37. Niccolò
37
NICCOLò
W hen Isabella texted me saying she wanted to meet up, I nearly dropped everything at that very second to meet her. We decided on her cousin’s boutique, knowing it’s the only place we could have privacy without causing suspicion.
I knock on the back door of the boutique, but before I’m able to pull my hand away, I nearly have to dive out of the way to avoid the door smacking me in the face. “Damn, Liana. Expecting me?”
A scoff leaves her lips as she narrows her gaze on mine. “I would think you’d be happy that I’m taking precautions and staying on top of this. But if you’d like, I can leave you here for Gianni or Tito to find you.”
Crossing the threshold, I give her a smirk. “Now now, Liana. There’s no need to bring your guards into any of this,” I say. “Wouldn’t want the poor guys to get hurt on the job if they try to keep me from seeing my girl.”
“Your girl?” Liana says while I follow her the back way to her office. She glances back at me from over her shoulder. “I didn’t realize you two were back together.”
“We’re not,” I say casually, “but we will be by the end of today.”
She releases another scoff, except this time humor lies right beneath its surface. “That’s quite the confidence you have there, Nicco.” She opens a door, letting me into the meticulously organized office of New York City’s newest fashion icon.
I remember when Liana was studying at CU. She was always passionate about the fashion industry, and Isabella and I knew she’d go far. But to see the product of her drive and determination to do something with her life other than to be what the women in our world are raised to be is impressive as all hell. She went against our social norms without batting a fucking eyelash, and it’s something she should be damn proud of.
“Isabella and I were always meant to be together, Liana. It was just a matter of time,” I say as I stand next to the ivory couch that looks way too damn clean to even sit on.
Liana crosses her arms over her chest and studies me for what seems like several long ass minutes before saying the last thing I thought would come out of her mouth. “I know.”
I raise a brow at her to which she mimicks. “What? You didn’t think I forgot how you two were in college, did you?”
I remain silent as I wait for her to continue.
Shaking her head, she lets out a small laugh. “C’mon, Nicco. Izzy was your world. Anyone that spent even a moment with you two could tell you had her up so high on a pedestal, there was no chance of any other woman knocking her off.”
She pauses for a moment, then continues. “I’ve seen the way you still look at her. Like while you were in my boutique a few weeks ago, causing a scene.”
I let out a low chuckle, stifling it as much as I can. I would feel bad for making a scene at Liana’s place of work, but there’s not much I wouldn’t do to speak to Isabella. Scratch that, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to speak to her.
Liana shakes her head, and a small smile breaks out on her face, and it feels damn good knowing she’s on my side when it comes to her cousin.
She glances down at her phone and reads something before bringing her attention back up to mine. “You know, I could never shake the feeling that you weren’t honest with Izzy back then, but you should’ve talked to her. You should’ve told her the truth.”
I’m about to interject, defending the actions I took, but Liana holds her hand up, stopping me. “But I’m still on your side because I know you did it for the right reason—to save her life—and for that, I can’t be upset with you.”
I let out a breath, relieved there’s one less person I have to defend myself to.
“But just know this, Niccolò Silvestri. You hurt her again, and you’ll have me to deal with, and I will end you. You got it?”
I can’t lie and say the threat coming from this five-foot-eight, one-hundred-and-thirty pound girl makes me want to chuckle, but Liana’s tone comes across unwavering, and I know when it comes down to it, I don’t want to be on her bad side. I like Liana, and I never plan on hurting Isabella ever again.
I hold my hands up to her in the universal sign of defeat and say, “I got it, Liana. I can’t promise you that me and Isabella will never get into arguments, but I can assure you, I will never hurt her the way I did three years ago. No matter what happens between she and I, at the end of the day, I will always love her and treat her the way she deserves to be treated—like the greatest damn treasure in life.”
“Damn, Nicco. You really are good with your words.”
A low chuckle reverberates in my chest. “You liked that?”
Liana laughs and shakes her head while walking toward her office door. “Izzy texted me that she’s here, so she should be?—”
The door swings open, revealing a wide-eyed Isabella on the other side, and it feels like the oxygen has been pulled from the room, and I’m left awaiting the fate of me and the love of my life.