Page 7 of Love Starves

Clenching my fist on the arm opposite of the one she clings to, I shrug. "Just a friend."

Her lips purse. "Mmm hmm. Seemed to me like there might've been a little spark there. You practically jumped all over her to get her attention."

She's right and I mentally slap my forehead. Of course, she'd notice something like that. My instincts had taken over when I caught sight of that fiery redhead at the top of the escalator. There was no way I could simply let her walk by without saying anything. I don't get to see her enough as it is.

Sometimes, my mind is so clouded with thoughts of her that I don't stop to think before I act. Now is no different, jumping on the defense with my sister. "I said she's just a friend, so that's what she is, Sofia. Men can have those too, you know?"

Snorting softly, she says, "Sure they can, big brother."

There's no chance in hell she believes me, but graciously allows the subject to drop as we make it to the upper-class pizza place connected to part of the mall. The hostess gives me not one, but two appreciative full body scans before asking for our names. Before a long-legged goddess walked into my life, I'd have taken the blonde in front of me in one of bathrooms hard enough to announce it to the whole damn restaurant. Those days are in the past now, though. I'm pretty picky in the sex department these days. All thanks to the woman I've been fucking in secret and allowing her to run the show.

Falling back, I let Sofia take the lead behind her as she leads us to a table in the back corner. My sister knows me well enough to take the seat with her back to the door, leaving me to the other across from her.

“Maman is worried about you, Gio,” she starts before the server has even made it to our table.

Not appreciating her bringing the subject up where others might overhear, I wait until we've given our little blonde server our drink order before I unclench my teeth fully to respond to her comment.

I'm not expecting her to beat me by speaking. "Okay, seriously? Who are you and what have you done with my brother?"

My brows drop as I narrow my gaze at her, asking, "What are you talking about, Sofe?"

She snorts softly. "That girl was all but throwing herself in your lap and you completely ignored her. Tell me again that the girl out there in the mall had nothing to do with it."

"The girl out there in the mall had nothing to do with it," I repeat.

"Smart ass," she clucks playfully. "I can't tell if you're purposely lying to me or if you're lying to yourself right now."

There’s no dropping subjects with my sister. If it comes down to it, she'll sniff out the truth like a goddamn bloodhound on a hunt. Either way, she's got me trapped between discussing Blythe or shit we shouldn't be speaking of period, let alone in the middle of a crowded-ass restaurant in the middle of the day. Stress of keeping secrets from my family weighs heavy on my shoulders, making me start to perspire a bit.

After placing our orders and making sure that no one is close enough to eavesdrop, I start with the safest topic to sate part of her curiosity. "Blythe is a friend...with benefits. Will it be something more? That I don't know, so it won't do any good for you to run back and tell Maman about her yet."

The ‘yet’ should've never been tacked onto the end of that statement, but it slipped out before I could catch it. A slight Sofia doesn't miss.

Her lips pull up in a knowing grin before responding, "Fine. I won't say anything, but only if you promise to bring her to a Sunday dinner once you guys figure out that you're madly in love with each other."

Propping my elbows on the table and clasping my hands together in a fist, I drop my face against it, letting out a groan of slight frustration. My watch slides down my wrist an inch, stopping at the bottom of my buttoned sleeve. When the Cartier catches the light, it glints right toward Sofia, drawing her gaze down to it. A disappointed expression has a frown pulling her face down until I feel like the biggest piece of shit ever. Between her and Maman, I know I've worried them sick working for my Uncle Vic back home. Now here I am down south working for his son when I promised them, I'd leave this business behind me. Truth be told, the promise still holds. I never broke it considering I'd never told them an exact date of when my service to my uncle would be done. I've still got at least six more months before he'll have to hold tohispromise and let me go.

Years ago, when my father had first told me that his brother worked for the mafia, I thought that was just the coolest shit ever. Even had that whole arrogant gangster attitude. Right up until my father got in real deep with a bookie and I got a firsthand seat to watch his so-called family turn on him. Uncle Vic paid off his debts with a warning to not let it happen again. Now that was one promise that would've never held any value. He was an addict and couldn't quit. Inevitably, shit got bad again. Only this time it was twice the money with an even more sinister guy. Debts were paid again in full, and that was when Uncle Vic decided Maman and her two kids were better off with the insurance money rather than the man our father had become. He'd made sure to set the example for me by forcing me to watch the execution of my own father. It'd worked. Never more had I wanted to be further away from that dark cesspit of a lifestyle. Unfortunately, my family still had a debt with Uncle Vic for all the money he’d forked out in return for us keeping our lives when the bookie's henchmen started banging down doors. Something neither Maman nor Sofia ever seemed to understand. I was the person left holding the torch to father's broken legacy to keep us all alive.

Resentment boils deep in my gut thinking about Uncle Vic and the past that's led me to where I am now. The only thing that keeps me going day-to-fucking-day is the knowledge that my sentence is almost over. That and a smart-mouthed redhead that I want wrapped around my cock twenty-four-seven.

Stiffening in my slacks is awkward as fuck in front of my sister, so I quickly divert my inner attention to anything other than Blythe. Giving Sofia some kind good news she can take home to Maman, I tell her, "I'll be looking for a new job soon."

It's the best I can give her without coming right out and saying shit that can be detrimental to my state of being if someone is listening. Apparently, it's good enough, because her small shoulders drop with a long-relieved sigh. From that point on, dinner runs smoothly as she regales stories from home, making a small part of my chest hurt. I miss my Maman and our life before Uncle Vic came into the picture. Nothing I've found here so far can even compete with her cooking either. As Sofia keeps talking, I sponge up every single word I can. At one point, she begs me to come back home for my new job, offering a room in her apartment if I didn't want to move back in with Maman. She knows as well as I do that it's a pointless gesture. Living there just isn't an option in my life anymore. Even if it wasn't for Uncle Vic and his influences, I could never leave my little crew of misfits or my girl down here without me.

Walking Sofia to her car after dinner, I wrap her up in a longer than normal hug, knowing it's going to be awhile before I see her again. "I wish things could've been different for us, Sofe. That I could just drop everything and come back with you."

She sniffles against my shirt, and I feel wetness starting to seep through. Her voice is cracked as she whispers, "I know. Just don't forget about us again. Maman needs to see you. Promise me that you'll come visit soon."

At the last, she lifts her teary eyes to me, and I'm just as helpless to not give her what she wants as I always am. "I promise, Sofe. The minute I get everything settled, I'll come to visit. I can already see Maman rolling out her big pots and fine china."

This makes her chuckle before she swipes at her cheeks and gives me a shorter hug. Watching her drive away, knowing it could be a while before I'll see my family again makes me sad as fuck again. There's only one cure for it, too.

Yanking my phone out of my pocket, I'm half-pissed, half-hurt I don't see any new messages from my girl. Figured she'd want to get together after meeting like that, or maybe that's just me and my secret obsession with her sexy ass.

Me:I have free time.

Less than fifteen seconds later, I get my reply.

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