Page 132 of Carnal

It was a hard lecture to swallow, but I can't even blame Papà. He's always thought of Pina as a second daughter. So his questions about how I'm treating Pina, warning me to not hurt her, and wanting me to tell my brother aren’t completely out of line.

All it's done is create more tension between us. And it freaked Pina out. The distance between us has grown. Not being able to see her as freely as I used to only makes it harder to help her release her fears.

Tomorrow is Dante and Bridget's wedding. Her time to keep this a secret is coming to an end, yet the closer we get to it, the more closed off she's become toward me. All day, her text messages have been brief. She claimed she's busy tying up loose ends so Dante can enjoy his honeymoon, but I'm not buying it. And now, I'm walking into the rehearsal dinner, and she's not on my arm next to me. I promised her I'd wait until after the wedding, but the thought of pretending all day we're nothing to each other only adds to my frustration.

As I step into the room, her golden-brown eyes lock on mine. She's toward the back with the women. My brothers are close with Papà, huddled together but in jovial spirits.

All I want to do is go over to her and kiss her. I curse myself for ever agreeing to her wishes. I walk toward the table, and she rises and then bolts to the bathroom.

I say my hellos, tell everyone I need to use the men's room, then walk right into the women's room, not caring who's there.

The bathroom attendant's eyes widen. She stutters, "S-sir, this is the women's room."

Pina spins. "Tristano, what are you doing in here?"

I pull a few hundred-dollar bills out of my pocket and hand them to the attendant. "Step outside for a few moments."

Her eyes dart between the money and me. "I-I can't. I'll get fired."

"I own part of this restaurant. You won't," I assure her.

She pins her eyebrows together, as if she's not sure if she should believe me or not.

I step closer and glance at her name tag. "Shirley, my name is Tristano Marino. I assure you I have the authority to make sure you never get fired. Take the money and step outside."

She still hesitates.

Pina loudly sighs. "He's telling the truth, and he's as stubborn as a bull. Just do what he says so we can all get past this little spectacle."

I scowl at her. "Really?"

She purses her lips and puts her hand on her hip.

The attendant clears her throat then takes the cash. "Thank you, sir."

I tear my glare off Pina. "You're welcome. Thank you for your dedication to your job."

She nods then leaves.

I lock the door.

Pina fires, "What are you doing in here? Are you trying to cause Dante extra stress the night before his wedding?"

I close the space between us, replying, "Enough. This has gone too far. Everyone knows except Dante. It's time to fess up. I don't want to spend the rest of the night, nor the wedding, pretending we aren't together."

She crosses her arms. "We already discussed this."

"And things change," I point out.

"It's not that far away. Just leave it," she demands.

I palm her cheeks, firmly holding her face so she can't look away. I insist, "I want to have fun this weekend—with you. Dante will be fine. Trust me."

She stays silent.

I lean closer. "I miss you. So much. Now, let's go out there and come clean."

Her bottom lip trembles and she blinks hard.

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