Chapter 10
Why had I agreed to Pietra’s madness again?
I finished applying my lipstick. I slid my fingers through my hair, cascading all the way to my waist, and braced my palms on the pale marble sink.
Oh, right. I remembered.
P had threatened to drag me out of the mansion—by the hair—if I didn’t agree to go to a club with her and J. At the time, I’d thought, why not?
And now, all I could think was, why?
I let out a sulky sigh and let my shoulders drop. I couldn’t complain about my body. Even though I’d put on a few pounds, most of it had settled in my six-months-and-one-week belly. The short wrap dress had been chosen by the girls, and it fit me like a glove.
I looked beautiful, but I didn’t feel it.
For an hour or two, we’d have a girls-only party, and then Nathan and Eric would meet us there, since the only one with a bedtime was me.
“Are you ready?” P asked behind me, and I tried not to groan in discouragement, but judging by her grimace, I didn’t quite manage it.
“Almost. Help me with the zipper, please.”
Pietra moved behind me. “Shake off that gloom, babe! Tonight we’re going to have fun like the old days… Or almost.”
“Sure,” I said, turning around.
“You look hot as hell! Who knows, maybe tonight’s the night you find some hottie to call your own and clear the cobwebs from the lips up top and down below, huh?”
“Fuck off.”
I went back into the bedroom to put on my sandals.
P followed me and planted herself in front of me, hands on her hips.
“Babe, being pregnant doesn’t mean you can’t fuck. You’re pregnant, not dead. Sex during pregnancy is very healthy.”
I grabbed my purse, ignoring her bullshit. “Let’s go before I change my mind.”
We met J at the club entrance, then were shown to a VIP booth with a prime view of the dance floor. A waitress took our orders, and within minutes, the drinks were set on the table. The place wasn’t at full capacity yet, but soon enough, it would turn into a madhouse.
I had no idea how much I’d missed this until I was here again.
So I let the atmosphere pull me in.
I sipped my nonalcoholic drink while I watched people, my foot tapping to the pulsing beat of the music.
The club in question belonged to a friend of Nathan’s and the idiot’s.
Yeah. Our relationship hadn’t improved at all.
Now we were like two strangers crossing the same space who, because of some trap of fate, shared one single bond tying us together: parents of a child.
“I didn’t come here to sit around,” J complained. “I want to dance.”
Pietra knocked back her shot and stood.
“I want to shake my bones, too. Ella?”
“I’m coming,” I answered, taking another sip of my drink before following them near the railing beside our reserved area.
The frantic beat wrapped around me, and I danced without caring about a thing.
The girls got hit on. And me, well, a belly like mine commanded respect, although one or two brave souls did try their luck.
I had fun for a while, dancing and laughing with the girls, and when I got tired, I sat on the purple half-moon sofa.
I ordered another drink, and then the girls joined me.
Everything was fine until I checked the room again.
The place was more crowded now, and when I looked toward the stairs leading up to the VIP area, my eyes decided to betray me. Or…
“Pietra, I can’t believe you did this!” I snapped, grabbing her arm the second she stood up.
“Did what?”
Thor and some random girl clinging to his arm were heading straight for us. Rage exploded inside me.
I shot daggers at Pietra. “You know damn well what! Inviting your brother here. Now I understand why you harassed me so much to come.”
Pietra looked over my head and even had the nerve to seem surprised. “Babe, if I’d set anything up, do you really think I’d let him come with some woman?”
Va bene. She had a point.
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
“He and the bitch broke up?”
“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “I’m going to dance on the floor.”
Desperation grabbed my heart.
“Don’t do this, Pietra!”
J stood, too. “I’m going with you, P.”
“You can’t leave me alone.”
“You can come with us,” P shot back.
I glanced at the dance floor, packed with people, most of them already drunk or almost there. I couldn’t go in there without being crushed from every side.
“I can’t go in there with this belly!”
“Then I guess you’ll be keeping them company.”
I stared at her with my mouth hanging open, and she let out a little laugh.
That devil was my best friend!
She’d set this up. That bitch, she…
“Pietra, don’t you dare,” I growled through clenched teeth when I realized they were moving away. “Both of you get back here right now! Pie…”
“Hello.”
Shit.
I filled my lungs with air, freezing a polite smile onto my face.
“Hello,” I said.
I looked away from the washed-out blonde, deliberately avoiding the son of a bitch. I grabbed my glass and took a generous sip. With every second, I grew more nervous and more furious.
Oh, I was going to destroy those two bitches!
