Page 36 of Married Into Love

ChapterThirteen

Alessia

“Ican’t believeI let him go by himself to a freaking bookie to pay offourmom’sdebt.”

I paced back and forth in Alec’s hotel room, my arms wrapped aroundmybody.

“Sit down and have a drink,” Ariana suggested, picking up the bottle of wine she’d brought with her when she’d stopped by to waitwithme.

I glared at her and shook my head before pivoting on one foot and stomping in the otherdirection.

“C’mon, Alessia. It’s not like your white knight was going to let you go with him. He’s way too protective of you to let you put yourself in anydanger.”

“Danger!” I parroted, turning around to stalk back towards her. “Exactly! He’s not out there buying us Girl Scout cookies for heaven’s sake. He should have at least taken someone with him. If only his brother or friends were still here, he wouldn’t be out there handling this alone. I told him to ask his hockey friend, Greg, but he wouldn’t hear of it. Said he didn’t know the guy well enough to pull him into a situation like this and he was better off onhisown.”

“You do realize you’re ranting,right?”

“Of course I’m ranting! What if he gets hurt? Or caught up in an illegal gambling sting? Or the paparazzi snaps his picture and accuses him of having a gambling addiction, which I’m sure would not be a good thing to happen to a professional athlete? Or—” I paused while I tried to come up with another worst-casescenario.

“Have you run out of bad things that could happentoAlec?”

“No!” I stompedmyfoot.

My sister lifted one eyebrow and gave me her bestunimpressedlook.

“Maybe,” I sighed, dropping down onto the chair next to her and stealing her glass of wine right out of her hand. I chugged it down and handed it backtoher.

“Have you figured out why you’re so worried abouthimyet?”

“There isn’t much to figure out.” I shrugged and sank farther into my seat, kicking my legs up and stretching them out until my feet were on the chair across from me. “If anything happens to him, it’ll be my fault because he’s only there becauseofme.”

“I get why you’d feel guilty, but that’s not what Iaskedyou.”

“I’m confused. What was the questionagain?”

She bumped her shoulder against mine. “You’ve only known Alec for a week, but you’re acting like it would be the end of your world if something happens to himtonight.Why?”

“Because—” The answer that popped into my head was too crazy to sayoutloud.

“Because?”

I knew my sister. She wasn’t going to let this go. She was going to push and push until I finally caved in and told her what I was thinking. So I decided I’d might as well share my insanity with her because maybe that would shutherup.

“Because even though it’s only been a week, I think I’m in lovewithhim.”

“It’s about damn time you admitted it!” shecrowed.

“Wait. What?” I sputtered. “That’s not how you were supposed to react. This is where you tell me all the reasons why I couldn’t possibly be in love with a guy I only met a week ago. It’s your big sister duty to set mestraight.”

“No can do, little sis.” She poured the rest of the wine into two glasses and handed one to me. “But I’ll make a toast if you’d like. It seems only fair since I didn’t do one at your wedding, even though I was your maid ofhonor.”

“I can’t even with you,” Isighed.

“Nice try, but admit it. You wouldn’t know what to do without me.” I choked on my sip of wine, and she pounded on my back until I could breathe again. “That was one hell of a reaction to what was supposed to be a joke. You got something you want totellme?”

“Yeah, I guessIdo.”

Ariana set her glass on the table and shifted in her seat to face me. “What’sup?”

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