I glanced at my watch once more but there was still no sign of Nevio. He was running late. Thirty minutes late, to be exact. I had to leave for work in about twenty-minutes and Carlotta in about ten minutes for college. Diego was picking her up as usual and taking her there.
“He hasn’t even received my text yet,” I muttered, glaring down at my phone.
A stupid part of me worried something had happened to him that stopped him from being on time, when I knew it was simply Nevio being Nevio. I could see his promise to give us a real chance slipping away. I wasn’t sure if he couldn’t do it or if he didn’t want to. It was probably a combination of the two. My heart ached and my belly felt hollow as I considered what this meant. I’d made my boundaries very clear to Nevio, and I wouldn’t budge this time. I didn’t care if my body burned up for his touch or my dreams replayed the pleasure he’d given me. I didn’t care if this meant giving up on Nevio and me for good because the other option meant giving up on me. I wouldn’t do that, not even for Nevio. He had done nothing to deserve it, and I doubted there was ever a moment when someone was truly worth it to give up on everything that makes you you.
Carlotta put down her backpack on the counter with a quiet sigh. “Maybe this is what you feared, that he’s pulling back completely, that he got cold feet after he promised you progress. Maybe him ghosting you is really the sign you need.”
“I don’t need another sign to know that a relationship between Nevio and me is not going to work. I need someone to watch Battista, and that someone should be his father.”
Carlotta nodded, her expression compassionate, but I could tell she also thought it was partly my fault. And she was right. I should have kept the promise to myself after the party. Instead, I’d fallen prey to Nevio’s seduction. Who knew that stalking me and driving me to the brink would turn me on?
I pressed my lips together, then I nodded. “You’re right. I made excuses for him for far too long. I enabled him to stay irresponsible because he had me for his responsibilities.”
Carlotta came over to me and hugged me. “If he doesn’t show up today and doesn’t have a very good excuse, you need to tell his parents about Battista.”
I nodded, and Carlotta pulled back. She kissed my cheek. “I really need to go or Diego will come up. He’s already suspicious about why I never invite him in.”
“I know. And thanks for always having my back.”
Carlotta smiled, then she turned and went over to Battista in his playpen to kiss his forehead before she grabbed her backpack and left. Battista pulled himself into a very unsteady standing position and looked at me hopefully. I went to him and picked him up, then blew a raspberry on his chubby cheek, which caused him to giggle uncontrollably. I’d be late for my internship, and Doc Gentile wouldn’t be impressed at all. I set Battista down despite his protests and picked up my cell phone to call the hospital. After I’d closed the kitchen door to avoid Battista disturbing me, I called in sick.
I could hear that he thought I was faking it, and of course, he was right. I went back into the kitchen where Battista had started bawling because I’d left him alone. He stopped once I picked him up again. Singing “Wheels on the Bus”, I tried to call Nevio again, but the call didn’t go through.
Battista babbled along with the song, a bit of drool running down his chin thanks to his teething.
“Your father is an idiot,” I murmured.
Battista chortled as if I’d told him a joke, which unfortunately wasn’t the case. My phone rang, and my eyes widened thinking it was Nevio. Instead, “Dad” flashed on my screen.
“Oh no.”
“Hey, Dad—”
“Are you okay? The doc called me.”
I bit my lip. I should have known Dad would find out, but this was quicker than I thought.
“I’m fine, just a headache.”
“I’m coming over. Something’s up.”
“Dad—”
“No,” he said firmly. “After Nevio’s last visit, I’m done believing things are fine.”
Of course, Nevio leaving bloody footprints and looking like death himself had left Dad very concerned. Nevio was causing me way too much trouble.
“If he hadn’t disappeared from the face of the earth, I would have beat the truth out of him.”
“He’s gone?”
“Not the first time he’s taken off, and probably not the last time either. Maybe Remo will have to save his sorry ass from another police cell again.”
I shook myself. “Can you send Mom over? Please.”
Silence on the other end. “Aurora, what’s going on. Are you able to talk freely?”
“I’m not in a hostage situation, Dad,” I said. “I just need Mom.”
“Fuck. Now you really have me worried. I’ll drive your mom over, but I’m coming with her. No way am I going to let her go alone as long as I don’t know what’s going on.”
He hung up.
I stared at Battista. “Everything will be okay.”
Suddenly, my heart felt heavy thinking of having to let him go. We’d become a good team, and he was really attached to me.
When the door rang, I put Battista back into his playpen to open it. Mom and Dad waited in front of the door. Dad held a gun in his hand as if he was ready for war. Mom looked upset and concerned.
I was already in scrubs. Dad scanned me from head to toe.
“I’m not injured,” I said, opening the door wider so he could see nobody was behind me.
“Is anybody with you?” Dad asked.
I hesitated. Because technically there was, just not in the sense that Dad meant. But my hesitation was too much for Dad. He gently pushed me aside and rushed into the apartment, checking one room after the other until I heard him curse.
Mom’s expression tightened. “Aurora, what is going on?”
I motioned her to follow me and once inside the kitchen, she too let out a startled curse upon seeing Battista. He had started crying when Dad entered the room. I picked him up and soothed him with gentle words.
Mom and Dad stared at me in horror.
