I jump in before Vivienne can try to interpret her reaction.
“So, in that case, why did you go with Fiero?”
The second the question leaves my mouth, I regret how quickly I asked it.
A look of satisfaction crosses Vivienne’s face, as though I just unwittingly set up a perfect punchline.
“I’ve known the Di Santos indirectly for a long time. Fiero is Don of the Bellucci family—appearances are particularly important for him, so… In the absence of someone he’s serious about, he took a trusted associate. And I suppose that’s what I am. Besides,” she adds smoothly, “he didn’t particularly want to bringanyone, but traditions like this require adherence.”
Something about the phrasing snags on my heart.
In the absence of someone he’s serious about.
Didn’t particularly want to bringanyone.
I feel a little bit sick.
Hallie gets called away by Dante, leaving me suddenly alone with Vivienne.
The atmosphere shifts instantly.
“I know it’s hard to hear,” she says in a vindictive tone. “But he has a complicated past and his brothers are very protective.”
She watches me quietly, registering every small emotion that flits across my face. “If you want my advice… this world is bigger than you will ever be. Don’t get attached.”
Heat floods my face. “I?—”
“Take the rest of the night off if you like,” she says breezily. “I can find someone to cover for you.”
I somehow force my mouth to work. “Thank you Vivienne, that’s very kind of you, but this is a real job now and I need the money.”
“Okay.” She smiles wickedly. “Well, maybe when Fallen Angels comes around again, you could give it another try.”
I almost choke from the deja vu. “Of course.” I swallow. “I’ll remember that.”
My heart stumbles hard enough to hurt.
Is it all true? Did Fiero really not consider me worthy of taking as a date to a wedding?
Have I imagined how close we’ve become?
Am I so desperate to be loved and seen and wanted that I read into what is actually a mere fling?
My brain rattles through the questions seeking answers, while my heart thumps in confusion. I don’t understand.
Sure we’ve only been intimate for a couple of weeks and it was only days ago we committed to figuring out what this is between us, but right from the start I felt a real connection with him. So real it was staggering.
Even though we hardly touched, his breath brushing against my lips alone sent chemistry crackling along every nerve and tendon. And the second he slid inside me for the first time… God, it hurt.
But there was something else. He felt exactly right. Completely perfect.
I thought he felt the same way—shocked and stunned at how right all this feels. But, not only did he take someone else as his date, he didn’t even tell me about the wedding, despite sending me messages from the venue itself.
My stomach drops.
I feel stupid. Utterly, catastrophically stupid. I feel like the bottom just fell out of my world.
The brazen truth taps at my skull. I’ve been deluded. It was naive to imagine I could mean anything to Fiero. Heboughtme to avenge my uncle. He took my virginity without asking and he’s treated me throughout this period like a second class citizen, not even speaking to me when his brothers are around.
