Page 24 of Alessio

“Yeah, I know.” Corrado stuffed his hands into his pockets as Alessio took a seat in the chair near the far window. There, he could watch Corrado’s reflection, but also enjoy the cloudless sky overhead. “Did you want to be alone with her today—this was purposeful?”

“Yep.”

“Could you try not being an asshole, or make any trouble, because you’re in your feelings right now? This is bigger than us—it’s about her safety, too. That’s why she’s here in the first place, to stay out of sight, and be somewhere safe while Andino Marcello handles her family in New York.”

Alessio’s brow dipped. “Do you think I’m that petty?”

“Pardon?”

He stood from the chair, deciding he could do without comfort while he handled this thing Corrado was dancing around. Closing the space between them with wide strides, Alessio came toe to toe with Corrado, and only then did he speak again.

“Do you think I am so petty I would put her in danger because you like her? Is that the man you believe I am, Corrado? Because if so… we need to have a different discussion.”

He let that hang between them.

It was Corrado’s move now.

God knew Alessio didn’t come here because he wanted to shout and fight again. They’d done that already—he said enough shit to last them a lifetime. That’s not what this was about, now.

He was trying.

Corrado needed to try, too.

“I know exactly what kind of man you are,” Corrado murmured, holding Alessio’s gaze, and refusing to drop it, “but I also know when you’re hurt, you act out even when you don’t mean to, Les. So, if you’re still working on that … let me know. Her safety here—not from you, not like that—is a priority for me.”

Alessio made a noise, deep and dark. “And what other priority does she have?”

“See, like that.”

Okay, so Corrado wasn’t wrong.

Alessio put his attitude in check.

“I’m working on it,” Alessio said simply. “It’s the best I can do.”

“All right.”

Alessio broke their stare first, instead finding a spot on the wall to focus on as he said, “I’m here because it’s more than just her right now. It’s us, too. You owe me that—to decide this, and what we’re doing together. You owe it to me, Corrado.”

“I do.”

“That’s all you want to say?”

“That should be all I need to say. Is it confusing and a mess? Yeah, Les, I know. But you’re here, so I can deal with the rest, and we can figure that out as we go. I can’t change the circumstance, and even if I could … I don’t know if I want to.”

“Right, because you’re happy with what you did. You’re pleased with what you’ve got here right now. A woman you want to keep, and a man you can’t let go of—with you in the middle, huh?”

“And you seem to think that’s easy for me. Like this mess doesn’t keep me up at night wondering what the fuck happened, or why, and you’re wrong. Because I know what I did, but I’m the only one trying to figure it out or fix it right now.”

“No, I’m here. I’m here.”

That should mean something.

Shouldn’t it?

Alessio thought so.

“I just … want to know why,” Alessio said, shrugging one shoulder and still focusing on that spot on the wall. It was easier than looking at Corrado because when he did that, his emotions came into play, and he couldn’t compartmentalize the anger and sadness and betrayal with the parts of him that didn’t want to feel any of those things at all. “Why her, and why this. But also, why she has you like this … why you did this now … after five fucking years, you did this now.”