Page 30 of A Sinner's Truth

“You’re making deals with an infant?” I ask him.

“Yep, but he’s not holding up his end. We’re going to have to have words,” he tells Luciano.

Another form darkens the doorway. A more silent one. Vin, Santo’s younger brother. Cammi walks over and wraps her arms around him. Something strange happens as soon as she does. His face instantly becomes more relaxed. I don’t think he likes me very much, but he certainly loves his wife.

“Okay, everyone get the fuck out of my room,” Santo grunts as he hands the baby back to its mother, guides her over to the door, and shuts it loudly. Santo stands there, eyeing the door for what seems like forever. And of course my stomach decides to growl again. He finally turns to face me. “Did you not eat today?”

“I’m eating now,” I tell him, picking up a piece of roasted pumpkin and shoving it into my mouth.

“That’s not what I asked. Did you eat today?” Santo repeats a little more firmly this time.

I shake my head. “No, I was waiting for you. If I had known you were going to be gone all day, I would have gone home.”

“This is your home now, Aria,” he reminds me. “And I happen to know the kitchen is always plenty stocked. Don’t skip meals.”

Why the hell is he scolding me about eating?

“Okay, this is too much. I need to go back to my apartment. I have to shower and figure out how we’re actually going to make this work.” I push to my feet, abandoning the plate of food, and step towards the door.

“Sit down and eat,” Santo says. “I’ll take you back to your apartment in the morning so you can pack some things.”

“I can’t stay here, Santo.”

“Why the fuck not?”

“Because… what am I going to sleep in?Wheream I going to sleep? We haven’t discussed how this living together is going to work.” I throw my arms up in frustration.

“We’ll figure it out as we go. I’ll get you a shirt to wear,” he says before walking into his closet. He stops short and curses. “What the fuck?”

I might have rearranged his clothes a bit. There was no order to them at all. “I got bored,” I tell him when he walks back out with a t-shirt in his hands.

“You rearranged my wardrobe,” he states.

“If you didn’t want me to touch your things, you shouldn’t have left me alone in here.” It’s his fault really.

“I don’t care what you touch. I have nothing to hide, Aria.” Santo passes the shirt to me.

“Where’d you go today?” I ask, and he immediately shuts down.

“The bathroom’s through there. I’ll be back,” he says before walking out the door. Again.

Argh. He’s so frustrating. How bad would it look if I just stormed out and went home?

I pick up the shirt and walk into the bathroom with my phone. I need to call Drew back. He’s been blowing me up all day, and I’ve been avoiding him.

He answers on the first ring. “Aria Swan, what in God’s name were you thinking?” he yells down the line.

“Okay, first, it’s actually Aria De Bellis. And second, don’t yell at me. I did what I had to do to save myself,” I tell him.

“Holy shit, a few hours and you’re already using the weight of your new name.” Drew whistles through the phone.

“Shut up. I am not. I just… I don’t like when we fight.” I sigh.

“We’re not fighting, Aria. I just don’t think this is the best idea you’ve ever had. When are you coming home?”

“Ah… I’m staying at Santo’s tonight.”

“You’re sleeping with him?” Drew questions.

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