“I’m so glad to see you,” she said, her smile growing wider. “It’s been so long.”
I let out a sigh of relief the moment Marcello closed the door, giving us the privacy we so desperately needed. “I’m really glad to see you, too.”
“Did something happen between the two of you?”
“How could you tell?”
She glanced back at the door. “The way he looked at you before he closed the door. You couldn’t see it, but it was different than how it was before. He wasn’t mean about it, either. He didn’t push you into the room, or start counting down.”
My cheeks flushed lightly at the thought of him looking at me differently. He’d never shown a different expression since the moment I met him. The only time had been that morning in bed. To know that he’d shown a different side while he thought no one was looking was endearing.
“I didn’t notice, but things have changed.”
“What happened?”
I gestured towards the cot at the corner of the small room. “Let’s take a seat. There’s a lot to go over. I’ll tell you everything.”
Alessandra followed me to the bed and took a seat. I considered everything, and whether I should really tell her what happened. I didn’t want her to change the way she looked at me. I was, after all, in a sexual relationship with Cavetti. It was something that I never would have anticipated. I simply didn’t want her to hate me for the choices I’d made.
“What has been happening between you two?”
“I...,” I paused, trying to word it perfectly, but I knew there was no way to say it unless I stated it as it was, “slept with him. I lost my virginity to Marcello last night.”
Alessandra nodded softly. “I see. So that’s what’s changed. How long were you guys, you know, getting to know one another?”
“Since that first time he brought me to come and see you.”
“I’m a little surprised,” she said, pursing her lips. “He’s the last person I thought you’d be with. He didn’t force you, did he?”
“No! No. He didn’t. Actually, the first time was a little weird. He just kind of made me eat in front of him without a fork and knife, and it kind of just went from there.”
“He made you eat?”
I laughed. “Yeah, he did. It was strange. And then there was one day where he brought a power egg, or whatever it’s called. I won’t get into details, but he always gave me the option to not do anything that I felt uncomfortable with.”
“Well, I’m glad he didn’t force himself on you. I would have tried to kill him if he did.”
“I know you would have.”
She leaned back against the wall, the cot shifting as she kicked herself back with her legs. “Do you think he cares about you?”
“I have no idea, really.”
“If he does, then you need to use it to your advantage. You have to find out what happened to our brothers.”
I’d been selfish. I had been so wrapped up in everything that was happening with Marcello that I’d spent no time thinking about my brothers. Alessandra was right. If I had the opportunity to get information, I should use it. Maybe we couldn’t escape, but I’d at least know how they were. That was, of course, if they were alive at all.
“I will.”
“You have to promise me.”
“Okay. I promise.”
She exhaled deeply. “Good. I mean, I’ve been trying to get information out of Savio, but it never works. He won’t budge. Maybe Marcello will.”
“I’ll do what I can.”
“Please. I need to know how they are.”
