“Well, I’m definitely glad to hear that, at least. It is awful that we had to meet like this, though.”
“You’re really different from the rest of your family,” she said, gazing off into the distance. I followed her gaze and noticed that she was looking at the image on the dresser. “Is it because of her?”
I bit my lip. “Yeah, actually. Natalia and I were raised mostly by my nonna until she passed away. Then my father took over caring for us.”
“So, Romeo and Marcello and Gianni were all raised by your father?”
“And my mother, before she died.”
“That’s so sad,” she said, her voice low. “Was she nice?”
“Who? My nonna?”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “Your mother.”
I hesitated. It would be the first time I’d ever talked to anyone about my mother. Growing up, Natalia had always blamed herself for our mother’s death. Of course, my father had made it obvious that he blamed her. My brothers were distant with her, yet she was the closest sibling I had. It was difficult. Seeing as Natalia always had a difficult time discussing it, my mother was never brought up.
I could remember those small moments in the kitchen in the early mornings. Natalia would still be asleep, and my nonna would be baking. It was typically in those small moments that she’d tell me about my mother. I could barely remember what she looked like, but my nonna would remind me. She’d tell me about the pond in the backyard, what my mother enjoyed doing, and what her favorite foods were. My nonna always said that she didn’t know what my mother saw in my father, but that didn’t matter. She’d fallen in love, and my father had returned to his tyrant ways after she’d passed away. He’d been calmer and more stable when my mother was alive.
I turned to Alessandra, and it dawned on me that I’d fallen back into my thoughts, reminiscing while she was still in my arms. “Sorry,” I said, feeling a little embarrassed. “I was thinking about it. And yeah. My mother was a really nice woman. My nonna actually said that my mother had changed my father, and that he was nicer when they were dating.”
Alessandra grimaced. “It sounds a bit like Romeo and Lucia.”
I nodded slowly. “I guess it’s a little like that. What were your parents like?”
I almost bit my tongue. I shouldn’t have asked her. I only realized after the words had passed through my lips that I’d asked her about her parents when it was my father and brother who had killed them in cold blood. It might even have been too soon for her to feel comfortable discussing them.
“They weren’t that great. I’m not sure what it is with criminals,” she said, and her voice was barely above a whisper. “They’re evil.”
“You mean your father?”
“Yeah. There’s just something about being the head of a criminal family that causes them to go crazy and do awful things. I mean, my father wasn’t as bad as yours, but he was still awful. He always had to control the conversations,” she said, still looking off into the distance. “He also liked to control Lucia, since she was the oldest. I wonder if that has something to do with her and Romeo getting along so well.”
Romeo was the kind of guy to take over things. There was no doubting that. He cared deeply about himself, as well as continuing the family legacy. Somehow, though, in the past few months, he’d changed. There was a shift in his personality, and it was a stark contrast to the kind of person I always remembered him being.
“That makes sense, actually. Romeo does like to control things. What about your mother? Was she like mine?”
Alessandra shook her head, looking increasingly sad by the moment. “No. She was always high on something. I did find some opiates in her room, but we always assumed it might be coke or something. I think she took some of the drugs my father was always shipping in and out.”
“That’s awful,” I said, thinking of Gianni, who had looked as though he wasn’t in his right mind at the wedding. “Drugs can be done recreationally, but not everyday.”
“I don’t think they should be done at all.”
The last thing I wanted was an argument. Drugs were like politics—everyone had a different view, and they’d fight to the teeth over it.
I simply nodded my head, allowing for the conversation to end. I’d gotten to know more about her life, and she’d learned a bit about me. It seemed as though each time we spoke, we were getting into deeper and deeper conversations. We were truly getting to the point where we understood each other.
Moonlight cascaded in from the nearby window, and I let myself fall back into the pillows, enjoying the softness of Alessandra’s skin against mine. It was as though she understood, and she simply grew quiet and began to drift off to sleep.
I’d never been happier in my life than when I had her in my arms.
It was later that evening when Romeo entered my room. Alessandra was beneath the covers with me, lying in my arms. I’d stayed up since we’d been together, our clothes scattered along the floor. I couldn’t sleep. I was too enamored with looking at her resting easily. She had a smile on her face all throughout her sleep, and at that moment, she was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. I could watch her sleep all night. I was grateful that she felt safe and that she was in a comfortable bed. I didn’t want to see her in that cell in the dungeon ever again.
I jumped the moment the door opened, being only slightly relieved when I saw Romeo standing in the doorway. He was hunched still from his wound and was holding his side with his hand. He turned to Alessandra, who was still sleeping, then to me. He gestured toward the door and placed his finger to his lips.
I rolled my eyes. I didn’t want to have to explain what I was doing with Alessandra. I shouldn’t have to explain it. I cared about her, and I was enjoying the time spent with her. If Romeo had an issue with it, I would take it up with him—even if it meant getting into a fight. I would fight for my right to be with Alessandra, especially if he didn’t agree with it.
I moved slowly as Romeo spun around, realizing that I was naked. I did my best not to wake Alessandra, being careful to remove the warm blanket from my body without moving it from her. I walked over to my dresser and pulled out some joggers. Romeo kept the door open but his back to me as I got dressed. I glanced back to make sure that Alessandra was still covered. I didn’t want him seeing anything he shouldn’t. Luckily, I’d managed to sneak out of bed while keeping her naked body covered beneath the blanket and without her waking up.
