I take a quick glance around, and my stomach drops.
Everyone has been staring at me since I rammed a fork down the Sokoli’s throat. They watched me defend my sister.
And they watched me kiss her.
It was a mistake. Amistake. I was aiming for her cheek. She turned her head at the wrong moment.
But from where everyone else is standing, it looks like I kissed my sister on the mouth on purpose, and I didn’t pull away fast enough.
I can see shock and confusion in everyone’s faces. The careful way that Antonio and Giovanni are averting their eyes from us, because they’ve probably suspected for a while that Lucy and I are closer than we should be.
Adora’s eyes are wide, her hand frozen in midair as she was reaching for her milkshake.
“We need to go,” I say roughly, reaching for Lucy’s hand.
Lucy slides out of the booth, and I’m acutely aware of how everyone’s eyes follow us as we move toward the door. I keep my body between her and the rest of the diner, shielding her from their stares.
Antonio catches my arm as we pass. “Damiano—”
“Not now,” I say sharply.
We push through the door into the cool night air, and I don’t stop walking until we’re around the corner, away from the windows, away from prying eyes.
Lucy leans against the brick wall of the building, breathing hard. “Damiano, what just happened?”
“That was a mistake,” I say, but the words feel rough in my throat. “I’m sorry.”
“A mistake,” she repeats flatly.
I run my hands through my hair, pacing. “I was aiming for your cheek. You turned your head. It was an accident.”
“Was it?” she asks so fiercely that I stop pacing and look at her.
Her curls are wild around her face, and her lips are still red from my kiss. She looks beautiful, brave, and defiant.
“Lucy—”
“Because it didn’t feel like an accident to me, Damiano.” She takes a step toward me. “It felt like something we’ve both been wanting for a long time.”
My heart is racing. “Don’t.”
“Don’t what? Tell the truth?”
“We can’t do this.” I take her shoulders, and I’m gripping too hard. “You know why. If Mom and Dad discover that we’ve been lying to them all this time, they won’t just throw you out, Lucy. They’ll kill you.”
I should be sayingI don’t want you. A lie to protect her life, if not her heart.
But that’s too painful, and all I can manage iswe can’t.
“Do you understand?” I shake her slightly, desperate to make her see. “The lie protects you. As long as everyone believes you’re my sister, you’re safe. You’re untouchable. But if that lie falls apart…”
“They’ll kill me,” she whispers.
“Yes.” The word is bitter on my tongue. “You know Dad doesn’t tolerate deception. And you’d be a liability. A loose end. Someone who knows too much and has no blood tie to keep her loyal.”
Lucy’s eyes are filling with tears, but she blinks them back fiercely. “So what are we supposed to do?”
“Nothing. That kiss was an accident. We laugh it off if anyone mentions it, and we never, ever do that again.”
