Marco nodded and left the room. Salvatore walked over to Izzy.
“I don’t think I’ve met Lucia’s sister officially. I’m Salvatore Benedetti.”
She took his hand. “Isabella DeMarco.”
“Good to meet you. And this is?”
Effie looked up. “Got it!” She held up the plastic triumphantly, then checked out Salvatore. “I’m Effie,” she said, rising to her feet from the floor and holding out her hand.
Salvatore took it. “Nice to meet you, Effie.”
Rainey walked in with a tray and set the glasses of lemonade down on the coffee table. We stood awkwardly.
“I’ll let you and your sister have some privacy,” Salvatore finally said, his tone casual, his gaze wavering. “I’m going to take a shower.”
He waited. My body still did that vibrating, tingling thing as the air crackled between us.
“Thank you,” I finally said.
He nodded and left the room. We watched him go. Only when he was out of the room did either of us breathe. My thoughts wandered to what I’d found in his room. I wondered if he’d think he’d forgotten to lock the door between our bedrooms, or if he’d know I’d broken in.
“Wow. He’s intense.”
I exhaled. “Yeah.” I couldn’t tell Izzy about what he’d done. What I’d done. Hell, I wasn’t sure myself what it all meant or how I felt about it.
“Effie, it’s polite to offer chocolates to others first before you dig in.”
My sister tried to sound strict, but I saw the proud smile she worked to hide.
Effie turned her big, pale blue eyes to her mom, her mouth working on a second piece of chocolate. She rose to her feet and walked over to us.
“Would you like a chocolate?” she asked, turning to me first.
“I’d love one.” I chose a dark chocolate and thanked her. Izzy declined, and Effie shrugged a shoulder and helped herself to a third.
“How are you doing? You didn’t answer any of my messages. I thought he wasn’t letting you use the phone!”
I shook my head with a weak smile. “No, it was just drained. I only checked the messages a few minutes before you got here, actually.”
“Well, you’re going to have to answer next time. I got worried.”
I nodded.
“You okay?” she asked quietly.
I shrugged a shoulder. “I don’t know. I don’t want to cry.” As I said it, the first tears wet my lashes.
“Shh.” Izzy dug for a tissue in her bag.
Rainey walked out of the kitchen and toward us just then. I turned my face away.
“I’m getting ready to bake cookies in the kitchen. Maybe Effie would like to help?” she asked Izzy.
Effie’s eyebrows rose, and she bounced up to stand. “Oh, can I, Mommy?”
“You sure?” Izzy asked Rainey.
After a glance and a small smile at me, she nodded.
