Page 35 of Say I Do

“I’m just trying to say that if I did—”

“The last thing I need is your sympathy,” I snapped. “Let’s keep things the way they’ve always been between us. Okay?”

His gray eyes searched my face as he frowned. “Sure.”

I pulled up in front of the penthouse as it started to rain. “You can go ahead. Tony will let you in.”

Harlow pushed the door open before he turned back to stare at me. “Are you coming?”

“Yeah.”

Soon. Eventually.

I watched as he nodded and climbed out of the car. Harlow moved swiftly, his hips rocking, wrapped in the dress I’d like to rip off him if he were anybody else. Images of him laid out in front of me, his legs around my waist, permeated my brain. I quickly dismissed it.

As soon as he was gone, I threw the car in drive. I needed to get away. Just for a little while, I wanted to be irresponsible and reckless. Even as I thought about getting drunk out of my mind, I remembered I needed to talk to Enzo and Giancarlo. Someone had been busy spreading bullshit gossip about us. I needed to nip it in the bud.

My phone rang. I stared at the console and frowned as Dad flashed on the screen. Normally, I answered every call. I might be in charge, but he really did run the show. My finger hovered over the green button before I pulled away.

Fuck it. Tonight I would go to Blu and have the time of my life. For once, I would worry about the consequences tomorrow.

“What a fucking joke.”I stared at the receding taillights and sighed. That single cigarette did nothing to erase the irritation that boiled under the surface.

Fuck the Vitales.

Tony cleared his throat, pulling my attention. The rain came down heavily, soaking my dress and hair. Everything clung to me like a second skin. It was mid-summer, but with the rain, it felt closer to the fall. A gust of wind swept through, chilling me to the bone.

“Harlow,” Tony called.

The muscles in my jaw pulled tight as I bit back my response. All night I’d been holding back. Playing nice with Benito was never going to work. The man pissed me off any chance he got. I turned on my heels and sauntered into the building. I didn’t bother looking back. Benito had fled like a dog with its tail between its legs. It was the least attractive thing about him.

I replayed the night over in my head again and again picking it apart piece by piece. I overanalyzed every word that had come out of any of their mouths. Most of it had been bullshit except for the fact Benito had lied. He had a boyfriend, and the way he shut down after I asked where he was and how things ended only left me with more questions.

Tonight’s dinner was a crap shoot. There was no other way to describe it. My family was fake, and Benito’s family were all so close that anyone on the outside was treated like shit. And I was the outsider. They fed me bullshit and kept up meaningless conversations the entire time, but they barely spoke to me. I couldn’t get a word in edgewise. Aggravating would be putting it lightly.

Tony opened the front door of my prison cell.

“Benito will be back soon,” he lied.

I didn’t bother responding. If Benito could, he’d stay away for far longer than a single night. I should be used to it. No one gave a damn what I had to say until I was seven and a half inches of steel deep into their flesh.

Is that what it’s going to take for Benito to listen to me?My fingers itched at the thought.

“Do you need anything?” Tony asked.

I stopped short and thought about it. “Yeah, a pack of cigarettes.” He nodded, but I stopped him from leaving. “I want to go.”

“You should stay here.”

“You will be there the entire time. It’s just to get some smokes.” I glanced down at my soaking-wet dress. “One second, let me change.”

Tony opened his mouth, but I didn’t wait for his response. I made my way to the room and grabbed a pair of jeans and a plain T-shirt. I changed quickly and tied my hair back.

“Ready.”

“I don’t think you need to go,” Tony said again.

“And I don’t think Benito would be happy coming home to his place and all his precious belongings being nothing more than ashes.”

---