Total pages in book: 161
Estimated words: 151410 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 757(@200wpm)___ 606(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 151410 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 757(@200wpm)___ 606(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
Carlotta pushed to her feet and put her hands on my shoulders. “I don’t like how he treated you.”
“He’s changed, Lotta. He really showed me that he wants to be with me.”
“If he keeps treating you like you deserve, then I’m fine with him.”
I grinned and hugged her. “Now I just have to tell my parents…”
Carlotta chuckled. “Good luck. Your dad’s the toughest nut to crack.”
“No, that was you.”
We both laughed.
“Can I talk to you?” I asked as I stepped into the kitchen with Battista on my hip where Mom, Dad, and Davide waited for me to have breakfast. Two weeks had passed since Nevio admitted his feelings for me, and since then, he’d snuck inside my bedroom almost every night. Nobody knew anything. They thought we only spent time together during the day with Battista.
Davide leaned back, arms crossed over his chest. For the first time, I realized how much he’d grown, and how much he looked like Dad. If only he weren’t such a pain in my ass. “This is going to be fun. She looks fucking guilty.”
“Language,” Mom admonished as she took Battista from me and put him into his high chair. I sank down beside him. I wanted Mom and Dad’s approval, but I doubted I’d get it, especially from Dad.
Dad sipped at his coffee and raised one blond brow. “Yes?”
Mom gave me an encouraging smile. Maybe I should have started with her and told her about my relationship with Nevio.
“Coffee?” Mom asked as she lifted the thermos.
I gave a terse nod. “You know I love you, and I still feel guilty for having gone behind your back—”
“So you chose to go behind our backs again?” Dad asked with narrowed eyes.
I stared. “No! I mean… I didn’t really go behind your backs.” Did they know about Nevio’s nightly visits? I couldn’t imagine Dad being so calm if that were the case.
“Your dad and I know you’re dating Nevio,” Mom said.
Dad grimaced. “My worst nightmare come true.”
Davide laughed, obviously delighted.
“How?” I asked.
“Davide saw you kissing Nevio in the garden a few days ago.”
I glared at my brother. “And you had nothing better to do than to tell on me?”
“I could have kicked Nevio’s ass for touching you, but I like him. And I went to Mom first. If I wanted to cause you trouble, I would have gone to Dad. Then Mom couldn’t have held him him in check.”
Dad scowled. “Your mom doesn’t hold me in check.”
Davide and I exchanged a look, because she definitely did. Mom cleared her throat, trying to hide a smile. “We know you’re seeing Nevio, but we would have wished you’d told us right away this time.”
“Nevio and I needed to figure out things first,” I said. “Are you going to be okay with it? I really need your support.”
“You always have our support,” Mom said.
I glanced at Dad. He was the one I really worried about.
He nodded and took my hand. “I’ll always support you, even if I’m not exactly happy about your decision.”
“But you like Nevio, right?”
“I liked him better before he started something with you.”
I laughed. “He’s been really trying very hard to make me happy since he returned from Italy.”
“I’ll be impressed if he keeps it up a year from now. I seriously hope he’s serious about you.”
I smiled. “He is. He asked me to live together so we can become a family for Battista.”
Mom and Dad looked at each other with obvious surprise. “You’re moving out?” Mom asked. “Back to the apartment?”
I shook my head. “Nevio and I agreed that it would be best to live with our families. We’re both young and need all the help we can get with Battista, and we want him to experience the same big family support and craziness we had.”
I went in search of my parents and found them both in Giulio’s room, doing homework with him. If they both joined forces, then Giulio was in serious trouble. Nobody could play good cop/bad cop better than Mom and Dad. When it came to schoolwork, Mom was usually the bad cop. Dad probably didn’t see the value of calculus once Giulio became a Made Man.
They looked up when I entered. Giulio’s face flashed with relief.
“I need to talk to you,” I said. I’d already told Greta about my relationship with Aurora, and she had been happy for me. She probably thought it was fate. Since she knew Amo, believing in fate was her most annoying character trait. Though part of me had to admit that Aurora felt like my fated mate. Fuck.
Giulio jumped up from his desk chair. “I’ll give you privacy.”
Dad grabbed his shoulder and pushed him back down. “You stay where you are. Another suspension and we’ll have no choice but to homeschool you, and trust me when I say that no one in this house wants that.”