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“How am I looking at you?”
“With pity.”
“I’m not pitying you, Carlo. I just—” I falter. “I wish you would talk to me about it. I never would have done that if you’d just tell me about you. About your relationship with your dad. Anytime I try to ask, you change the topic. It’s hard, okay? I can’t give you a hundred percent and then you give me nothing.”
“I never asked you to give me a hundred percent.”
I glare at him. “This isn’t about what’s been asked for. It’s about what you give your partner.” I pause as I realize something. “Or am I not your partner?”
Something shatters in my chest. Maybe I’ve been delusional and he doesn’t think of me as anything more than a girl he’s sleeping with. His toy.
Carlo’s expression softens. He looks down at me, his hand lightly grazing my cheek.
“You sleep at my house every night, Tori.”
“True, but…”
“You’re my girlfriend. My partner. Mine. Okay?” he says, a note of finality in his tone that permits no argument.
I nod. Something loosens in my chest, allowing me to breathe properly.
“Forgive me, please,” I say earnestly. “I’ll never do something like that again. I promise.”
He stares into my eyes for the longest moment before letting out a soft sigh. “I forgive you.”
“Talk to me about it,” I say, my tone pleading. “You can talk to me. I’ll listen.”
Carlo’s expression becomes pained. “I’m just—” He breathes out. “I’m just not ready, Tori. I don’t know how to be ready to just… talk about this shit. I’m Carlo D’Angelo, I don’t sit around talking.”
I knew. I knew when all this started that he wasn’t a man who would open up about his feelings so easily.
“I can wait,” I whisper. “However long it takes.”
He nods, pulling me into his arms, and I let him hold me. He makes me feel safe, like nothing could hurt me as long as I’m with him. And I want to be that person for him too.
But Carlo has a lot of scars and some of them aren’t fully healed yet. Which means I have to give him time to work through it all.
I just wish he’d let me help him.
CHAPTER20
Carlo
I’m working at one of our casinos when Tori calls to inform me that her dad wants to see me. She’s pretty sure it has to do with the building. I make my way over to his company, slightly nervous about meeting up with Salvador. And I’m never nervous.
But Salvador Bianchi’s a formidable man, and I’m dating his daughter. I didn’t care before because it wasn’t real. But now it is. Now that I’ve got her, there’s a possibility I could lose her due to her father, and I’m not about to let that happen.
On my way to his office, I get a text.
Topher: Mom’s coming back.
I pull over to the side of the road to reply.
Me: What do you mean coming back?
Topher: I mean she’s returning from her trip to Europe, genius. She’ll be back in the US in a few days.
I roll my eyes.
