Page 153 of Vicious Addictions

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know,” she murmurs, looking sad for me. “I thought you two were just hooking up.”

“Emphasis on thewere—past tense,” I confess as I lean against the wall, sliding down to sit on the floor.

“Does she know how you feel?” Stella asks after a pregnant pause, taking a seat beside me.

Distraught with her question, I run my fingers through my hair before shaking my head reluctantly.

“She used to. Or at least I thought she did. But now… I don’t know anymore. Nothing I say or do seems to get through to her. It’s only making things worse. I fucked up, Stella. I fucked up really fucking bad. And she’ll never forgive me for it.”

“Did you apologize? Did you say the words ‘I’m sorry’ before you told her you want her back into your life?”

“The engagement ring on her finger kind of defeats the purpose of me confessing my undying love for her now.” I exhale heavily.

She leans her head against my arm, her green eyes filled with empathy and sympathy—two traits Stella doesn’t like to show the world.

“I’m sorry I teased you before.”

“It’s okay.” I shrug.

“No, it’s not. I thought you two were just having some harmless fun. I had no idea that you felt this deeply for her.” She sighs. “Does she love you back?”

“No… Yes… I don’t know. I really don’t fucking know,” I mumble, depressed.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It is what it is.”

“Is there anything I can do?” she offers, concerned.

I playfully tap her jaw lightly with my fist to get that worried frown off her face. “Nah, I’m good.”

“No, you’re not.” Her voice is soft… troubled. “You haven’t been good for a while now.”

I raise a brow. “And what makes you say that?”

“You’ve been different since you returned home from college. I thought it was the job. That you were just more serious now that you were amade man.But that wasn’t it. It was all because you missed Mina. I get it now. No one can be happy when they miss their better part. And with Mina here… it makes sense why you’ve been even moremoroselately.”

“Morose. Big word,” I tease, wanting to lighten the heavy mood her intuitive words created.

“Annamaria’s making me memorize the ‘word of the day’ calendar, thinking it might help me with my SATs in the spring.” She smiles almost sheepishly.

“Of course she is,” I chuckle halfheartedly.

Stella then studies me for a long moment before saying, “Don’t shut me out, Jude. I know you say you’re fine, but you don’t have to put on a brave face for my benefit. If you’re hurting, then let me hurt with you.”

“We Romanos aren’t exactly known for being the touchy-feely type. Talking about feelings doesn’t come naturally to us. We’re all about bottling things up until the point of eruption. You know that.”

“That’s not true. Mom doesn’t hide her feelings,” she points out. “Neither does Anna.”

And just like that, my heart aches all over again.

She’s right.

Neither my mom nor my baby sister shy away from showing their emotions, especially when it comes to the people they love. Mom expresses it through her fierce protectiveness, while Annamaria does it with her boundless, selfless heart. They wear their love like armor, unshaken and unapologetic. And in a world that often mistakes kindness for weakness, that just might make them the strongest of us all.

I’m about to agree with Stella when we hear footsteps approaching.

“There you are,” Dom announces the moment he spots us sitting in the middle of the hallway. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you two.”

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