“I’m sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t have told you.”
I raised my eyes to Giorgio, who was blurred through my burning tears. “No. Thank you for telling me. I hate the fact that Lucia is marrying into that fucking family. Most of them are disgusting pieces of shit.”
He was taken aback by my words. I was more outspoken than my twin, but I usually kept my thoughts to myself, anyway, especially when it was something rude. It didn’t matter anymore. It was so relieving to let my thoughts out. It had been so long since I’d spoken my truth that I’d almost forgotten how it could lift the weight from my shoulders.
“I agree with you.”
I wiped the tears from my eyes. “Lucia doesn’t. Neither does Chiara. And now look at what’s happened. Lucia’s been taken away by the very person who caused all of this in the first place. The Cavettis are awful, and I hate them.”
Giorgio’s thick hair fell before his eyes. “They’re not all alike.”
I was surprised by his words. Giorgio wasn’t one to mask his words. He always told it like it was. He’d been tortured for months, dealing with the worst that the Cavettis had to offer. What Chiara and I had gone through was like a walk in the park compared to what he’d dealt with. The physical and emotional torture he endured would last his entire life, just as his scars would. The constant reminder would be there every time he looked in the mirror. Yet, he was defending some of them. Who, though?
“I know that not all of them aren’t horrible,” I said, thinking of how sweet Savio had been before we’d slept together. It was messed up that he’d forced me to sing all those nights, but not once had he hurt me. “But who areyoutalking about?”
Giorgio was piecing it together in his mind. Giorgio, in particular, had always had an affinity for the strategy of chess, and I knew he was forming his words practically. That was what he excelled at. He bit his lip and peered out into the distance. He didn’t want to answer me. There was a hesitation on his end that piqued my curiosity even more.
“You promise not to tell anyone?”
I sniffled and nodded, trying to contain my composure. So, it was a secret. Who could have possibly been helping him? Savio seemed like the most likely candidate. Unless, of course, with Romeo’s newfound love for Lucia, he had helped Giorgio. It was unlikely, but Romeo may have grown a soft spot for Lucia’sfamiglia. Doubtful, though.
“It’s Natalia. I know that she’s not like them.”
There it was—his own confession. There was no better place to do it than in the house of God, but I was still taken aback. I hadn’t known that Natalia was visiting Giorgio. That meant that most of us had developed some kind of friendship, or even relationship, with each of the Cavetti siblings. It was like a tapestry being woven before my eyes.
“I’m glad she isn’t,” I said, smiling at him softly. “Neither is Savio.”
We both fell silent, contemplating our secrets together. It couldn’t leave the room. What we’d divulged had been something that we’d retained deeply. Only Chiara knew about my trespasses with Savio. And now Giorgio knew.
“Does he treat you well?”
I met Giorgio’s eyes, glad that he hadn’t stopped being my big brother. Even when he was in pain and worried about Lucia, he was still thinking of me. It warmed my heart, knowing that, even though all the turmoil, my family would always look out for each other.
“He does.”
His lips formed into an uneasy smile, and we fell silent again.
It was hard to see how things pieced together. I could see him trying to figure out what was going on with everyone. There was a tension that, although bittersweet, was causing friction between us. Our families were now intertwined. All of us were weaved together in a fate that I couldn’t foresee. Would Lucia come back safe? Would Gianni be punished? Despite my frantic anxiety, all I could do was wait and see. That was the hardest part of it all.
