“Thank you.”
“You know, Matteo, I’ve been around a while, and well, maybe I’ve learned a thing or two about women.”
My hand paused on the door handle. “Really, old man?” I smiled but it was only a polite one.
“Some women are so damaged by their pasts that they can’t see when a good thing is standing right in front of them. They’ll push you away, make you think they don’t want you… when deep down, all they really want is someone to fight for them. To chase them down until they have no choice but to face the truth.”
“That’s… enlightening, Dr. Phil,” I teased.
“It’s not your job to fix her, Matteo. It’s your job to care enough to help her fix herself.”
I gave him a small nod before slipping into the inky night.
Help her fix herself.
I wanted nothing more. But in order to help her, she had to trust me enough to open up first.
Not repeatedly shut me out.
Chapter 23
Caitlin
“What is all that?” I gawked at the bags in Arabella’s hands.
“I thought we could have a pamper day.”
“A pamper day.” I blinked as she breezed past me as if we’d been doing this forever.
Part of me wondered if it was weird that Matteo’s sister wanted to hang out with me, but the truth was, Bella was a ray of sunshine, and I enjoyed her company.
So much so, I’d jumped at the chance to see her again.
Strangely, being around her also made me feel close to Matteo. It was the sweetest kind of torture, being close to the most important person in his life, knowing that I’d always be on the outside looking in.
But who could tell a bubbly, sweet sixteen-year-old no?
Not me apparently.
“Yeah, you know. Like face packs and manicures, and I got some of those truffles from the Chocolate Boutique in the city. I figured you could sneak me a glass or two of wine.” She waggled her brows.
“One. One glass. I’m the responsible adult here. I take it Luis won’t be joining us?” I peered over her shoulder.
“He’s walking the perimeter or polishing his Glock or whatever it is he does.”
“Polishing his Glock,” I muttered under my breath, stifling the laughter bubbling up my throat.
“You know what I mean.” She rolled her eyes, dumping the bags on the chair. “So… how was last night?”
“It was lovely.”
“Lovely?” Bella balked. “Matteo bought you the best seats in the theater and you thought it was… lovely?”
It was my turn to roll my eyes. “Okay, it was amazing. I loved every second.”
How I’d felt watching the dancers flit across the stage was like no other feeling, and it touched something deep inside that Matteo had done that for me. But it was complicated.
“So what’s the problem?”
“What do you—”
“I saw my brother today. He looked… sad.”
“Oh.” My heart cinched.
“I don’t get it. You’re perfect for each other.” She began unpacking all her pamper supplies while I fetched a bottle of wine from the refrigerator. Luis kept it well stocked thankfully.
“One glass.” I slid it across the table to her.
“I can keep a secret, you know.”
“I’m sure you can.”
“So what’s holding you back? I mean, anyone in the same vicinity as the two of you can feel it.” I frowned and she added, “The sexual tension.”
“I’m not sure you’re supposed to be talking about sexual tension at your age.”
“Please. I know what sex is, Cait.”
“Are you… having sex?”
“Oh my God, no! I’m saving myself.”
“You are?”
She shrugged. “It’s no big deal. I mean, I like guys. I have crushes and I even kissed a few guys at my school. But I’ve never felt it before.”
“It?”
“Yeah, that magical moment where the stars align and everything else fades into nothing and you’re the only two people left in the world.”
“That’s beautiful.”
I wish I had that. But my childhood had been filled with nothing but dark, desperate days. There had been no room for magic or stars aligning.
“Some of my school friends think it’s silly. But I want what my mom and dad have, and Nicco and Ari, and Enzo and Nora. That once in a lifetime kinda love, you know?”
“Then you should hold out.”
Arabella beamed at me. I hadn’t really noticed before how much she sought validation. I guess it was a side effect of growing up in a family like theirs.
“Okay, let’s do face packs first and then I’ll give you a manicure.”
“Sounds good.” I accepted the packet from her and slid out the cool, refreshing face pack. “Hmm, it smells good enough to eat.”
“Wait until you try a truffle. I make Matteo buy me some whenever he’s in the city.”
Every time she mentioned his name my heart faltered. I’d been unfair to him last night, brushed off his affection after an amazing night together.
It couldn’t have been more perfect. Yet, it still wasn’t enough for me to shake my fears. It was better this way, it was.
Once the mess with DiMarco was rectified, they would send me on my way and Matteo would move on and find a girl who could meet him halfway. A girl who didn’t have copious amounts of baggage and a tragic backstory like me.
Not one that could upend everything he and his family had worked for.
“Caitlin, what is it? What’s wrong?”
I didn’t realize she could see my expression with the face pack plastered to my skin, but Bella looked concerned.
“I’m fine.” I forced my emotions back into their locked box, right where they needed to stay.
She nodded, taking hold of my hand and slathering it in lotion. “I know I’m younger than you and that I’m Matteo’s sister, but you can talk to me, Cait. I would never betray your confidence.”
“That’s very kind of you, but I’m okay. I promise.”
For a second, she looked a little hurt at my unwillingness to open up to her. But it quickly melted away as she moved onto color options for my nails.
“My friend Gisele would love you,” I mused.
“Your friend from…”
“How very sleuthy of you.” Laughter crinkled my eyes. “I worked with Gisele.”
“Have you spoken to her? Maybe she can visit and we can—”
My expression fell. “I don’t think that’ll be possible, Bella.”
“I’m sure Matteo would arrange it if you asked. He cares about you, Cait. I know he does.”
“It isn’t that simple.”
Bella hesitated for a second and then she asked me four little words that made my stomach drop. “Are you in danger?”
“I… I’m safe now, that’s all that matters.”
Bella finished painting the nails on my first hand and placed the bottle of varnish down, sinking back against the chair. “Sometimes I hate this life. I hate that I’ll never be normal. I’ll never get to be just a normal sixteen-year-old girl. There’s always security, or my brother, or my cousins. It’s suffocating sometimes.