Page 9 of Humility

“No. What the hell were you doing in that library with Lucas?” He growled and took an angry step toward me.

“What business is it of yours what I do,” I asked, not backing down.

He stopped walking and towered over me. I was always small, but he’d shot up so much in the last year that I barely came to his chin. Papa said boys did that and would grow in large spurts. I hated it. It made taking him on when we fought so much harder. My hands clenched now as I prepared for whatever he planned.

“Lucas is trouble. Stay away from him.”

Again, he wasn’t wrong after what I just saw, but I hated that he thought he needed to say that to me.

I narrowed my eyes. “Lucas is the future Don of Dons, and if he wants to spend time with me, so be it.” I pulled my long hair over my shoulder and ran my fingers through it. “At least he doesn’t lie about me, put spiders on my head, ice down my top, steal my homework, or kick balls at my head.” I lifted my chin and stared Angelo in the eyes. “Considering who I’m in this room with, Lucas is an upgrade.”

I expected any retaliation except for him to cup my face and drop his lips to mine in a kiss. My brain froze. What the hell was happening? My mouth had been partially open, and as his tongue touched mine, I jerked back from him, wiping at my mouth.

“What the hell was that?” I growled and stomped past him. “Yuck, it’s like a dog just licked inside my mouth.”

“It’s called a kiss, stupid,” he snarled and glared at me. “You’re supposed to like it.”

“I’ll never like anything from you.” Opening the door, I ran out and sprinted down the halls. My heart pounded as I rounded the corner to the girl’s wing and stopped to lean against the wall. I poked my head around to make sure he hadn’t chased me down and raised my hand to my lips.

He kissed me. What new kind of bullying was this? Why would he do it when no one could see and laugh? Why did it kind of tingle? Why had my stomach fluttered?

I shook my head, seething anger rising along with the confusion. This was what he wanted—me questioning everything. It was bad enough that I worried about what he might do at school. It was annoying that I looked behind the door of every room at home to make sure he wasn’t there. Now I had to add this weirdness to my list?

No, I wouldn’t do it. Angelo Esposito was not taking up any more of my mind. Boys should all be drowned at birth. Well, except for my papa.

Chapter Five

JASMINE

We’d been here three days, and I was ignored or excluded daily. It made me want to scream.

I wanted to go hiking, but I wasn’t allowed. I wanted to ride the ATV but was told they weren’t for girls. I wanted to go sailing with everyone, but there was no more room in the boats, so I stood on the dock with my life jacket in my hand and watched everyone sail away. The only one that looked bothered at all was Dario.

It had become very clear that I wasn’t welcome here. No matter what I did, the other kids ignored me. Gemma had said something to the other girls about me finding her and Lucas in the library. They had all started acting strange with me after that night. I would ask to go home if I hadn’t seen my papa laughing and relaxing with the other Dons. I just couldn’t bring myself to ruin this moment for him.

Wandering along the path near the beach, I spotted everyone on the trail that led up to the cliffs where you could jump into the water. Running, I caught up to the group just as they reached the opening.

“Hi,” I panted, reaching the girls.

I never jumped in, but I loved watching everyone else leap and do tricks. I smiled at the girls I knew from school, and just like all the other times, they acted like I didn’t exist. Angry, I grabbed Gemma’s arm and pulled hard enough that she had to turn around.

“What the hell? Why are you all acting like this?”

She crossed her arms and glared at me. “You know why.”

“No, I don’t. Does this have to do with you and Lucas the other night?” Her face went as red as my mama’s tomato sauce.

“Nothing happened, and you know it. You acted like a slut, and then threatened me in the hall if I said anything.”

“What?” My mouth fell open in shock. “That’s not what happened, and you know it.”

“Why are you making up lies about us,” Rosa asked.

“I’m not. I’ve never said anything about any of you to anyone. Why would I?”

One of the older girls, Meesha, pushed through the group and glared at me. “Because you’re trying to move your family up in the ranks by marrying Lucas. We’ve all seen how he looks at you, and now you are making sure that none of us has a chance with him by spreading vicious lies with your wicked tongue.”

“Yeah, you said I have a foot fungus to make sure he didn’t look at me,” Nikki said.