Page 25 of Sweet Prison
Did I ever believe it was possible to fall in love with a man sight unseen? To love his mind? His spirit? His hidden nature?
Nope.
But that just underlines how wrong I was.
Because, I am falling in love with our stepbrother.
“Not this time,” I mumble, pretending to be engrossed in my sewing.
Nera narrows her eyes at me, but she doesn’t pry further, and we segue back into her twisted relationship with her stalker-slash-boyfriend.
“I can’t believe it took you guys a year to work up to the first kiss. What are you—twelve?” I say as I lift the bodice of the dress I’m making for her. “You need to try this on. Watch out for pins along the side.”
“You’re one to talk.”
“I guess you’re right.” I shrug. “I’ve never even had a boyfriend.”
“What about that guy from school? The one who kept following you during lunch.”
“Finn? He was just a weirdo.” The bodice is a bit too loose, so I unpin the sides and readjust. “Stop wriggling.”
“Speaking of weirdos… Have you noticed the way Salvo has been looking at you?”
I frown. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You truly are oblivious. I first saw it at lunch after the baptism of Tiziano’s son. Salvo was practically devouring you with his eyes.”
“The one with escargot on the menu. I remember. Yuck.”
“Exactly. The guy is forty.”
“Thirty-five,” I correct her. Salvo and Massimo are the same age. “He was probably just staring at my face.”
“He was. But not because of what you think.” Nera sets her hands on my hips and turns me around so I’m facing the oversized mirror.
“You messed up my work,” I mumble. “I’ll have to redo the bodice again.”
“Forget the bodice.” Standing behind me, she rests her chin on my shoulder.
Nera is slightly taller than I am, and her hair is a shade or two lighter than my own light brown. Although my nose isnarrower and my cheekbones are more pronounced, we look a lot alike. Ignoring the pale patches around my eyes, that is.
“No wonder creepy Salvo can’t take his eyes off you,” she says next to my ear. “Can’t you see how drop-dead gorgeous you are?”
I sigh. My sister has made it her mission to convince me I’m pretty. She might believe it’s true, but I can’t. I wish I looked like everyone else.Normal.
“Yeah.” I turn back around and begin taking the pins out of the bodice. “I need to get started on this if you want it ready for Dad’s birthday party next weekend.”
“Are you going?”
“Probably.” There’s no way Dad would let me skip his party, especially since he’s back to not-so-subtly insinuating that both Nera and I are ripe to be married. He even hinted that Ruggero would be there, and that it would be a great opportunity for the two of us to get to know each other. Just thinking about it is making me sick.
“Shit, I’m going to be late for my shift at the clinic.” Nera shrugs out of the half-made dress and grabs her purse off the chair.
“Have you noticed Dad acting strange lately?” I ask. “He’s been distracted, forgetting things. And Leone has been coming over more often than usual. He and Dad hole themselves up in Dad’s study for hours.”
He also started locking his office door when he’s out of the house, something he’s never done before.
“Mm-hmm. Some problems popped up at the casinos, but Dad said he’s working them out. I have to go.” Nera pecks my cheek and rushes out of the room before I get the chance to ask her to elaborate.