Page 109 of Matteo
I stared up at him, at the slight furrow in his brow, at the disappointment I could feel rolling off of him.
“Remember what I told you when we were kids?” I shook my head once. “I said that you’ll be the death of me. Funny thing is, I’m okay with that. I would rather be with you for one day and meet my death than live a thousand lifetimes without you.”
I wanted to cry. Scream. But instead, I said, “You’ll have to learn to live without me. Just as I—” My heart thundered in my chest as I was about to tell him another lie. “Just as I have learned to live without you.”
He shook his head with a tight expression. “No. You’ll be my wife, and I’ll be your husband forever.”
“Didn’t you hear what I said?” I shook my head frantically. “I can’t—won’tmarry you.”
He leaned in, the scent of his familiar cologne filling my lungs, causing me to shudder.
“Don’t,” I breathed, afraid I’d cave into him. “Don’t kiss me.”
“Scared you won’t be able to resist these feelings and attraction between us?” he said, moving his hand between us. “This fire between us will burn forever. In this life and the next.”
“It’s just lust.” Although it felt like so much more.
“You and I… We are strong alone, but together, we’re unstoppable. I won’t rest, I won’t stop until you’re my wife, Ari.”
Then he slipped off the balcony and into the night while I stared after him, fighting this doomed longing.
“Arianna, tell her.” Hannah’s voice pulled me from the memory, demanding my attention. My twin was pacing aroundrestlessly, wearing white shorts and a green T-shirt that had a leprechaun on it.
“Tell her what?”
“That I’m making a difference.”
My brows scrunched and Gianna sighed, then proceeded to explain. “She thinks painting her face and chasing men through the woods is balancing the scales or something.”
My younger sister wore a shirt in honor of my twin that hadFeck, Fuck… Love?screen-printed across the chest.
Maybe there was a point to her shirt. Love and lust were often confused, and that could be my problem. Matteo made me feel incredible when he fucked my brains out, but it didn’t necessarily mean he was the love of my life.
“Hello?” Gianna waved her hand in front of my face.
I gave my head a subtle shake and turned to look at my twin.
“What kind of difference are you hoping to make?”
“Kill every human trafficker we get our hands on, of course.”
I shot her a surprised look. “That’s why you joined them?”
“I want to help somehow.”
I sighed heavily. “Why didn’t you just call Aunt Áine or Uncle Cassio? She always needs help with her organization.”
“What happened wasn’t your fault, Hannah,” Gianna added, tilting her chin in that same way Mom would.
Guilt was such an endless, vicious circle, and it would seem we were all victims to it.
“No, it wasn’t.” I echoed my sister’s words, my throat thick.
“I blame myself.” She scratched at her hand, her voice raw. “For what happened to Gianna.” I touched her arm and stopped her scratching. “For what happened to you.”
“Me?”
“You almost burned alive,” Hannah croaked. “If Matteo hadn’t?—”
