Page 78 of The Silence Lies

I close my eyes, the brashness of his question cutting me deep. Sure, that’s pretty much what happened, but the meaning behind what transpired between Luca and I runs a lot deeper than just a fuck. There was a connection. There has been one for a few weeks, and no matter how much we deny it or ignore it, the fact remains.

Finally, I respond with a nod.

“When?”

My pulse quickens. All the memories of last night hit me like a freight train. The moment Luca and I shared was fast and dirty, but it was also exactly what I needed; what we both needed. And he seemed to understand me on another level, one where he asked me to trust him, and I did.

“Last night,” I answer nervously. I watch the anger flare in Levi’s features.

He clenches his fists. His jaw hardens and twitches. Levi, the fun-loving, easy-going guy, has been replaced with someone who looks like he’s seconds from losing control and throwing his fists into something. I can only imagine the damage he could cause, but I don’t want that. I don’t want it to be like this.

I step forward, hoping that by closing the distance between us I can regain his focus. “Levi—“

He steps away from me until his back hits the kitchen island, his head shaking.

“Let me explain.”

“What exactly is there to explain?” he growls. “You wanted Luca so you fucked him.”

I wince again. There’s no way I can ignore how deep his insinuation cuts. “Don’t say it like that!”

“Like what? It’s what happened, isn’t it?” He pushes away from the island, side-stepping around me in the process as he runs a hand through his dark hair. “Fuck’s sake, Sera. I thought… “ He starts pacing, and I’m lost, watching him figure out how he feels about what I’ve told him.

I know exactly what he thought. That we were an item, something exclusive. We’ve never discussed it, but I feel like a total asshole for the way this is playing out.

“I can’t believe you fucked him!”

My frown deepens. “It’s more than that,” I snap.

Levi stops pacing to pin me with a glare. “You want to be with him?”

Cazzo. How do I answer that without coming across like a total slut? I’ll tell you how—You don’t. The band-aid has to come off, all the way.

“I do, but—“

“Fine!” Levi turns on his heel, marching away from me.

“Levi, wait!”

“For what?” he screams, spinning around to cut me with one final glare. “You’ve made it clear who you want to be with!”

“You didn’t let me finish!”

“Okay…” He paces towards me. We’re almost toe to toe, our gazes locking in place. “Finish!” he barks.

“I… I want you, too.”

There’s another sickening silence that yanks at my heart so hard that I feel like it has sunk to the pit of my stomach. Levi is a mixture of confused and angry now, a deadly combination that I’m certain I won’t be able to pull him from so soon.

“The fuck?”

Footsteps approach, and I hold my breath. Giovanni appears in the doorway, but upon seeing Levi and I, he heads back out. When the coast is clear, I look back at Levi to see doubt framing his dark eyes.

“I like you both.”

He barks out an incredulous laugh, one that I feel right down to my core. “Seriously? You want to fuck us both?”

“Stop saying it like that!” I snarl. My patience is starting to wear thin with Levi’s accusatory tone.

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