“I don’t see you helping her.”
For a minute, I worry he knows my history with her.
Maybe he thinks I’m the father.
No, if he thought that, he’d be tearing me limb from limb.
He’d probably have the other members of La Corona’s permission to do so.
“What does she need?” I ask.
“A husband.”
I swallow.
He laughs. “Right. That’s what I thought. Don’t worry, I’m not going to propose a match.”
I bite my lower lip to keep from saying something stupid like, “I wouldn’t oppose a match between me and Elena.”
For a moment, I seriously consider blurting the words out.
It would definitely force her to accept me.
But I don’t want that.
I want her to love me like she did seven years ago.
Inwardly, I kick myself. I hate that I can’t stop wanting her.
Why can’t I let her go?
Why can’t I move on?
ELENA
After dropping the triplets at school and running errands all morning, I'm at my last stop, my cousin Dom’s place to help with the Christmas preparations.
It’s his year to host the annual Christmas party.
I check my watch. 11:47.
The La Corona meetings typically wrap up by eleven.
If I'm lucky, I've missed them all, especially Luca.
Luca Monti.
Even thinking his name makes my chest tight.
I've perfected the art of Luca-avoidance since his return from Italy nearly a year ago.
For six years, I only needed to do it at Christmas, but now… every La Corona family event requires that I be hyper-aware of him so I can be nowhere around him.
It's childish, I know.
But what am I supposed to do?
Circumstances require that no one know about our history.
