“Itisrisky,” I agree. “And yeah, she’s definitely the type to play the tough guy. More wine?”
Karina holds out her nearly empty glass and I give her a generous pour. Then I refill mine. I’ve lost track of how many glasses I’ve had now. Including the drinks I had at dinner and during my phone call with Jules, this is either my fourth or fifth. I do feel warm all over.
As we sip in contemplative silence, I wonder…is Karina truly happy? Or is she just pretending to be? Maybe she feels like she’s locked into her marriage and has no other option but to live with it.
“Do you think you made the right choice?” I ask. “About marrying Marco?”
She laughs. “Oh, yeah. He’s the best thing that ever happened to me. But honestly, when I look back out how starry-eyed and naïve I was going into it, I realize how badly things could have turned out. Someone else could have really taken advantage of me. Especially with the way I grew up. I didn’t get a great sense of what healthy relationships are supposed to look like. I got really lucky.”
“You are lucky,” I slur softly. “When did you know for sure that…that he was the one?”
“Let’s see…we met at a party. It sounds so cliché, but the moment I saw him, I felt…connected to him. But you’re asking about when I was sure about him, and I definitely wasn’t sure that early on.”
“Was it when he said he loved you for the first time?” I ask. Because if it is, maybe I’ll never have that with Armani. He can barely even admit that he likes me.
“No. It wasn’t our first kiss either. Or the poetry.”
“Poetry?” I gasp. “Marco?”
“I know, right? Not that he wrote it, he just transcribed some of the Italian classics.”
“Wow,” I breathe. “I had no idea he was such a romantic. A flirt, yes, but…”
“Yeah,” she says. “There’s a lot more to Marco than you’d ever guess.”
Sounds familiar. Frankie told me the same thing about Dante—about all the Bellanti brothers.
“I’d probably have to say that I knew Marco was the one when he snuck into the dressing room during my wedding dress fitting. I was engaged to someone else when I met him, and the dress was all wrong. The groom was all wrong. Everything about it was wrong. But with Marco, everything felt right.
“That damn fitting was breaking my heart, and then there Marco was, and I just…instantly felt better. I knew in that moment that I loved him. That he was the one I wanted to be with. I was sure of it. I’ve had ups and downs with him since then, and plenty of temporary doubts, but…I’ve also had faith.”
“I wish I had that kind of faith,” I whisper. “I’m just so confused. About everything. And now my best friend is going to become Mrs. Orloff, and meanwhile I haven’t even decided whether or not to be a real Bellanti.”
My voice cracks and I look away, expecting her to get up and leave me to my drunken whining. But instead she leans over, takes my hand, and just…holds it. She doesn’t say anything, but she doesn’t have to. She’s here for me. That’s all that matters.
And I’m grateful.
26
CANDI
“There you are.”
My head jerks up. Karina quickly pulls her hand away from mine as Armani steps out of the sliding glass door and makes his way across the patio.
“Hope I’m not interrupting,” he says, folding his arms as he towers over us.
“I was actually just about to go,” Karina tells him, popping up from her chair. “Thanks for the wine, Candi. Good night, you two.”
She leaves, taking her wineglass with her. Armani leans over and picks up the bottle.
“It’s just a zin,” I tell him. “You can have the rest.”
He turns it upside down over my empty glass, revealing that there are literally only two drops left.
“You’re drunk,” he says.
“Just a little?” I mumble.
