When Izzy notices the guys not responding, she elbows Nicco. He clears his throat. “Oh, yeah, um, congrats, Liana. I’m… happy for you?”
Izzy elbows him again, and he lets out a cough. “Happy for you. Very happy for you,” he rushes out.
Izzy clears her throat, trying to get Teo’s and Enzo’s attention, but they ignore her.
“You’re getting married to Massimo Bonetti?” Teo questions.
I nod and force out a smile. “Yes.”
“Do you even know Massimo Bonetti?” he asks.
“Of course I do. Why would I marry someone I don’t know?”
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out.” He narrows his gaze on mine and runs his hand over the dark scruff on his jaw. “How long have you guys been seeing each other?”
“About five months,” Massimo cuts in. “But Liana and I have known each other for years.”
“Years?” Teo asks.
“Yeah, uh, we met in college,” I say.
“Is this another Izzy and Nicco situation?” Enzo asks, cocking a dark brow at me.
“Gosh, no,” I mutter.
Massimo tightens his hold on me, and my eyes widen at my slip-up.
“I mean, we didn’t exactly date in college. We…” I glance at Massimo, who’s staring straight ahead with a small smile on his face. “I actually didn’t like him at first. You know, the whole me being resistant to guys in our world, but he eventually wore me down and we started hanging out. My company ended up needing my undivided attention, so we kind of went our separate ways. Recently we… reconnected, and now we’re here.”
“That’s so romantic,” Izzy gushes, and I mentally remind myself to give her the biggest hug later for helping me sell this.
Teo and Enzo continue to study me, trying to figure out if I’m lying, so I do my best to keep a smile on my face. My cousins are human lie detectors, and I’m not doing the best job at selling this, so knowing my luck, they’ll call me on my bullshit right here.
“So you’re getting married,” Teo says, and I can sense his skepticism still. “When?”
“Two weeks,” I say.
“Two weeks?”he repeats. “You just got engaged and now you’re getting married intwo weeks?”
“What’d you do, get knocked up, Liana?” Enzo asks, and I cut him a glare.
“No,Vincenzo, I didn’t getknocked up. You guys know how quickly things can happen. I’m surprised by this interrogation.”
“What ever happened to not being interested in any of the guys in our world?” Teo asks.
“I changed my mind.”
“You changed your mind…” he repeats.
I wrap my arm around Massimo’s waist and lean into him. He tightens his hold on me, and I hate to admit how comforting it is in a time like this. “You know, I really thought my own family would be supportive of my engagement. It seems I was wrong.”
“Liana, that’s not?—”
“We’re so happy for you,” Lux interrupts Teo. “Aren’t we, babe?” She turns to look at her husband, and thankfully, with one look from Lux, it has Teo letting out a deep breath and sitting back in his chair. It’s incredible how much he’s changed since marrying her.
“I just wanted to let you guys know the wedding is in two weeks. I would love it if each of you were there, but if you can’t support us, don’t bother showing up.”
Turning to Massimo, I say, “Can we go, please?”
