling thoughts I had about the decision I made and how I believed I could’ve done better if I’d stopped Ugo from hurting her. She’s quick to absolve me of that, of every dark and shameful remnant by saying I saved her.
But in my eyes, she’s the true hero.
This entire conversation leads to enough tears to fill an ocean and we end up exhausted and spent, lying on the bed and holding hands while staring up at the ceiling like we used to do as children. Peace settles over us like a blanket and I release a sigh of relief.
“Everything is going to be alright now,” Carina says quietly.
“I think so.”
She props herself up on her elbow. “I’m going to marry Rafael and I want you to come live with us.” At the look on my face she wrinkles her nose. “Okay, I know the situation isn’t ideal, but I need to know you’re safe and taken care of. The Silvestris have more enemies than just our father and now that their mother has made her presence known… I’m just not comfortable with leaving you alone.”
“I understand.”
“What are you thinking about?”
“Everything.”
“Do you want to share?”
I shake my head and turn to look at her. “I’m still adjusting to the changes. A lot has happened in such a short period of time and I just want everything to slow down so I can catch up. Does that make sense?”
“Absolutely.”
A knock on the door has both of us sitting up. Rafael enters the room after Carina calls out to him and his gaze immediately locks onto her. He scrutinizes my sister from head to toe, frowning when he takes in her face. It’s obvious she’s been crying and my heart warms toward him for not only noticing, but for caring.
“Looks like the slumber party is going well,” he says dryly.
Carina hugs me and kisses me on the cheek. “Yes, it is.” She beams at him and his entire demeanor morphs right before my eyes.
Rafael’s gaze softens, his stance relaxes, and his mouth quirks. Seeing my sister happy transformed him and it’s so powerful that I blink at him a couple times to be sure what I’m seeing is real. He walked into this room with an air of suspicion and now he seems perky and ready to paint our nails or something.
“Well, be sure to let me know when the pillow fights begin,” he says with a sensual curve to his lips. “I heard they can be quite fun.”
My sister rolls her eyes. “Shut up. It’s my sister, not some random chick, so keep her out of your filthy mouth.”
“Viziata, I will if you promise to fill it.”
My sister’s face turns bright red.
I’m sure mine is too, if the temperature of my cheeks is any indication. However, I love this banter between them. It’s clear beyond a shadow of a doubt that Rafael only has eyes for Carina, despite his teasing. The love in his gaze is practically lighting up the room.
“Rafael, get out,” my sister says, pointing at the door.
“Fine.” He winks at her and then turns his attention to me. “Make sure to engage your sister in a good old fashioned sibling quarrel. That way Carina will be nice and fired up by the time she leaves. I love it when she’s angry and it makes for an interesting display of…fireworks.” He waggles his brows at me and I stare at him with wide eyes.
Carina jumps from the bed. “For fuck’s sake. I’ll just leave now before you traumatize Violetta more than you already have.”
“What?” Rafael shrugs with an expression of genuine confusion. “It can’t be anything worse than what she’s heard Beni say. That guy’s mouth is nastier than mine by a long shot.”
