But my humor vanishes at the unholy fire blazing in his eyes.
I might’ve started a war I can’t win.
Violetta
I’ve renamed myself Violetta the vain.
Having too much pride is the only possible reason I thought I could provoke Tristano and get away with it. Violetta the Village Idiot may be more accurate.
After breakfast was concluded, I lied to my sister about having a headache, and nearly tripped up the stairs in my haste to get behind the locked door of my room. Technically, it’s Tristano’s room, as is everything in this house; except me of course.
Although I doubt he’d agree with that.
Despite his possessive behavior, he’s going to seek revenge for what I did earlier. If the crazed look in his eyes didn’t tip me off, then his words certainly did the job.
When Maximus and Emilia excused themselves from the table, Tristano casually leaned over to me and whispered something too low for anyone else to overhear. The sentence still plays on a loop in my mind and it’s what set my feet in motion earlier.
I’m coming for you and when I do, prepare to be fucked within an inch of your life. All eighteen fucking years of it, Violetta.
I can’t stop the shivers that race along my skin. They are equal parts anticipation and nervousness and I’m vacillating between the two every few minutes. It’s enough to drive a person insane.
The rest of the day is spent with me searching an internet site for a book to purchase on my sister’s cell phone, in order to distract myself from Tristano’s threat. I don’t know what I want, so I browse forever, read every sample of every book that catches my eye, and then proceed to not buy a single one.
Sometimes the freedom to choose leads to no choice at all.
Carina stops by to check on me and by then I really do have a headache. It’s just not from lack of sleep like I told her. The pain in my head, and the one in my heart, originate from Tristano and the emotional upheaval he’s caused.
“Are you sure you’re alright?” My sister settles on the bed next to me and then takes my hand, pressing it to her cheek. “I’ve been worried about you.”
“I’m still adjusting to all the recent changes in our lives, but I’ll be fine. It’s just overwhelming at times.”
She nods and places our joined hands in her lap. “I know. We should be somewhere in Mexico right now and instead we’re still in the city. But at least we’re not alone and unprotected.”
I smile at her in encouragement. “Rafael cares for you and if our father isn’t six feet under within the next couple weeks, I’ll be surprised. Look at what he did to Ugo.” A sinister giggle escapes me. “Your fiancé gave you a diamondanda corpse. How romantic…and practical.”
Carina succumbs to the grin she was holding back. “Agreed.”
“I want someone to love me like that.”
I inwardly cringe as soon as the words leave my mouth. Did that sound as pathetic to her as it did to me?
“You will… If you don’t already.”
“Huh?”
My sister presses her lips together and shakes her head.
Headache be damned, I scramble into a sitting position. “What did you mean? And don’t try and placate me with some bullshit.”
Her eyes widen at my choice of words. “It seems like you’ve grown up overnight, even though I know that’s not the case. And I’ll be honest, I haven’t quite accepted that yet. The way Tristano watches you is… I know there’s something going on with him when it comes to you, but as your older sister I don’t want you to be with him.”
I rip my hand from hers and ball it into a fist, stemming my anger as best I can. “Because he’s so much older? Or because I’m too young to know what I want?”
She gives me a sad smile. “Because I don’t want you to get hurt.”
Her gentle and caring tone causes my hostility to deflate and I flop onto the pillow behind me. “Oh.”
“Love is exciting and wonderful,” she says, “but it’s also a risk that comes with more consequences than just a broken heart. Tristano is older and he knows what he wants. I just need to know for sure it’s you.” She pauses and then, “And not just for the time being.”
