“You haven’t accepted it yet,” I said, a cynical smile tugging at my mouth, “but you will.”
She looked away quickly, but not before I caught the smallest movement at the corner of her mouth—like she was fighting a smile she didn’t want.
Gustavo showed Clara something on his phone. She laughed.
I barely saw the screen.
My eyes were on his casual touch in her hair—harmless intimacy that bothered me far more than it should have.
“We’ll see each other at tutoring, okay?” Gustavo told Clara, standing. Then he turned to me with a friendly smile and extended his hand. “Nice to meet you, man. I’m Gustavo. I teach creative reading at the kids’ program.”
I shook his hand.
Firmly.
Maybe a little too firmly.
“Enrico Ferrara,” I said, holding his gaze. “Valentina’s husband.”
I put emphasis on every word.
His smile faltered slightly.
“Oh—right. Congrats to the couple.”
“Thanks,” I replied with a minimal smile that wasn’t friendly at all.
He left quickly.
The silence that settled between Valentina and me afterward was thick, sticky.
Valentina crossed her arms and stared straight ahead, jaw tight.
“Are you always going to be unbearable, or do you have days you improve?” she asked, not looking at me.
“Only when my daughter introduces random men like they’re family.”
She turned fast, eyes narrowed.
“He works with children,” she snapped. “Clara adores him.” Her voice dropped, warning. “And you should start watching your mouth when you feel like throwing the word ‘daughter’ around in front of Clara.”
I kept my face neutral and ignored the order.
“Still,” I said, “the ‘uncle’ title should require credentials.”
She rolled her eyes and didn’t answer—which only irritated me more.
Clara kept walking ahead, completely unaware of the quiet battle unfolding behind her.
I drew a breath, trying to ignore the irrational urge to pull Valentina by the waist and remind her who the only man was going to be in her life.
Even if, right now, that was only true in my head.
But what bothered me most wasn’t Gustavo.
It wasn’t even the jealousy I refused to name.
It was the sharp, unmistakable feeling that even standing beside them…