“What the hell? When did this happen? How did you hide this from us? It’s Nevio’s. I just have to look at those eyes. I’m going to kill him for touching you.”
It took me a moment to realize Dad thought Battista was actually my son.
“Aurora wasn’t pregnant,” Mom said, but I could hear the barest hint of hesitation in her voice.
“How could I have hidden a pregnancy? You saw me in bikinis all the time,” I said with a laugh.
Neither Mom nor Dad laughed, but they looked relieved when they realized I said the truth.
“So he’s not yours,” Dad said.
“He’s not mine. Nevio asked me to take care of him.”
“Of course that’s what he did,” Dad gritted out. He paced the kitchen, the gun still in his hand as if he hoped Nevio might show up.
“Can you please calm down? You’re scaring Battista.”
Dad stopped abruptly, but he didn’t appear calm at all. His blue eyes burned with fury. Mom came toward me. “You’ve been taking care of him since you moved in here, right? That’s why you wanted to move in so quickly. Four weeks. That’s a long time for someone as young as yourself.”
“Many women in our circles aren’t much older when they give birth,” I said. Battista watched Mom open-mouthed.
“I know.” Mom nodded, regarding me with admiration which slowly morphed to reproach. “You’ve lied to us.”
Dad scoffed. “Nevio made her do it. That’s his special talent.” He came closer but stopped when Battista started bawling again.
“Shhh, it’s okay,” Mom whispered, but Battista pressed his face into my chest, and I rubbed his back until he quieted.
Dad fixed me with a hard look. “Answer me one question, why?”
I shrugged. Even I didn’t really have an answer to that question. “I suppose I wanted to help Nevio.”
“Has he touched you?”
“Dad—” I blushed.
“Don’t ‘Dad’ me now. Answer my question. Has he touched you?”
“Fabiano, I really don’t think that’s our business,” Mom said gently, but I bet she would have asked me the same question once it was just the two of us.
Dad moved closer, and this time, he didn’t stop when Battista started crying.
“Aurora, I want an answer. If you don’t answer me, I’m going to take your blushing as a fucking yes, and I’m going to hunt him down.”
“She’s probably blushing because that’s a very personal question.”
I swallowed. Mom defending me made me feel even worse, but she had a point. My sex life wasn’t Dad’s business. “Nothing happened against my will,” I said.
Dad let out a roar and kicked one of the chairs so it flew across the room and smashed against the wall, losing a leg. “I’m going to rip his balls off.”
“Fabiano!” Mom said, wide-eyed.
“No, you’re not. What happened between Nevio and me is only my business.”
Dad’s head was almost purple from fury. “It’s my business if he compels you to have sex with him!”
“You had sex with Mom before marriage, if this is about having sex out of wedlock.” My cheeks burned. Talking about sex with Dad was the absolute last thing I wanted, but he didn’t leave me a choice.
“It’s not about some conservative world views,” Dad gritted out. “This is about you being with Nevio fucking Falcone. He’s not someone you should be close to. And I had serious intentions with your mother. What about him?”
I didn’t say anything because I wasn’t sure of Nevio’s intentions. I doubted even he knew.
“You were unsure about us when you started pursuing me. Maybe it’s the same with Nevio,” Mom said, touching Dad’s upper arm in a calming gesture.
He met Mom’s gaze, and for once, she didn’t get through to him. “I sure hope not. I don’t want him with Aurora. I won’t allow it.”
“I’m here, you know. And I have no intention to be with Nevio,” I said. This was my life, and though I’d admitted I made some very bad decisions when it came to Nevio, I now had a new resolve to ban him from my life once and for all.
Dad pulled his phone from his pocket. “I need to call Remo now.”
I took a step forward. “Wait.”
Dad frowned. “It’s his grandson. He needs to know so he can rip Nevio a new one.”
I bit my lip. I wasn’t sure why I was suddenly so scared to tell Nevio’s family about Battista. They had a right to know. They were his family after all. Mom gave me a reassuring smile. “It’ll be all right. Remo won’t be mad at you for helping Nevio keep this secret.”
“He’ll be mad as he should, and I’m mad as hell,” Dad said, giving me a stern look. “Lying about everything, that’s not who we raised you to be.”
“You taught me the importance of loyalty. You don’t always agree with Remo’s decisions but you have his back.”
“He’s my Capo.”
Mom gave him a look but she didn’t contradict him.
“He’s your friend first,” I said. Though friend really wasn’t the right term. Fabiano considered Remo almost as his brother, but I couldn’t bring myself to see the Falcones as family, especially now that I’d slept with one of them. That would be too weird.
“Which is why I’m going to call him now. The secrets end now.”
Not all of them.
“Maybe we should tell Remo in person,” Mom said in her lawyer voice. “That way, he can’t build up his rage.”
“He’ll have more than enough if we tell him in person, but this might be news that’s really better told directly.” Dad lifted the phone to his ear. After a few rings, Remo picked up. “I need to come over to talk to you. It’s important.” Pause. “I’d rather not tell you over the phone.” Pause. “Yes, it’s linked to Nevio.” Dad lowered the phone, then he met my gaze.
I swallowed. “This isn’t going to go over well.”
