For some stupid reason, I thought that being sat at a table with my family for the night would force an outcome, we would talk about what happened in a safe place where nobody could run, shout or scream. Lorenzo and my mother would own up and my brothers could get their heads around it. We would come up with a solution and Giuliano and I could move forward…together.
But no.
That would be too easy, and if I’ve learned anything over the last ten years it’s that Giuliano and I never get the easy road.
The scenery flies past and I let out a deep exhale, Giuliano glances over at me and then his eyes go back to the front, emotionless and cold, his jaw ticking as he clenches it.
He’s angry, like a silent bomb ticking away about to explode at any moment.
And I can’t say that I blame him, my mother didn’t even have the decency to sit with him for more than two minutes.
Not even for me.
Damn it…. I should have told Giuliano that my family were going to be at the ball tonight.
What on earth was I thinking? This plan was perfect on paper.
The car turns into the underground parking lot and the heavy garage doors slowly go up, we drive through and the two black cars following us do the same.
Always the convoy, and now…the secrets.
We can’t even have a fight in public because nobody can even know that we are together. To the whole world we are still brother and sister and if my mother won’t admit the truth, how do we get around this?
How do we move forward?
She showed tonight just how anti-Giuliano she really is. She hates him with such a passion and she doesn’t even know him. She will never give us her blessing, no matter who my father is. She will give me an ultimatum, him or her, I know she will.
I get a lump in my throat just thinking about it.
Davidoff opens the car door and Giuliano climbs out and then turns and takes my hand and helps me out. “Thank you.”
Without a word he turns and walks into the waiting elevator and I follow him in.
He hits the button and the doors close, we travel to the top floor in silence.
The mood is somber and sad…angry from his side.
Reality’s a bitch…and then some.
The doors open at my floor and we both step out, I unlock the door and we walk in. Giuliano empties his wallet and keys from his pockets, puts them on the side table and walks toward the bedroom.
“Are you alright?” I ask.
“Yep.” He keeps walking up the hall and disappears out of sight, I hear the shower turn on and my heart drops. Not the first date I was hoping for, I throw my purse onto the table in disgust.
I walk into the bathroom to find Giuliano soaping himself up, he glances up and then turns his back on me.
My eyes roam up over his broad back and his bare behind.
Such a beautiful man.
“Are you angry with me?” I ask.
“Why would I be angry at you?” He keeps washing himself.
“You’re acting angry with me.”
His eyes flick up and I see a glimmer of his temper. “If you think this is angry, you’re fucking kidding yourself, Francesca,” he snaps.
I throw my hands up in surrender. “And there it is.”
“Just leave it,” he barks.
I roll my lips as I try to think of the right thing to say. “I’ll talk to her tomorrow.”
“Don’t bother.” He turns the shower off and brushes past me, he grabs a towel, wraps it around his waist and marches out of the bathroom.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I call after him.
Silence.
Fuck’s sake, I walk into the bedroom to see him drying himself with vigor, he’s rubbing his skin so hard it’s a wonder he’s not drawing blood. “I don’t need her approval,” he snaps.
But you want it.
“I know.” I slink down to sit on the bed, he brushes his teeth and then turns the light off. “Good night.” He flicks the blankets over himself angrily and turns his back to me.
I sit in the darkness and look at him lying there, he’s hurt.
And suddenly I’m angry.
Furious.
Nobody gets to hurt him, he’s a good man.
Fuck them.
How is this going to work out?
If they won’t admit that I’m Lorenzo’s daughter…how do Giuliano and I ever come out as a couple? If my mother doesn’t come forward with the truth people will naturally assume the paternity results have been faked. I need her to show a united front with us. We can’t do this alone.
So close and yet, so far.
For a long time, I sit alone in the darkness and even though Giuliano is here with me, I am all alone.
He’s lost in his own head, with no fucks to give about mine.
Eventually I take a long hot shower and get into bed behind Giuliano, I cuddle his back and kiss his shoulder. “I love you,” I whisper into the darkness.
Silence.
“Baby?”
“I love you too,” he says softly.
I kiss his back again, he loves me.
That’s all that matters.
The sound of a text coming in wakes me from my sleep and I vaguely hear Giuliano roll over and check his phone. He sits up and texts someone and gets out of bed.
He walks into the bathroom and I hear the shower turn on, I glance at the clock, Eight a.m.
What’s he doing?
Two minutes later the shower turns off and he walks back into the bedroom wrapped in a towel and walks into the wardrobe. “What are you doing?” I call.
“I have to go into work.”
“What?” I sit up onto my elbows. “It’s Sunday.”
“I know.” He reappears and I watch on as he buttons up his business shirt. “There are….” He pauses. “Things going on.”
“What things?”
“We have a mole working for Ferrara.”
“What?” Panic runs through me. “Well, is this dangerous?”
“Not for me.” He leans over and kisses me and lays me back down. “Go back to sleep, angel.” He pushes my hair back behind my ears as he stares down at me.
“I’m sorry about last night.” I whisper.
“Don’t be.” He cups my face in his hand. “Your mother and I are never going to get along. This will never be the big happy family that you want, you need to get your head around it.”
“I just….”
He kisses me softly, cutting me off. “Go back to sleep.”
“Well, what am I going to do all day?” I ask.
He shrugs as he stands. “Go see Anna.”
“She’s away with Carlo.”
“He’s on his way back now, she’ll be around.”
“Oh.” I smile, feeling a little bit better that her weekend plans got interrupted too.
“Jules.” I just want to wash last night from our memory. “I love you.”
“I know.” He kisses my forehead and then without another word turns and leaves.
I flop back onto my pillow in disgust, no I love you too.
How annoying.
Ugh…he can try to hide it all he wants but I know he’s disappointed at how last night went too, and he didn’t even hear what my brother had to say.
I get a vision of Giuliano threatening Matteo to stay out of his way and my stomach drops.