Chapter 6
Francesca
“My wife said you two had a chat this morning. How did it go?” Nick swirled some linguini onto his fork.
And it was good linguine.
No.
It was great.
Eve showed me how she made hers from scratch. And it was definitely the best I'd ever tasted. Apparently, her husband only ate homemade noodles. She'd called him a noodle snob.
I couldn't blame him. These noodles were out of this world.
After Stefan and I had our—shower, I got dressed and quickly did my hair and makeup.
And when I hustled downstairs—Eve was already gathering all the ingredients for this dish.
I tried my best to be as friendly as I was before.
Even though it was practically killing me not to call her out for cheating with Carlo.
This was for the best. I knew it.
And if Eve and Carlo wanted to be dicks, then let them. Giselle would find out eventually. If not from me—then she'd likely walk in on them at some point. They hadn't exactly been discreet this morning, fucking each other in Stefan's office with the door open.
“We had a good chat.” Carlo gave Eve a smirk. “Didn't we?”
Eve rolled her eyes. Then she cut up some noodles for Theo. He was in a highchair in between her and Nick.
The toddler was busy gazing at Dani. When Dani finally looked at him and said, “Theo, eat like a good boy.” She peered over at me and gave me an exhausted sigh.
I put my arm around her and hugged her to my side. She'd insisted on sitting beside me. I think we'd bonded over cookies. And I liked that.
Sure enough, Theo stopped his whining and started eating.
“Nobody told me lunch was ready.” Giselle and her belly shuffled out onto the patio. Her pretty eyes were swollen. Probably from crying. And she looked exhausted, even though she'd just woken up.
“Come here.” Carlo handed the baby on his lap to Nick before he stood. He stuck his hand out for his fiancée. And she sighed and walked over to him.
Carlo grabbed Giselle's hand and pulled her into him. He held her and whispered in her ear. She nodded, and I heard a few sniffles from her.
The way Carlo was holding Giselle—and the way he swayed from side to side while he rubbed her back—
It warmed my heart.
Until I remembered how—only hours ago—he'd been down the hall fucking her best friend.
How long had they been cheating with each other?
My curiosity was getting the better of me. I needed to stop thinking about all of this.
For one thing—there wasn't anything I could—or would—do about what I'd witnessed.
And secondly—every time I replayed what I'd seen—I started getting aroused. And not just a little.
A lot.
And I knew that was all kinds of wrong. On so many levels.
Just like it was wrong to know how huge Carlo was.
Everywhere.
I wish I could somehow erase his huge cock from my mind.
Or how he looked when he was bent over Eve—fucking her brains out.
“Are you feeling okay?” Stefan touched my forehead with his hand. “You look a little flushed.”
Oh, my gosh. I needed help.
“I'm fine,” I said to Stefan's handsome, worried face. I had to stop thinking about Carlo's cock and how he'd used it on Eve.
“You sure?” Stefan frowned.
Carlo let Giselle go and guided her to the chair beside him. “Hopefully our kids didn't get you sick again,” Giselle said while Carlo helped her—and her huge belly—sit. “Nobody has anything. We even took them to the doctor before we got on the plane.”
I smiled at Giselle and shook my head. “I'm feeling fine. I promise. Stefan's just being—” I shrugged, unable to come up with a word to describe his behavior right now.
“Stefan?” she added in for me. She looked at him with teary eyes.
“That's just how he is. Always there to help. Always making sure you have what you need.” Tears started falling down her cheeks.
“Stefan's a good guy, Francesca.” She sniffled.
“The best. Better than either of these two idiots.” She pointed at Carlo and Nick.
Carlo's head fell back, and he looked up into the sky for something—probably strength.
Nick didn't look offended. Not at all. He chuckled to himself and smiled at Giselle. Then he looked at me. “Giselle's called me much worse. But she tells the truth.” He nodded his head at Stefan. “Your husband is the better man.” His gaze shot back to his friend. “And he knows it.”
Stefan let out a loud, irritated breath. “Should we all share a group hug now? Or can we eat?” He was being sarcastic, obviously. But I could tell how serious Nick was about his statement.
“Nick's right. So is my wife.” Carlo stared at me and nodded. “My brother has always been and always will be the best of us. No question there. Not at all.”
I swear Carlo's eyes got glassy, but I couldn't tell because he turned to help one of the babies.
Giselle looked at her fiancé with admiring eyes and touched his arm. When he turned to her—she started crying.
Oh, boy.
Poor, Giselle.
He kissed her and wiped away her tears.
And—
Gosh.
If I didn't know what I knew—I'd think Carlo was all kinds of nice.
But—I did know what I knew.
That he was having an affair with her best friend.
What a mess.
“Don't worry.” Dani put her hands up, one holding a fork with linguine hanging off the end. “Mommy just has a birus in her belly.”
Giselle stopped crying and looked at her daughter. “What?”
“A birus. Auntie Fran-schesh-ka tolded me. You have a birus. And the baby's a parasite. But you'll be just fine. She pwomised me.”
I laughed—like everyone did at the table. Then I gave Dani another hug and kissed the top of her head. “Those were some big words. I'm proud of you.”
Dani beamed up at me and went back to eating her noodles.
When I looked over at Giselle, she was both laughing—and—crying.
Oh, gosh.
Poor, poor, poor Giselle.
She mouthed a wobbly, “Thank you” to me as Carlo wrapped his arm around her.
Oh, Carlo.
What am I going to do about you?