7. Lucia
7
LUCIA
S unday dinner without Father is pretty much the same as usual, but without an angry drunk criticizing you when dessert is served. The food tastes sweeter without Father’s bitter commentary, and our conversations have a newfound ease without his constant judgment. Even Adalina, who avoided these dinners in the past, now shows up with a smile on her face.
She and Salvatore are thick as thieves. It has always puzzled me, as I’ve never seen eye to eye with Adalina. I don’t know if it’s our personalities or if she’s intentionally combative. Or perhaps it’s simply the natural result of two strong-willed individuals coming together. Either way, it’s impossible for us to find common ground.
“Hey.” Dante comes up beside me as we all stand around the kitchen with Mom. “How’s it going? How’s the classroom?”
I pull out my phone and show him the latest pictures. “It’s almost ready. I think I need a new desk, though,” I mumble as I swipe past the last photo.
“You need me to get you one?” He asks without a second thought. “If you tell me what you want, I’ll have a couple of guys go get it. We can have it in your classroom before school starts.”
His offer is tempting, but I don’t need a new desk. Not really. “There’s nothing wrong with my desk,” I sigh. “I’ll be fine for another few years. Besides, that’s the school’s job. That way, they can pass the desk on to the next teacher if I quit.”
“If you quit, I’ll just have the guys go back and get it on your way out. Easy peasy,” Dante shrugs.
Everything is easy when you have money. I could be wealthy and rolling in cash if I wanted to, but I don’t want to be involved with my family’s dirty dealings. Nor do I want to accept help and support from my future husband. Instead, I make do with a modest teacher’s salary, which covers my basic needs. But at least I can sleep at night knowing my integrity remains intact. “No, it’s fine,” I repeat. “There’s nothing fundamentally wrong with my desk. It just brings back bad memories.” Or good ones, depending on how you look at it.
Dante reluctantly tears his gaze away from his wife to meet my eyes. “What’s up, Lucia? What happened?”
A debate rages within me as I consider whether or not to tell Dante about Saverio’s threat and his unexpected appearance in my classroom a few nights ago. I can already anticipate Dante’s reaction—he’s not one for subtlety, and I fear he may lose his cool when confronted with the news. The thought of having to soothe his fiery temper is enough to make me hesitate before speaking up. “If I tell you, you have to be calm,” I warn him. “I can’t have you flying off the handle and making things worse.”
His scoff is loud and dismissive, sounding like a sharp exhale of air. “When have I ever made things worse?”
A subtle, pointed look passes between us—a silent conversation that speaks volumes. I can’t even count the number of times I’ve shared news with Dante, only to be forced to step back and watch the tumultuous aftermath of his anger ensue.
“Okay, fine,” he shakes his head. “I won’t freak out.”
I don’t know if I believe him, but I need to talk to someone. I could confide in my friends; they’d probably be excited to hear about me getting dicked down in my classroom. But they wouldn’t understand why it happened and why it can never happen again. I also can’t tell my twin, Luciano, because he’ll march over to Saverio’s house and kill him in his sleep. He doesn’t believe in the sanctity of the Family when it comes to me; he’ll break every rule and get himself killed if it means saving me.
“Earth to Lucia.” Dante waves his hand in front of my face to get my attention. “What’s up? What happened?”
A heavy sigh escapes my lips, accompanied by a shake of my head. Frustration bubbles up inside me, and I can’t help but admit, “Saverio showed up.” The name leaves a bitter taste in my mouth as memories flood back.
Dante’s face contorts with anger, flushing a deep shade of beet red. “He showed up in your classroom ?” He spits out, his tone laced with disbelief.
My shoulders slump forward, the weight of my confession heavy on my conscience. With a defeated nod, I recount the events that unfolded just a few nights ago. My brother’s eyes widen in shock as I reveal how Saverio had come by when I was alone, decorating my classroom for the new school year. “Then he threatened me,” I explain, skipping over the part where we had sex.
“He what ?” Dante glares, and his raised tone causes everyone in the kitchen to quiet and turn to look at us. With a weak smile, Dante grips my arm and guides me toward the living room, his steps quick and purposeful. “We’ll be right back,” he reassures the family.
“You’re causing a spectacle,” I hiss at him through clenched teeth. “Mom’s going to start interrogating us.” If Father were still alive, he would demand to know every detail of our conversation.
Dante releases me when we’re a safe distance away from our brothers. “Fuck mom’s questions. What the hell did Saverio threaten to do to you, Lucia? Because I swear to God, I’ll find him, and I’ll?—”
“ Stop , Dante,” I cut him off. I shouldn’t have told him what happened. He was the wrong person to confide in. “It’s not that serious. He wants me to have my birth control implant removed.”
Dante’s gaze lingers on my arm, his expression shifting with unease. The topic of birth control is unfamiliar to both him and Adalina. “For what? Are you two getting married and starting a family soon?”
I can sense the discomfort radiating off him as we broach the topic of my impending marriage. Dante’s eyes dart around nervously, and I can see his jaw tense as he struggles to keep his emotions under control. “It’s… complicated.” Why is that my constant refrain when it comes to Saverio Castiglione? Why is it always complicated?
“Well, un -complicate it, Lucia. You’re not getting that implant thing removed if you don’t want to.”
Based on his reaction, I don’t think it’ll help either of us to tell him what will happen if I disobey Saverio.
“I’m sorry he showed up at your classroom,” Dante says. “I know you’re supposed to marry that fucker, but I’m working on it.”
Nothing my brother does will change Saverio’s mind, but either he doesn’t know that, or he’s too stubborn to give up. “It’s okay, really. I’m getting used to the idea, I think.”
“But you shouldn’t have to.” Dante turns away from me, frustrated. “He’s only doing this to get back at me. He doesn’t love you; he just wants to hurt me.”
His words sting more than I expect them to. I know, to some degree, that he’s right. But I always hoped that somewhere beneath Saverio’s desire for revenge and desperate need to make my brother pay, he felt something for me. “Yeah,” I reply a few beats later, the word sounding hollow. “He just wants to hurt you.”
“Dinner ready!” Mom pokes her head into the living room. “You come have dinner, okay? Talk later.”
Dante nods his head, the lines on his face deepening with determination. He waits for Mom to retreat into the kitchen before turning to me, his gaze locking onto mine. “I’ll talk to him, Lucia,” he says in a low, confident voice. “I’ll make him see reason.”
There is no reasoning with Saverio, but if it makes Dante feel better to try, then good luck.