Page 72 of Say It Isn't So

“What would you do if you were me?” I asked, knowing she’d answer honestly. My sisters and I never candy-coated things with one another. We said it like it was and I loved that about us.

She gave up trying to look ahead at the stage and looked me in the eyes instead. “I’d take it one step at a time. See where things can go with Knox before you get ahead of yourself and tell Dad anything. You’re going to be in Paris for a week. What Dad doesn’t know won’t hurt him. If there’s something to report when you get back, tell him. Until then, you and Knox owe this to yourselves.”

I swallowed, shaking off this feeling of gloom. “You’re right,” I decided, feeling good about things again. “That’s what I’m going to do. That’s whatwe’regoing to do,” I corrected, including Knox in it. “The best thing for the both of us right now is to forget about the extenuating circumstances.”

“In other words, Dad and Rina,” Allie stated the obvious.

“Exactly. In Paris, they don’t exist.”

Unfortunately, though, in Milan they did. Maria took the seat next to me, tapping my arm. I followed her finger with my eyes as she pointed to the door. “Look who’s here.”

I sat up taller, trying not to let Rina get to me. If we were going to treat her like a bad rash, then I was going to ignore her, because the more attention you gave it, the itchier it got, right?

“It looks like she brought someone,” Allie whispered, noting the tall, dark and handsome man whose arm she was on.

“He looks Italian,” Maria told us.

Italian or not, that man was nothing more than a pretty face. Not literally, I couldn’t attest to that. Maybe he was smart, too, I had no idea, but I knew this: none of that other stuff was why Rina had brought him here. No, Mr. Italian Cover Shoot Model had one job, and it wasn’t to give Rina the best orgasm of her life, that much I could tell you. Although, he might have been doing that, too, but that was neither here nor there. “She’s playing a game. That’s all this is.”

“What do you mean?” Allie asked.

I smacked my lips together, unbelieving Rina would be so childish. “It’s the oldest trick in the book. Make the boy you want jealous by having another one on your arm.”

Maria turned her head to me fully now. “What books are you reading?”

Allie and I both laughed.

I wished Rina had finally woken up and realized that Knox deserved to be given a chance at a future with a woman who didn’t stomp all over his heart and then vacuum up the mess. But that didn’t seem to be happening any time soon.

* * *

Rina

I scanned the room as soon as I entered and noticed that Bianca and Knox were not, in fact, sitting next to one another.

Oooh, maybe there was trouble in paradise.

I’d known those two wouldn’t become anything. Not anything serious anyway.

Hello, Knox and I had history. Sure, I’d broken up with him, but ever heard of water under the bridge? Knox didn’t believe in making people pay for their past sins. He’d always believed everyone got theirs in due time without him having to lift a finger. He was such a good guy, wasn’t he? Anyway, that was why I knew that Knox was going to look past all of that. We could be a couple again and that stupid hiccup of me breaking up with him would be nothing more than a minor blip on the road to our epic love.

And with our social statuses (well, mine at least), media everywhere would be clamoring at the chance for an exclusive of our wedding. I could see it in the headlines now. I’d wear one of my own creations and it would be a two-in-one gown. No, scratch that—a three-in-one. If anyone could pull it off, I could. Everyone would be staring at me as I walked down the aisle, looking like a radiant bride. And Knox would be crying, of course, because of my astonishing beauty that took his breath away.

“I’m going to go find us seats,” Anthony whispered in my ear, causing a little shiver to run up my spine in delight at his lips being so close to me. His Italian accent was thick and if I wasn’t vying for Knox’s heart, let’s just say I would’ve been all over Anthony.

But focus brain!I was vying for Knox’s heart and a different Italian was really getting on my last nerve trying to steal my man. I mean, I’d found him first. He was born and bred in Minnesota. I plucked him from the rat hole that place was and had basically delivered him on a silver platter to Bianca. That rich, high-class woman wouldn’t have ever met Knox if it weren’t for me. God knew she was never going to Minnesota such that she would have met him.So, you’re quite welcome, Bianca Morelli, for introducing you to the greatest man you’ll ever meet.

I looked over at Anthony and winked. “Make sure they’re good ones, ‘kay?”

He nodded and walked in one direction while I went in the other to see who I was here for in the first place—Knox.

* * *

Knox

Before the show started, I contemplated shooting a text to Bianca, but then thought better of it. Everything I’d started typing sounded lame. So I put my phone back in my jacket pocket and looked ahead, waiting for the show to begin.

“Knox.” The purring sound that followed my name meant only one thing. I turned around and got confirmation that Rina was here. Because I was sitting in the last seat of the row, she stood next to me, smiling. Really smiling. Not in a phony way like I’d seen from her recently.

---