A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “You were fine. Matteo, on the other hand…”
I laughed, shaking my head. “I can only imagine.”
He stepped inside, his gaze sweeping over the room before landing on Gia, who was happily playing with stuffies on the floor, her favorite bunny wearing a lopsided crown. His expression softened in that way it always did around her, and it made my chest ache.
“Did I come too early? Matteo texted he’ll be late.”
I glanced down at my sleep shirt and bare legs, heat creeping up my neck. I had stripped out of the dress I slept in and pulled on my favorite oversized, ratty T-shirt I always slept in. It was white with hot pink distressed lettering that saidsurviving on spite and coffee. It had seen its fair share of wear and I was suddenly very aware of the way I looked. “I was just about to get ready, actually.”
“I’ll keep an eye on Gia,” he offered, already walking over to her to join her on the floor on her play mat.
I hesitated for a moment, watching as he picked up one of her toys and held it out to her. She squealed in delight, her little hands reaching for it. His attention was fully on her now, he was making voices to go with the stuffies she pointed out.
I sighed softly, before retreating to the bedroom to throw myself together as quickly as possible.
I closed the bedroom door behind me, letting out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. My reflection in the mirror confirmed what I already knew: I looked like a complete disaster. My hair was a tangled mess, circles under my eyes, and in my favorite albeit very old oversized tee with nearly nothing underneath. I felt the blush creeping up my neck as I noticed how little the shirt seemed to cover.
I grabbed some fresh clothes and ducked into the shower. The hot water was a welcome relief, washing away the remnants of last night—the sweat, the embarrassment, and, maybe, the lingering thoughts of Alexander’s steady hands and quiet smile.
Focus, Lucia, I told myself, scrubbing shampoo through my hair.You have a brother who’s probably still half drunk and a toddler who needs breakfast. You don’t have time for whatever…this is.I knew what this was, it was an infatuation, an ever-present crush I had on my brother’s best friend. It needed to be shoved back down, down into a deep, deep small box in the back of my mind.Again.
After rinsing off, I stepped out, towel-drying my hair before twisting it into a loose braid down my back. A little concealer under my eyes and some tinted lip balm brought me back to life. I fixed my favorite butterfly and locket necklaces that never left my body and gave myself a stern look in the mirror.
You got this,I told myself. I loved affirmations; sure, they were cheesy, but it was something I had instilled in myself and Gianna. We did them together most mornings when I did her hair, looked straight into the mirror and hyped ourselves up. Gianna was a huge fan.
Feeling more like myself, I padded back into the main area of the suite, the soft thud of my socks against the floor barely audible. Alexander sat cross-legged on the rug beside Gia, holding her stuffed bunny aloft and making it fly in wide loops. Gia was giggling uncontrollably, her little hands reaching up to grab it, her face lit with pure joy.
The sight stopped me in my tracks, my chest tightening in a way I didn’t expect. He looked so natural with her, so at ease, like he belonged there.Dangerous, I thought, quickly shaking the idea away. It wasn’t like I hadn’t seen him play with her before, so why was my brain short-circuiting now? Tequila shots weredefinitelya bad idea.
“All set,” I said, pulling on a sweater and stepping over to scoop Gia into a hug. She squealed, her tiny hands pushing against my cheeks as I planted a loud kiss on hers.
“Mu-uhhh-mom,” she groaned through a giggle, wriggling in my arms like she couldn’t decide whether to escape or stay.
I let her go, turning to find Alexander watching us. His expression was unreadable, but there was something soft in his eyes, something that made my pulse flutter.
“You clean up well,” he said, his tone light but sincere.
For a split second, I froze, sure my jaw was hanging open.Nope, not going there. But maybe that flirting last night wasn’t only one sided?
A knock on the door jolted me out of my spiraling thoughts, and I scrambled to get it, grateful for the interruption. Matteo was on the other side, sunglasses perched over his bloodshot eyes, a scowl firmly in place, and a bottle of water clutched like a lifeline.
“How are either of you alive?” he grumbled, pushing past me and shutting the door with a lazy shove. “And where the fuck is the food?”
“You drank double what we drank,” Alexander shot back.
“Stop screaming,” Matteo growled, collapsing onto the couch like the dramatic fool he was.
“Food’s on the way,” Alexander replied, unfazed as he returned his attention to Gianna. She was now explaining, in great detail, why her stuffed unicorn was a princess and the bunny Alexander was holding was the fairy princess.
“Obviously,” she concluded with a look of absolute authority, pointing a tiny finger at Alexander.
“Obviously,” he echoed, nodding gravely, his lips twitching with a smile he was trying to suppress.
I watched them from the corner of the room, my heart doing a stupid little flip. It was just breakfast. Just another chaotic morning with Alexander and Matteo. My brother. My unknowing brother who was lying haphazardly on the couch, his hand falling dramatically over his eyes.
“I’m dying,” he muttered, clearly convinced that mere exhaustion could kill him after all thehard workof drinking last night.
I raised an eyebrow, crossing my arms. “Oh, poor baby,” I drawled.
