“Everyone is hungry for power, Sofia.”
“Right.” I bite the inside of my cheek and wonder if this fear is going to be with us for the rest of our lives.
“I shouldn’t be whining to you about this.” He strokes my face. “You should be able to relax and have a good time on this trip.”
“I like it when you open up to me like this. You know how secretive my family was with me. Everyone was set on keeping me and Bianca under the delusion that everything was normal with my family. It stressed me out not knowing… anything. I always fought against the role they wanted me to be: a cute,benign girl meant to cheer everyone up and stay out of the way. Destined to be a wife and a mother.That’s it.” I snort. “My grandfather always complained that he wished I were a boy. About how much of a waste my intelligence was since I couldn't use it to help out the family.”
I wince, wondering if I ranted for too long. Alessandro considers my words for a beat, but before he can open his mouth, the chief stewardess, Anna, approaches us from behind. “Sorry to interrupt, but do you two need anything? Your usuals? Sparkling grape juice? Whiskey neat?”
We both politely decline, and she walks away. I can tell that question sparked a thought in Alessandro as his eyes narrow and scan my body. I’m not much of a drinker, but I had plenty of wine at the wedding reception, so he knows I don’t abstain entirely. And this boat—the vacationy vibe, having to socialize with new people—I’m sure it seems strange to him I’d have non-alcoholic beverages.
“Sparkling grape juice? Is there something you’re hiding from me?”
“Maybe.” I swallow. “I’ve been too afraid to check, but I’m late and…”
He takes a few steps back, then turns away from me with his hand covering his mouth. My heart sinks. I mean, I’m unsure about this situation, but if he isn’t happy about this, I don’t know how I’ll cope.
But when he turns around, I realize I was projecting my own anxieties onto him. He’s not upset. He’s… glowing.
“I thought you were on birth control.”
“You never asked.”
He pauses, looking at the horizon. “Fuck. I didn’t.”
“I figured we’d have a discussion about this after the wedding, but we had sex before we could have civilized conversations together.”
“Right,” he murmurs. “But why not bring it up later? We’ve been having sex almost every day for the past week or so.”
“I was afraid.”
I look down when I see my words hurt him and wish I could have changed how I phrased that.
“You’re still afraid of me?”
I shake my head. “Not literally. I’m afraid of being pregnant. Afraid of how you’d feel about it. And… I’m afraid of what’s going to happen if you decide you don’t have feelings for me anymore. Will I go back to being a prisoner? Or would you let me go home?”
“I don’t know,” he says quietly, looking out towards the water. “All I know is that I can’t stand the thought of sending you home. Especially now.”
“That’s not good enough. I need things to feel more normal between us. The phone with only two contacts on it? The fact that there’s always someone subtly trailing me in the castle whenever I explore? That all needs to change.”
“I can’t lose you.” He rubs his face out of frustration and takes a moment to think. “But I promise I’ll fix these things. I’ll smooth things over with your family and give them their money back. I’ll give you a new phone, straight out of the box with no tampering, and you can visit the States whenever you like. Deal?”
“Deal.” He still looks upset, so I pull him in for a kiss. “Now. That’s enough heavy conversation for this trip. Let’s have some fun.”
Chapter 29
Alessandro
Asidefromthevibrantflowers, white and blue are the only colors that surround us in this place—Santorini. The pathways are narrow, but thankfully it’s shoulder-season, so it’s not terribly packed with tourists as the women lead the way, going in and out of all the little shops. Normally, I’d want to get on with the day and find a restaurant or bar to plant ourselves in until nightfall rather than waste this much time at souvenir shops.
But Sofia’s happy, and that changes everything.
It seems like Elio’s wife, Aurora, and Sofia are genuinely getting along. It makes sense that the only two wives under thirty wouldbond on a trip like this. I knew Sofia would only need to break through Aurora’s shy exterior.
I linger towards the back of the group as we wait near another shop. Placing myself between Sal and Elio and looking at Sofia and Aurora as they laugh at an ugly donkey figurine.
Sal nods to the girls as Sofia picks it up. “You’d better stop her. I think she’s going to buy it.”
