Page 122 of My Best Friend Is Broken
He disappears, leaving the rest of us staring after him in various states of amusement.
“He’s been stockpiling wedding magazines,” Dario says from his position near the drinks table, sounding resigned. “I found them under the bed last month.”
“Under the bed?” Carlo laughs. “That’s where most people hide porn, not wedding magazines.”
“With Molly, weddings might as well be porn,” Dante observes dryly.
Molly reappears moments later with an armload of glossy magazines that he dumps unceremoniously on the floor in front of the fire. “Right! Everyone gather round. We’re doing this properly.”
Ginni immediately shifts closer and lowers himself from the sofa to the floor, his eyes lighting up with interest as he starts flipping through the magazines. It’s the first genuine emotion I’ve seen from him, this sudden fascination with wedding planning.
“Come on,” Molly says, patting the floor beside him and looking at Liam expectantly. “Sit. We have so much to discuss. Venues, flowers, color schemes… Oh, are you doing traditional or modern? Church or civil ceremony? What’s your vision?”
Liam glances at me, clearly torn between laughing at the absurdity and being genuinely interested in the planning process. I make a shooing motion, and he laughs before settling down on the floor next to Molly, immediately getting pulled into enthusiastic discussion.
Ginni leans in too, surprisingly engaged, pointing at various pictures and offering opinions in that soft, intense voice. It’s almost sweet, watching him forget to be menacing for a moment in favor of debating the merits of different flower arrangements.
I grab my drink, whisky, neat, because it’s Christmas and I’m celebrating, and move to stand beside Dario at his corner vantage point. He’s clutching his own glass tightly, his gaze fixed on Molly with an expression that’s somewhere between adoration and absolute terror.
“He’s really into this wedding stuff,” Dario says hoarsely, never taking his eyes off Molly as he gestures animatedly about something to do with centerpieces.
I grin, amused at seeing the usually unflappable Dario Ajello unnerved by something as simple as wedding planning. “So, are you going to pop the question?” I tease.
Dario’s head snaps toward me, and there’s genuine panic in his eyes. “What if he says no?”
The vulnerability in the question catches me off guard. This is the man who killed his own brother, who runs a criminal empire, who makes grown men nervous with a single look. And he’s terrified of proposing to his boyfriend.
I shake my head, unable to keep the smile off my face. “Molly isn’t going to say no. Trust me, he’s been waiting for you to ask. Probably has the entire wedding planned already, just waiting for you to make it official.”
“You think so?”
“I know so. Look at him.” I gesture to where Molly is now showing Liam pictures of different cake designs, his whole face lit up with joy. “He loves you. He’s not going anywhere. The only question is whether you’re brave enough to ask.”
Dario takes a long drink of his whisky, his jaw working as he processes this. “When did you become so wise about relationships?”
“Since I fell in love with someone who taught me what actually matters.” I raise my glass slightly in Liam’s direction. “Everything else is just noise.”
We stand there in companionable silence, watching our respective partners plan what is apparently going to be the wedding event of the century if Molly has anything to say about it. Carlo has joined them now, offering his own opinions on various design choices, while Dante watches with amused detachment from his new position by the window.
Ginni is still engaged in the conversation, his earlier intensity softened into something almost... normal.Almost like a regular twenty-one-year-old getting excited about pretty dresses and flower arrangements rather than whatever darkness he usually carries.
“Nicky!” Liam calls out, waving a magazine at me. “Come look at this. What do you think of this theme?”
I cross over to him, looking down at the spread he’s indicating. It’s elegant, understated. All deep blues and silvers, winter-themed but not overwhelming. Very Liam.
“Anything you want,” I tell him honestly.
He looks up at me, and there’s something searching in his expression. “Are you sure? This is your wedding too.”
We stare at each other, and I see the question underneath the question. Is this real? Am I sure about this? Am I going to change my mind or regret choosing him?
“Yeah, I’m sure.” I reach down and ruffle his hair affectionately, the way I used to do when we were teenagers and I was trying to annoy him. “Always.”
His face breaks into that brilliant smile that still has the power to make my heart skip.
Molly makes a sound that’s somewhere between a squeal and a sigh. “You two are disgustingly cute. I love it. Ginni, did you see how cute they are?”
Ginni makes a noncommittal sound, already flipping to another page.
