I try to be relatable.But the image I scrubbed off the internet has me afraid I’m going to learn something a lot darker about life in the D’Medici penthouse.
Leticia picks up her phone. Delicately lying it flat in one hand, she taps it open with the other. As she reads the message, her shoulders slacken and she sits back, curling herself up into a ball.
Leticia:
I’ve never told anyone that before. I don’t feel like this all the time. I try to be positive aboutit.
But sometimes the reality that I’m just the next Mrs. Mafia Wife crushes everything I love about myself.
Royal:
No matter how good we are at living our lives, we can’t ever truly forget we’re the children of mobsters.
I’ve been working on stuff today outside my normal scope. I mean, it’s still hacking and technology so that’s not —
What I’m saying is: I’ll never understand what it’s like to be you, but I’m here.
We can distract each other from the bad. Like right now, texting you is the highest point in my day.
I feelweird spamming her with text messages. So I stop and lie back down, looking up at her bedroom again.
Leticia flops down on her bed kinda like I’m lying. She types for a little bit, and then my phone pings.
Leticia:
I really am glad I’m not alone. I’ve never really had a friend before. I’ve had family, and Antonella is absolutely a friend, but at the end of the day she had to help me because we’re blood related.
Those words hurtme on her behalf. My wolf growls. That isolation would never happen in our life. With our pack, someone’s always around. Someone’s always available. Even though I mostly prefer to work alone, I always have someone to talk to.
We’ll be the friend she deserves.My wolf assures me.
12
LETICIA
A DISTRACTION
Leticia:
Would you want to do something together tonight?
I feel sochildish asking that question, but alone in my room all night doesn’t sound as appealing as it normally does.
Royal:
What do you have in mind?
Leticia:
We can start watching the same show at the same time and text about it?
Or I saw one of those cool websites where you can play games and stuff together?
Or we could calland talk about nothing, pretend like we’re not from rival families and wouldn’t get scolded for talking to each other.
But I don’t text him that. I don’t send it because, despite being our reality, ‘friends’ with Royal feels a whole lot easier than being ‘friends’ with Ashton or the girls from school. I’ve never had sleepovers or girls’ nights out, but I don’t think it should be hard to talkto people you call friends, especially since it’s not that hard to talk to Royal.
Royal:
