6. Isa
ISA
I woke up with a pounding headache that I would have given anything just to make go away.
The door to my room opened loudly, and with a groan, I pulled the covers over my head.
“Good morning, sleeping beauty,” Valentino screamed. Or perhaps he didn’t scream, but it sure felt like it.
“Go away,” I grumbled.
He laughed. “Come now. Is that any way to greet me after I worked myself over the stove this morning to make you breakfast?”
Nausea tickled my throat, and I held my breath to try to keep it at bay. I heard Valentino set something down on the bedside table. I peeked one eye open to see a glass of water and two white pills.
“Painkillers,” he said when he noticed me looking.
I gave him a small smile. “Thank you.”
He playfully tapped my forehead. “You’re welcome. Normally, I would let you sleep in, but I have things to do this morning, so I can’t stay long, and I don’t want you to spend all day in bed. It would only make you feel worse.”
That had been exactly what I wanted to do.
“I thought you would want to wash up and go home to get ready.”
“Get ready?” I asked. It wasn’t like my day was all that exciting. What would I be getting ready for?
“For Luna’s birthday party.”
My eyes widened, and I sat up on the bed. “That’s tonight?”
Valentino nodded. I had completely forgotten about that.
And while I wasn’t in the mood to socialize, Luna had always been nice to me.
Plus, I overheard Elio tell Valentino that the reason Massimo was making such a big deal about her birthday was that she didn’t have anyone do that for her when she was growing up.
He wanted to give her everything she had never gotten the chance to experience before.
My heart hurt for Luna for not having a better family.
I could relate to that. But I was luckier, I supposed. At least I had Valentino, who always protected me.
I nodded, and Valentino turned and walked out the door. I sat there for a moment, taking in the room before grabbing the glass of water and the pills, popping both in my mouth and taking a huge gulp of water.
Just another day. I just had to get through another day.
I grabbed a flute of champagne off the tray when the server came by.
Everyone who was in town was present, and even some of the ones who usually weren’t in Las Vegas had made the trip, all to get into Massimo’s good graces.
And Luna stood at the center of it all. She kept herself in her small circle, surrounded by Massimo and his siblings, while I stood in the far corner of the huge ballroom, people-watching and trying hard not to draw attention to myself.
I winced when I heard the unmistakable, clear sound of Dad laughing across the room.
He was also keeping himself inside his small circle of the traditionalist men.
During one of the rare instances when Massimo wasn’t by his wife’s side, I watched him make his way over to my dad and his friends.
While his face was impassive and emotionless, there was something about the way he walked that made me believe Massimo wasn’t approaching the traditionalist men to socialize but for something else. Elio was walking beside Massimo.
Massimo didn’t trust my father and his friends.
I didn’t blame him.
Even if I wasn’t in the life, I had heard talk of the traditionalists’ dissatisfaction with the way Massimo was running things. Something Dad was pretty vocal about when he was home.
The men quieted when Elio and Massimo approached. The masks were firmly in place as the men greeted each other.
I took a small sip of champagne as I watched the scene unfold. I doubted that anything exciting would happen tonight, considering this event was little more than a birthday party. Even still, it felt like all eyes were watching the interaction happen.
Movement from my side drew my attention away, and I turned to find Chiara standing next to me. Her sister and her friend were nowhere to be found. I didn’t bother smiling or put up any pretense. And she didn’t either.
“What do you want?” I asked.
“For you to leave Elio alone,” she said, getting straight to the point.
I let out a small laugh. “Is that why you approached me? To stake your claim on a man who’s not even yours in the first place.”
Her jaw clenched, obviously not liking that. “Yet.”
“Yet? Does Elio know that?”
She flipped her hair over her shoulder. “He will soon. Daddy will be putting in the request for my engagement with Elio to Massimo.”
“And you think Elio will just agree to marry you?”
I couldn’t even remember a time when Elio had spoken more than five full sentences with her.
While I didn’t like the idea of Chiara’s father trying to set up an engagement between her and Elio, I was comforted by the fact that Massimo would let Elio choose who he would marry.
Unlike the young women in this life, most of the men were offered choices.
