“I’m sorry.” I lower my gaze, focusing on my hands. “I just haven’t been in a very sociable mood.”
“I get it,” she says. “But I want you to know you don’t have to go through this alone. We’re your family, and we want to be here for you.”
My throat tightens, and I nod.
I never want to burden anyone with my problems, but Abella is right. I can’t keep everything bottled up all the time. It isn’t healthy.
“Anyway, I’m here because we have a lunch date,” she announces.
“We do?”
“Yep.” She smiles. “You, me, and Antonella.”
My first instinct is to tell her I should stay and work, but truthfully, I’ve been at it so long I can’t see straight. It’s also true that I haven’t been eating much, even though Romeo’s been stocking the fridge with all my favorites.
“I guess it would be good to get out for a while,” I agree.
“Perfect. Do you need to do anything before we go?”
I glance at Beppe, who’s currently snoring in his bed. He’s already had his afternoon walk, courtesy of Romeo. He’s picked up on the strain, too, and he’s been spending time with each of us throughout the day.
“I think we should be good.” I get up, give Beppe a quick kiss and cuddle, then we go.
When we enter the living area, Angelo and Romeo are sitting on the lounge.
For a brief moment, my gaze locks with Romeo’s, and my stomach tightens when I notice the dark shadows beneath his eyes. He looks exhausted, and I know the toll it takes on his body when he’s not sleeping enough.
“You want to walk us out?” Abella asks Angelo.
He nods, joining us at the elevator, with Julian following close behind.
I force myself to focus on the doors as they open, trying to forget how terrible Romeo looked.
Once we’re all inside and the doors slide shut, Angelo casts me a worried glance and frowns. Apparently, I don’t look very good either.
The ride down is silent, but just before the car arrives at ground level, Angelo’s voice fills the space.
“Give him time, Gabi.”
When I meet his gaze, it’s impossible to miss the turmoil lurking in the depths of his dark eyes. He’s always been the most serious Vitale brother, and I think he mastered the art of looking terrifying and unapproachable by the age of ten. But there’s no question he loves his siblings, and what happened to Romeo affected him deeply. I think he worries about him more than he’ll ever admit, but right now, it’s written all over his face.
He may run a criminal empire, but at the end of the day, family is everything. That loyalty is something I’ve always admired about the Vitales. They’d go to the ends of the earth to protect each other, and when they love, they love with all their heart.
Silvio and Rosa Vitale were married for nearly forty years, and I can say with certainty that he never cheated on her. I know the same will be true for Angelo and Abella, and most likely, the rest of the Vitale men when they choose to marry.
There was a time when I thought Romeo and I could have that kind of enduring love, too. But now, it hurts too much to even consider it.
I can’t fix this, and I can’t give Angelo false assurances.
So I tell him the truth.
“It’s already been nine years.”
33
ROMEO
[ENTRY 012] — SYSTEM OVERRIDE
