Chapter 30
Feeling satisfied as we returned to the party, I found Natasha and Tiffany to say my goodbyes.
“Where have you been?” Natasha asked.
“With Hamilton,” I smirk.
“You got with Hamilton Branton?!” Tiffany squealed. “Kathy Harrington is going to die. You know how much she hates you!”
It made me laugh. “Well, I just gave her another reason to.”
I spot Alfie in the crowd, “B! Where have you been?”
“Mingling,” I replied.
“Let’s go before we miss the boat.”
“Okay, I’m ready.” Hamilton joined us.
“Who the hell is this?” Alfie asked.
“Alfie this is Hamilton Branton. Hamilton, this is Alfie Pelton. He’s like a little brother to me.”
They shake hands.
“Let’s get out of here,” Alfie replied. “Emilio has been on my ass today.”
“Really?” I asked. “How so?”
“He’s in a pissy mood. He’s using his backup phone. Apparently, his cracked.”
I smirk, “That sucks.”
The night air was a lot cooler, and there was a breeze.
Hamilton gave me one of his hoodies, which I wore with shorts over my bikini.
We arrived at the river, where a boat was waiting for us to board.
My family was there waiting for me to carry out this yearly tradition.
Walking onto the boat, I instantly saw Emilio, which made my insides tingle.
Alfie was not joking when he said Emilio was in a mood.
It was written all over his face, and his jaw clenched when we made eye contact.
He knew this had to be a discreet conversation so he couldn’t approach me.
But when a woman wrapped her arms around him, it felt like he had a one-up on me again.
“I’m underdressed,” Hamilton whispered.
An instant relief came over me. Two can play this game, and I had Hamilton to flaunt.
“So am I,” I smile, looking down at myself wearing shorts and a hoodie over my bikini.
“Who is this?” Luca’s voice took our attention.
I introduced Luca to Hamilton, and they shook hands.
“Why are you here?” Luca directly asked Hamilton.
“Bethany invited me, and I wanted to meet the family.”
Luca looked at me confused, “I didn’t know you were dating someone.”
I shrug, “It’s new.”
A breeze shifted the scent of mint and eucalyptus in my direction. Within seconds, Emilio stood with us.
“Bethany,” Emilio addressed me.
“Emilio,” I smile, “Who is this?” I asked, referring to the woman.
“Rachel,” she smiled.
Alfie and Hamilton began talking about sports, which made me lose attention.
My mother and sisters came over and gushed over my date while I couldn’t help but watch Emilio and Rachel off to the side, flirting.
He had his arm around her and whispered into her ear, making her giggle.
I could vomit right here. What tipped me over the edge was when she went in for a kiss. Those were my lips not hers.
My brother’s voice beside me pulled me out of the thought of clawing Rachel’s face.
“Is everyone ready for the show?”
We all sat in the open area lined with chairs and watched the fireworks explode above us.
As the night sky lit up in colors, I rested my head on Hamilton’s shoulder. My plan of having Hamilton here worked well for everyone except Emilio, who didn’t even seem to notice. I got up to get a drink at the bar—every event, no matter how small, always had alcohol.
“Gin and tonic.”
The bartender handed me the drink.
“Let me get a Macallan.”
The sound of Emilio’s voice made my heart beat faster.
“Bethany,” he said my name, but I refused to look his way.
“Emilio,” I replied, sipping my drink.
“My phone.”
Slyly, I pull it out of my bag and place it on the bar. “Here you go.”
He took it and walked away without any further interaction. If having Hamilton here didn’t phase him, my video wouldn’t either. Feeling stupid, I take my drink and sit back down. He was playing along with this whole thing well. Toward the show's end, I go to the lower deck to use the restroom.
I hear whispering.
“The feds raided the house. They took Lorenzo in. Trust me, they have much more to focus on,” Emilio said.
“Is Aria still coming?,” Luca asked.
“She will be encouraged to. Grace gave me her word.”
My brother worries a lot about Aria and what is happening with her. I continued to walk to the bathroom. When I got out, it was quiet. Suddenly, I was pushed into one of the rooms, and the door was quickly shut.
Emilio stood in front of me, looking very angry. “You have some balls, sweetheart.”
“What are you talking about?”
“That video you have on my phone.” He spoke through his teeth.
I had practically forgotten for a moment, but seeing him agitated like this put a smirk on my face. “Did you like it?”
This seemed to upset him more. “What are you trying to pull here, Bethany?”
Continuing to act nonchalantly, “Nothing.”
Stepping toward me, he didn’t stop until I was pushed up against the wall.
His dark brown eyes seemed darker. He wasn’t even touching me, but having him this close had my brain malfunctioning.
I knew I didn’t have the same effect on him, and it killed me.
I hated that he was so unphased by my presence that the only way I knew how to get a reaction was to get under his skin.
The fireworks outside continued to burst into the sky, casting different colors into the room through the small window. Emilio’s chest went up and down as though trying to control his anger, while mine was due to our tension.
“Why.” It was more of a demand than a question.
“It was an accident,” I replied.
We were locked into a dead stare-off.
“You accidentally had some other man inside you while filming it?”
The reference took me back; I thought this was about taking his phone.
“Oh, that was on purpose.” I purposefully tilted my head with an evil grin.
Emilio clenched his jaw, but rather than come off scary, he was coming off sexy. His dirty blonde hair, perfectly styled, made me want to run my hands through it and mess it up.
“Didn’t I tell you no one else should see what I do?”
“I don’t think Hamilton got the memo.”
His hand grabs my neck unexpectedly, which makes me inhale sharply. My entire family was on the deck just a steps away.
“If you aren’t going to fill him in, I’ll do it for you.”