“Why wouldn’t he?” Chiara asked.
I turned and looked at her fully, letting my eyes roam up and down her body before downing the rest of my drink.
Her skin flushed with anger as I smirked and walked away.
I should feel confident in my assertion that Elio wouldn’t give Chiara the time of day, but while I had put on a brave face, the truth was, I didn’t know.
It wasn’t like Elio and I had the kind of relationship where he would just tell me if he was interested in a girl.
And Chiara was beautiful. I placed the glass down on a server’s tray, then headed to the bathroom.
Thankfully, no one was in there with me, and I took the moment for myself, taking in my reflection in the mirror.
While I wouldn’t say I was normally a happy person, there was just something different about these past couple of months that had made me feel almost crippled with anxiety and sadness. It was like a dark and heavy feeling pressing down on me, with nowhere to escape.
The fact that an engagement proposal might be presented to Elio was something else entirely.
Even if I had tried so hard to get over my feelings for Elio, they were still very much around. I didn’t know how to get rid of them.
I took a few deep breaths before I left the bathroom, knowing Valentino would come looking for me if he didn’t see me soon.
I returned to the room filled with people and tried to pretend everything was fine.
I went back to my small corner to people-watch. Thankfully, Chiara wasn’t there.
My eyes found Massimo and Luna right away.
While Massimo still kept his mask on, I thought I saw a small glimmer in his eyes whenever he looked at his wife.
Luna, for her part, wasn’t as good at keeping her face from showing too much.
It was clear to anyone with eyes that she was completely and hopelessly in love with her husband.
I smiled a little as I watched them, even if I could feel a pang in my chest.
I wanted what they had. I wanted someone to be by my side and protect me. Valentino didn’t count. Not in that way. He had his own life to live, and it wasn’t like I could expect him to always be by my side.
Besides, I wanted that connection that went beyond any other relationship out there.
My eyes moved around on their own accord, looking for Elio, even as I told myself I shouldn’t. I really wished I hadn’t when I found him a few seconds later, standing next to… Chiara.
They were talking, with his head bent low so he could hear her. I wanted to look away. It almost felt like I was intruding on their moment. The pang in my heart grew until it was no longer a pang but an ache that was making it a little hard to breathe.
I rubbed at my chest, then turned and walked out of there, no longer wanting to see any more.
I made my way out to the small balcony just outside the ballroom, pulling up short when I noticed someone standing there already.
He turned to me. I didn’t recognize him, but I assumed he was a made man by the way he was carrying himself.
He was tall and attractive, with curly black hair, olive skin, and dark-brown eyes surrounded by thick, dark eyelashes.
He was… pretty. And he looked to be about my age, if not a few years older.
“Sorry, I didn’t know anyone was out here.”
I was about to walk away when he spoke. “Wait. You don’t have to leave. There’s no reason why we can’t share the space.”
I turned around and looked at him, and he offered me a charming smile.
I couldn’t help but smile back, slowly walking toward the railing.
The balcony faced a small garden at the back of the hotel.
With enough lighting, it was easy for me to see the well-designed landscape. I kept my distance from the man.
“My name is Nico, by the way.”
I glanced sideways at him. “Isa.”
“Isa,” he repeated. His voice was deep and dark, reminding me of those singers from back in the day. It was… nice. “A beautiful name for a beautiful girl.”
I smiled shyly at him. I couldn’t even remember the last time someone had called me beautiful and sounded like they meant it.
“Thank you.”
“So tell me, Isa. Who are you hiding from?”
“What makes you think I’m hiding from anyone?” I asked lightly.
“Because you’re out here with me.”
I shook my head. “I’m not hiding from anyone. Just needed some fresh air. Who are you hiding from?”
He grinned at me, the smile almost boyish. “My mom. She sees this opportunity as a chance to try to set me up.”
I let out a small laugh. “Are you scared of your mom?”
“Absolutely,” he said with a wink.
How charming.
“And you don’t want to be set up?”
“I don’t think I want the story of how my future wife and I met to be because my mom can’t help but meddle in it.”
“Fair enough,” I said.
“It’s not that romantic. But the story of us meeting on a hotel balcony…”