Page 32 of Under Her Skin
Hero nodded her head from side to side. “Sort of. Kind of. Yes. Andno.”
Imelda looked at Fliss who shrugged, enjoying Imelda’s outrage. Imelda ground her teeth. “Hero Donati, are you married to Arturo Bachi ornot?”
“Well…yes. Except not legally. Yet. We had our own ceremony last night at our future home. You should see it, Melly, Fliss—it’s incredible. It used to be a hoteland…”
“Hero, stop. Slow down.” Imelda rubbed her temples. “Are you trying to tell me Arturo proposed, you said yes, and you fake-marriedhim?”
Hero sighed. “Yes, yes, and it wasn’t fake. It was real to us. As far as we’re concerned, we’re married, but we’re going to wait a while to make it official. So, we can, you know…get to know eachother.”
“Right on, girl.” Fliss look impressed, but Imelda shook herhead.
“You just go from one disaster to another, don’t you?” Imelda had clearly reached her limit. “I swear, you get more insane every day. Did you at least talk about some of the problems between you two? Or the fact that a psycho who has already killed once is now targeting you? Because of your relationship—sorry,marriageto Arturo Bachi? Do you think that’s all just going to magically go away because you got laid and gotsilly?”
“Wow.” Hero’s smile vanished. “Melly, do you think you’re talking to a three-year-old? Do you really think we didn’t talk about it all night? Between the fucking and the silliness, of course. Why do you think we’re waiting? Okay, so we’re going to call ourselves husband and wife, but we know the mountain we have to climb. I’ve climbed a few in my life already, you’ll recall. We know, Melly. But we’re not going to let it stop us from living ourlives.”
“You may think that your love can conquer all. I’m sure Flavia thought so too before some maniac put a knife in her gut repeatedly. There’s someone out there that wants to do the same to you, Hero. Did you forgetthat?”
“Of course, I didn’t fucking forget that!” Hero exploded now, sick of her sister’s patronizing. “It’s me he wants to kill! Do you think I’m not aware of it every waking second? I might be murdered at any time, and I have no idea why. It could happen today, tomorrow, in five years’ time. Am I supposed to put my life on hold until then? This is a good thing for me, Melly. Can’t you see that? I lovehim.”
Imelda stared at her for a long time before stalking from the room. Hero and Fliss stared at each other for a few moments, then they heard Imelda come back. She had her suitcase with her. She didn’t look atHero.
“Felicity, thank you again for letting me stay. You have been the most gracioushostess.”
Fliss nodded, her eyes wide, not wanting to get between the two sisters. Hero paled, looking at her sister. “Where are yougoing?”
“Back to the States. I’m clearly not neededhere.”
“Mel…”
But Imelda was gone. The apartment echoed with the silence. Fliss put her arm around Hero. “Sorry, honey. Look, I have to say, I’m friggin’delightedforyou.”
Hero smiled at her, tears swimming in her eyes. “Youare?”
“Hell, yes! I’m all about the romance. But then, I’m young and irresponsible. And it seems to me, Hero, after everything you’ve been through—you get to be young and irresponsible and live the dream. And Arturo Bachi…you get it, girl. Can I ask somethingpersonal?”
Fliss had such a mischievous look on her face that Hero had to nod. “Is he packing? I mean, he looks like he would behuge. Give a girl somedetails.”
Hero blushed, but laughed. “Arturo is very blessed in thatdepartment.”
“Length orgirth?”
“Fliss!” But Hero smirked. “Both.”
“Luckybitch.”
“Oh, I know. And the stamina of a twenty-year-old.”
Fliss groaned. “And the experience of a forty-year-old. Oh, damn you, Hero Donati, you hit the jackpot. And that face of his,too.”
“Yup. See this face?” Hero, cheered by Fliss’s banter, pointed at her smile. “Smug.”
“Smuggysmugginess.”
“You know it.” Hero looked at her watch. “Well, he’s coming to pick me up in a half-hour. Want to meet my husbandofficially?”
Arturo’s smilehadn’t left his face from the moment Hero said yes until now, when he told Peter. Peter sighed smiled and shook his head. “I might have known. You’re both so impetuous, you deserve each other. Congratulations, my friend. Did you settle everything else betweenyou?”
“The apartment is water under the bridge. I should never have been so obsessed with it in the first place. It’s just bricks andmortar.”
