“You’re exaggerating,” she muttered. I shot her a dark look and took her in. My jacket was big on her. Too big. It covered her dress completely, making it appear as though she had nothing on underneath.
I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose.
She kicked my shin.
Not hard, but enough to get my attention.
I stared at her with incredulous eyes. “Did you just kick me?”
Even under the dim light of the backyard and her makeup, I could tell she was blushing. “Well, stop looking like I gave you a headache.”
My eyes twitched. “Let’s go. Valentino will be relieved to know you’re safe.”
She grabbed my arm, stopping me when I turned. I looked at her.
She bit her bottom lip. “Is he really mad?”
I didn’t say anything for a beat. Then I let out a small sigh. “Yes, but you know it’s only because he worries about you.”
“My brother needs to get his own life instead of worrying about mine all the time.”
“You think that worry will just go away?” I asked. I knew how Valentino was feeling because I had a little sister the same age as Isa. Except Giulia had five brothers to look after her, so at least I had someone to help shoulder the worry. Especially Romeo, who was probably more uncompromising than any of us when it came to her safety. Isa just had Valentino.
And me.
She had me. I watched her grow up. She was as much a sister to me as Giulia.
I shook my head and wrapped my arm around her shoulder. “Come on. Let’s get you out of here.”
She tensed in my arms. I had noticed her reactions changing toward me in recent years, and I had attributed it to her growing up.
I fucking knew better.
She had a crush.
I closed my eyes. The last thing I needed was to be anybody’s crush, but especially not from my best friend’s baby sister.
I tightened my arms around her, wondering how the hell I was supposed to squash her feelings for me without hurting her.
“Elio?”
“What?” I said, stopping when we got to the back door leading into the house.
She didn’t say anything for a beat. I looked down at her, and she shook her head. “Nothing.”
I waited a moment, wondering if I should say anything. There was nothing I could say. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”
I moved us through the house, glaring at any motherfucker who looked even a little too long at her. Fuck, but were all high school kids shitheads like this?
I kept us at a distance, moving through the bodies that were pushing up against us, until finally,fuckingfinally, we were able to escape the house. I pulled away from her, taking the lead away from the property. She quietly followed me to where my car was parked.
I opened the passenger door for her.
She was looking down at her feet, and because of the dimness of the streetlight a small distance away, I didn’t fucking know what she was thinking.
I let out a small sigh. “I’m sure Valentino will be too relieved to lecture you very much. So I wouldn’t worry about it.”
She looked up at me. “There is no such thing as him not lecturing me too much. Once he starts, even an earthquake can’t stop him, and you know it.”
