29. Isabella
29
ISABELLA
I take a deep breath and run my hand through my hair as I make my way back to the dinner table, hoping I don’t look as frazzled as I feel.
I put everything into keeping my reaction subdued to what happened between Nicco and me in the bathroom, but as I walk away from him, the emotions take over my body, causing my fingers to jitter and my heart to feel like it’s about to jump out of my chest.
The look in his eyes when I told him he’d never have my heart again is a look I would’ve loved to witness years ago. But now with everything that’s come out— my dad never had a prospective wife for me. It was all a lie —the heartless words from me don’t have the same effect. He looked as if I was taking away his sole purpose in life, and that doesn’t sit well with me.
Sliding into my seat, I quickly take a sip from my wineglass before setting it back down, nearly toppling it over with my shaky hands. I finally bring my gaze to Massimo’s, whose brows are furrowed as he watches me from across the table.
“Are you okay, Izzy?” he asks before glancing over his shoulder as if he knows something— or someone —rattled me in the bathroom and he’s seeking the source.
“Yeah, sorry, I guess I’m a little more hungry than I thought. Just feeling a little shaky is all.”
He gives me a small smile and says, “That’s not the reaction of a hungry woman.”
Ignoring that comment, I open the menu, hoping to change the topic, and say, “Did you decide what you want to eat?”
Looking over the entreés, I can’t seem to focus. A hand reaches over and presses down on my menu, grabbing my attention. I snap my gaze to Massimo, forgetting I had asked him a question and not knowing if he answered me or not.
His eyebrows are already drawn together, and he tilts his head, pinning me in place with his gaze. “Izzy, are you sure you’re okay?”
“I… I’m fine.”
Shit. Even I know that wasn’t convincing.
Massimo takes his hand off my menu, sits back, and narrows his gaze on mine. “Something happened in the bathroom.”
How does he know that?
“I just want to make sure you’re all right, because right now you’re acting like something rattled the hell out of you.”
“Yeah, I’m totally fine,” I state, but my voice, an octave higher than its normal tone, gives me away.
Massimo leans forward, setting his arms on the table to get closer. He lowers his voice as if he’s trying to keep what he’s about to say out of anyone else’s earshot. “Was someone in the bathroom that you didn’t expect to see?”
“How do you know that?” The question comes out before I can stop it.
Massimo raises his eyebrow as he sits back in his chair and sets his hands on his lap. “I’m assuming this has something to do with Niccolò?”
“So you do know about Nicco,” I say, raising my voice. “Was this all some kind of trick? Did Nicco ask you to get me out of the house so he could corner me?”
Massimo raises his hands in defense. “Niccolò Silvestri and I are not that close.” Dropping his hands back down, he says, “Anyone with eyes can see there’s something going on between the two of you.”
“How did you know I was just in the bathroom with him, then?” I ask, my tone accusatory.
“I wasn’t certain he was here, but I had a suspicion.”
I set my menu down and cross my arms over my chest, raising a brow at him. “Explain please.”
“I thought I saw him exit the kitchen and follow you down the hall toward the bathroom.”
Glancing over my shoulder, I find the kitchen door and hallway that leads to the bathroom to see if that’s something Massimo could see from here, and shit , it is. I turn back around and sink lower in my chair, wrapping my arms around my body tighter. “Crap,” I mutter.
Massimo chuckles softly. “So, are you going to tell me the history there?”
I slowly shift my gaze to his, and the edge of his mouth curves up into a small smile. “And don’t try to deny it. You didn’t see the way that man couldn’t take his eyes off you at the gala last month. And then when he interrupted our dance? He looked like a crazed fucking man in love.”
Uncrossing my arms, I place them in my lap and start twiddling my fingers. “It’s not like that, Massimo.”
“Then how is it like?”
“I-I don’t know,” I mutter, my shoulders falling forward.
Massimo’s quiet for a few moments while he studies me, only the quiet chatter of the patrons among us filling the air before he finally says, “I think you might, Izzy.”
Sitting back in his chair, Massimo picks his menu back up and gives me a knowing smile I’m not sure how to interpret. Or maybe I’m in denial and don’t want to acknowledge the interpretation.
“By the way, you’re welcome,” he says.
I crinkle my brows. “For what?”
“Rocco came over questioning where you went. I told him you were freshening up in the bathroom and made a joke about how long it takes you.”
“Hey!” I say, slightly offended.
Massimo laughs. “Did you want him to walk back there and see what was going on for himself?”
I let out a humorous scoff.
“Exactly,” Massimo says, as if he knows exactly what happened in the bathroom.
“Well, thank you, then,” I say. “The last thing I would’ve needed was for Rocco to try and break into the women’s bathroom. As if this date wasn’t already a disaster.”
“I don’t know”—Massimo shrugs—“I’m enjoying myself. Good wine. Good food. Good company.”
A smile breaks out on my face at how easygoing and charming Massimo is. You’d have no idea this man is next in line to take over the Bonetti family.
“Oh, and one more thing,” he says, pointing at the corner of his mouth, “you have a little lip gloss …”
My eyes widen, and I quickly grab the napkin off the table and dab it at the corner of my mouth. “Oh my gosh,” I mutter, which causes Massimo to laugh.
Bringing his attention back down to his menu, he says with a smirk, “Oh, yeah, there’s nothing going on between the two of you.”
I let out a giggle and shake my head as we get back to our date, which I’m beginning to realize isn’t very much of a date anymore. But while I enjoy my now platonic time with Massimo, one sentence continues to run through my mind.
It was all a lie.