Page 132 of Hidden Empire

“Girls!” he snaps out. “Girl friends are what I meant. Men cannot be trusted, Jade. We’re awful, all of us.”

I frown. “That’s not true.”

“It is,” he insists. “How do I know you’re not doing unsavory things with this Ivan kid, huh? Or that he doesn’t want to every time he’s with you?”

God, if you only knew the half of it.

“Matteo, please,” I beg, taking a steadying breath. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, but I didn’t want you to freak out.”

He shakes his head. “Well, you see how well that worked out.”

“Ivan really is my friend,” I reiterate. “Please don’t ruin this. I promise, cross my heart, that I’m not sneaking around with him.”

It’s not a complete lie. Sort of.

“If he’s really your friend, then you wouldn’t care if Dad and everyone else knew,” he argues stubbornly.

“Of course I’d care,” I refute. “You’re all so crazy protective, I didn’t want him to run for the hills screaming because of you guys.”

“Are you embarrassed of us or him?”

“Oh my god, neither,” I groan, dropping my head back and rubbing my face. “Would it make you feel better to hang out with us once? I’ll introduce you, and you can see that we’re just friends.”

He pauses, seemingly to consider it. “I don’t know…”

“Your opinion means a lot to me,” I say truthfully. “If you can do it without trying to fight him, I’d like for you to meet him. I think you’ll like each other.”

“Why should I like him?” he scoffs.

“Well, he’s nice?”

“So are pets, I’ll get you a dog.”

“He’s funny?—”

Matteo huffs. “So am I, so why do you need this punk?”

“Please,” I whisper, expression falling. “Can’t you do this for me?”

“Oh no,” he says, shaking his head. “You can’t use that face on me. It’s not fair.”

“I’m not using any face,” I sniff, denying it.

“Put your bottom lip away,” he pleads. “You’re going to make my heart all mushy and sad. I do not do my best brothering with a mushy, depressed heart.”

“Brothering?” I echo.

“You know what I mean,” Matteo claims.

“I do,” I affirm. “So, you’ll meet him? And let this be our little secret?”

He groans, tipping his head back.

And eventually…

“Fine, I’ll meet him, but I’m only keeping your secret if I believe he’s really just your friend after the fact.”

Good enough for now.

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