Page 45 of Prideful Union
I wipe at the tears forming in my eyes. I really hate crying, and yet, ever since marrying Santino, I seem to cry a lot. “Ok,” I finally say. “I’ll trust you. But you better explain once you get here.”
“I will. I’ll book a trip for next week. I love you, Lucia. Please know that.”
“I do, Mom. I’m just so confused.”
“I’ll be there.”
After we hang up, I lay on my bed for a while, just staring at the ceiling. I’ve been lied to my entire life, yet while I know I should be mad at my mom for it, I don’t feel mad. I can tell there’s more to the story. The fear in my mom’s voice spoke volumes. I can’t be mad at someone who sounds that scared.
Santinoand I avoid each other.
I’m angry with him for the things he said about my mom, and I know he feels betrayed by my mom.
So, I’m shocked when Alexandria and the rest of the women arrive with their husbands the next day. I didn’t think we’d be expecting company, and I’m in no mood for it.
“Be nice,” Santino says, bringing me downstairs to greet everyone.
“Why did you invite them?”
“Because I need to discuss more business, and my men wanted their wives to come.”
“After how we left things, should we really be having guests over?” I ask.
“You just don’t want to talk to the women.”
“Uh, yeah.” I place my hands on my hips. “They called my mom a slut.”
“Isn’t she?”
I slap him. And it feels fucking good.
Santino chuckles, but there’s no humor to it. “Just play nice. Then we can go back to avoiding each other.” He walks downstairs to greet his men. I could choose to not follow, but I know things will only be worse if I don’t.
Alexandria turns her nose up at me as I come downstairs. “Good of you to join us. I thought you might be a hermit, never coming out to talk to us.” The four women chitter.
I grit my teeth. Santino has already left the room with his men. “Well, I’m here now. Even though I don’t want to be. So, why are you all here? You don’t even like me.”
“Because I like to see the looks on people’s faces when they realize I’m right.” Alexandria tosses her hair over her shoulder dramatically.
“Right about what?” I know I’m going to regret this.
“That your mother really is a slut.”
The air leaves my body. “What?”
“Mu husband told me. Santino told him your mother slept around. Santino is furious.”
When I stumble back, the women laugh. “Why would he tell anyone? He didn’t want anyone to know he was lied to.”
Alexandria shrugs, giving me a smug grin. “I guess he wanted to control the news. Get it out there himself before anyone else could. So, I was right. Your mother is a slut. And I just love being right.” She shares an amused look and laugh with the other woman.
I see fucking red.
I walk away from the woman and head into the kitchen. They follow me, laughing as they go. But they stop when I pick up a butcher knife and turn to them.
“Lucia, what are you going?” Isabella asks.
“You don’t get to talk about my mom,” I growl.