“Since this jerk won’t introduce us, I’ll do it myself,” the female voice reeled me in from my vicious thoughts. A bony hand was extended toward me, paired with a Miss Sweetness smile. “Sophie Hunter.”
Pretending, I accepted her hand. “Antonella Vicenti.”
“Don’t tell me you’re the…”
“Yes.”
“You’re prettier than I imagined. But then, that’s no surprise.
Thor always did have good taste in women.
” She glanced at him, a look full of hidden meaning, and gave a little laugh that made me boil.
“Thor, man, you’re something else! She’s very pretty, and young too, huh?
I thought you liked… anyway, never mind.
” She gave me her attention again. “Congratulations on the baby, Antonella.”
I shot to my feet.
“I’m going to the restroom. Excuse me.”
“I’ll go with you. I need to touch up my makeup.” Sophie stood. “Don’t go anywhere, handsome. We’ll be right back.” She winked.
I held back the urge to snort and slap her across the face—and him too, while I was at it.
I stalked to the restroom with Miss Sweetness on my heels.
I’d intended to call that cow of a friend, curse her to death, and then force her to come to me.
But how was I supposed to do that when the personification of kindness wouldn’t stop chattering beside me?
And besides, I didn’t want her hearing the conversation I planned to have with Pietra.
When we returned, I sat as far away from them as the space between the couches allowed, while the washed-out blonde was practically in the asshole’s lap.
By some careless slip, my gaze crossed his, and I couldn’t stop the memory of our first meeting. If back then I’d had any idea I would love him one day, if I’d had even the slightest notion of everything that would happen between us…
I looked away and avoided looking at him again. Though he himself made no effort to disguise his scrutiny, driving me nearly insane.
I slipped my hand into my purse and took out my phone.
I waited, waited, waited.
I stared at the screen, and not one damn reply. Nothing.
I called. It rang once. Twice. Three times. Six times. Voicemail.
I called again. Nothing.
Cursing her in my head and getting more pissed off by the second, I sent another message while trying to cage my irritation and failing miserably.
Focused on finding the bitch, I forgot about the two idiots chatting animatedly in front of me until the washed-out blonde’s voice caught my attention. And, if possible, I went even crazier when I caught her standing in front of him, acting all intimate.
“Sweetheart, you can’t bring me to a club and not offer me even one little dance. Come on, let’s go, man! It’s just one dance! I promise I won’t bite, though I might reconsider, huh?” She looked at me. “Do you mind?”
Yes! Get your hands off him before I bite you.
“No.”
He let the washed-out blonde lead him away, and I stayed there like an idiot. Stewing in my jealousy and burning rage. I tried to focus on searching for my backstabbing friends, although every now and then my rebellious eyes drifted to the two sons of bitches dancing.
I exhaled hard, returning to my task.
I tried Josie, too. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
From where I was, I let my murderous gaze sweep below, searching the crowd in vain. Even though the place wasn’t packed, the low light didn’t help.
“Is something wrong?”
I lifted my eyes to Heithor, barely able to hide my surprise that he had spoken to me—and that they had already come back from all that grinding.
“I can’t see Pietra or Josie. They’re not answering their phones either.”
“Pietra is your sister, right? That brunette we saw leaving here with the other girl, the little blonde?” Sophie asked, and he nodded. “She’s gorgeous.”
Heithor looked at me. “Want to try from mine?”
I didn’t stand on ceremony and called both bitches. Nothing.
Furious, I handed him back his phone.
“Nothing?” he asked.
“No.”
“They probably can’t hear their phones ringing with all this noise,” the washed-out blonde shouted over the loud music after throwing back a shot. “Relax. They’ll show up soon. Your friends wouldn’t leave without you, right?”
“No,” I answered, uncertain.
“Do you want me to go look for them?”
“Please.”
Once Heithor left, the little thing turned to me.
“So, Antonella, when are you due?”
“January.”
“Wow, that’s so soon. Have you picked a name?”
“No.”
“Have you decided how you’re going to give birth?”
“No.”
There was a pleasant silence, until she decided to continue the interview.
“So, are you Italian or Italian American like Thor?” I looked at her. I must have seemed confused, because she added, “You have that accent. It’s soft. But it’s there. I’d guess Tuscan. Am I right?”
“Yes.”
“So?”
“Italian American.”
More silence.
“Have you and Thor known each other long?”
I didn’t answer.
“You’re not much of a talker,” she said after a long while and gave a little laugh. “Or I’m terrible company.”
“Not interrogating strangers is a good tactic.”
Thor approached before she could answer and sat down beside her.
“They’re not here.”