But I couldn't be around Elio right now. Couldn't face his anger or my own hurt or the weight of having finally said "I love you" and having it thrown back in my face.
I lay in bed staring at the ceiling. Replaying the fight. Wondering if I'd overreacted. If he'd overreacted. If we could fix this.
My phone was off but my laptop was still on. I checked the news coverage. My name was everywhere. Former mafia prince. Whistleblower. FBI critic. Vitale associate.
Some articles painted me as a hero standing up to corruption. Others called me a criminal's son trying to undermine law enforcement. Nobody got it completely right.
I thought about Dante's card.I'm watching, little spitfire.
Let him watch. Let him see me refuse to be intimidated. Refuse to hide. Refuse to be the victim he'd tried to create.
I was stronger than he thought. Stronger than my father thought. Maybe even stronger than Elio thought.
I fell asleep sometime after 3 AM. Woke up at noon feeling hollow.
Day two was worse.
I stayed in the room. Ordered food from the kitchen. Avoided everyone. Worked on my laptop trying to manage the fallout from my exposure.
Several journalism contacts reached out. Some supportive. Some opportunistic. All wanting my story.
I declined them all.
Around 3 PM, Stefan knocked on my door.
"Go away," I called. I only unlocked the door for food.
"No. I'm coming in." He used a keycard—security override. Walked in and locked the door behind him. "You look like hell."
"Thanks."
"Have you talked to Elio?"
"No."
"He looks worse than you. Hasn't slept. Hasn't eaten. Working himself into the ground while looking like someone died."
"That's not my problem right now."
"Yes, it is. Because you're both miserable and stubborn and refusing to fix this." Stefan sat on the bed. "Talk to me. What happened?"
I told him. Everything. The articles. The exposure. Dante's card. The fight. The things we'd said.
Stefan listened without interrupting.
When I finished, he was quiet for a long moment.
"You told him you love him," Stefan finally said.
"In the middle of a fight. After he basically said I was reckless and stupid. Great timing, right?"
"Did he say it back?"
"He said if I loved him I wouldn't have taken risks. Which is basically 'I don't trust you and also I'm not saying it back.'"
"That's not what he meant."
"How do you know?"
