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Toni and Larissa were standing there talking, and for the first time, the curtain was lifted. All of my denial was gone, and I truly saw the way that she was looking at my brother.

A way that she had never looked at me before.

I handed Toni his phone, and kept walking.

“Hey,” he shouted, “where are you going?”

“To see Liv,” I said over my shoulder.

“What?” Larissa snapped, following me down the stairs.

“Look, Larissa,” I turned around, stopping in the middle of the staircase, “this isn’t going to work, you and me.”

She huffed and crossed her arms, “you’re seriously leaving me, for her?”

“Yeah,” I shrugged.

“Samuel Santino,” she kept following me as I headed for the door. “You stop and talk to me. You owe me that much.”

I turned to face her again, now we were at the front door.

“I owe you?” I shook my head. “For what exactly?”

“You’ve been chasing me for all these years, and I finally give you a chance and you just ditch me?”

I chuckled, “so you’ve known how I felt for all these years and you didn’t give a shit? Why now? Why not five years ago?”

She opened her mouth but no words came out.

“We both know why. We both know it’s because now that Toni’s married, I was always your little backup plan. I’m not stupid, Larissa. Do you really think that I’m so pathetic that I would fall in line dutifully as your second option?”

“Sam.”

“I may not be as outright as Toni, or-or smart, but I fucking know when I’m being used. If you want so badly to be a mob wife, you have plenty of options at your disposal,” I gestured to the men wandering around our house, “but I’m not one of them. Not any more.”

I turned to walk out the door when she grabbed the sleeve of my shirt, holding me in place.

“Come on, Sammy. Don’t do this.”

I shrugged out of her hold, shaking my head, “I’ve been so blinded, and so fucking stupid for so long. Get it though your head Larissa, I don’t want you.”

She pursed her lips and stood back, crossing her arms.

I felt bad for my bluntness for a split second, but I could see that there was no hurt on her face, only anger.

Anger at me for not doing as I was told, for not falling gratefully at her feet like she expected me to do. I turned and walked away without looking back, and the door slammed shut.

I got into my car, and drove.

27

Chapter 27

Livie

Ileft work halfway through my shift.

I was in no mood for dancing, or smiling, or small talk.