“Nothing,” I say.
“Mr. Nothing.” She says absentmindedly as she stares back at the window.
“What does that mean?” I ask.
“You always refuse to answer my questions,” she says, continuing to stare out the window.
“I answer you plenty,” I say, acting as if I have no idea why she feels I never respond to her.
When we were “dating,” I would avoid answering any questions she had about my life. She hated it, especially since all she wanted was to get to know me.
“Right,” she says before leaning her head back on the headrest and closing her eyes.
The silence that follows is heavy and familiar—the same silence as every time she reached for me in Buenos Aires and I pulled back.
I guess there’s no point in doing that anymore.
“ I was just thinking about all the ways I will make the men who did that to your face suffer,” I say, and her eyes snap open in surprise. She blinks, her mouth opening slightly. I reach for her and pull her close to me. After a bit, she lays her head on my shoulder.
“Mateo killed him.” She whispers after a few.
“Who?”
“The man who did this. The man who shot him.” She murmurs before burying her face in my neck.
“He’s lucky. Because if he didn’t, he would wish he had died anyway.”
When we pull over in front of Nina’s boutique, the street is littered with tourists. Immediately, I’m wary that someone might recognize Katarina, but I tell the guards to maintain a comfortable distance so we don’t make a scene.
As I open the car door and help her out, she asks, “Where are we?”
“A friend of mine owns this store. Unfortunately, it’s the only place we can go today. We need to go home as soon as possible.” I offer her my arm, and she hooks hers on it, using me as an anchor as we walk towards the store.
Before Gio gets the chance to open the door, it flies open. A tall, slender woman rushes out and jumps into my arms, hugging me and kissing my cheeks.
“I should have known the devil wouldn’t keep you long.” She says in Italian, her arms locking behind my neck, her body pressing to mine with a familiar ease. She’s so close to my face I can smell her perfume and the cigarette on her breath.
Nina.
“Nice to know someone actually missed me.” I grin as I scan her face. She is exactly how I last saw her.
Her smile is big when she says, “God, look at you. You look even more handsome.”
Just then, I hear Gio clear his throat. When I look at him, he shoots Katarina a look, and that is when I notice. She has let go of my arm and is now standing behind us, her arms crossed in front of her chest, glaring at me.
Uh-oh.
I push Nina away a little too fast she almost stumbles.
“You must be Katarina.” She says, after she regains her composure, extending her hand to Katarina. The scowl on her face is gone, replaced by a poised smile.
“Nice to meet you.” She says, shaking Nina’s hand before reaching for Julian’s arm and asking him to help her walk.
She doesn’t look at Nina or me again before she disappears inside, and I feel a pang of unfamiliar panic in my chest.
“I’m guessing she’s the jealous type?” Nina giggles as she catches my eyes following Katarina
“Just a little. She loves me too much.” I say, and she rolls her eyes.
