Page 30 of Flawed

She shakes her head and slides under the covers, muttering, "You're cagey, Luca. You tell me you want to be a better man, and I ask why. Then you slip around the truth. Maybe you're able to fool everyone you're involved with, but not me."

My heart almost stops. Am I so far gone from the role I play on a daily basis that this eighteen-year-old woman can see things others around me can't?

I need to fix this before I lose her forever.

I slide next to her and tug her into my arms, asserting, "I promise you, I'm not trying to fool you."

She turns so her face is in front of mine. "You're hiding things. I may not know about a lot of things, but I know a liar when I see one."

"What have I lied about?"

"You—" She snaps her mouth closed and looks away.

"I what?" I ask, turning her chin back toward me.

Her cheeks turn red. Flames ignite in her green eyes, but I also see a scared little girl inside them.

I soften my tone. "Stellina, what have I lied to you about?"

She scrunches her face and blinks hard, trying to stop the fresh tears. She finally chokes out, "Forget I said anything."

"No. I want to know what I said that makes you think I've lied to you," I demand.

She stays quiet.

Unable to let it go, I state, "You asked about my businesses, and I told you what I own. I never lied."

She squeezes her eyes shut, whispering, "Just stop."

Anger, confusion, and a desperate need to fix this fill me. I push, "Stop what?"

Her eyes fly open in a new wave of pissed-off rage. She hurls, "Fine. Tell me what you do all day."

My red flags rise. I once again wonder if she knows something about me that she shouldn't.

She can't.

It's impossible.

Is it?

I cautiously answer, "I work."

"Doing what, Luca?" she demands.

The tightness in my chest expands until I feel like I can't breathe. I answer, "Managing my businesses. Looking for other opportunities."

"With your family?"

I nod. "Sure. But sometimes, I invest on my own."

"And who's your family?" she spouts.

The hairs on my neck rise. I don't ever speak of the Marinos. No one knows I'm related to them. I curse myself for telling her how they're partners with me. I finally answer, "I grew up in Italy. My father's enemy killed him when I was seven. My mother couldn't deal with it. She committed suicide a few years later. I have a few cousins and an uncle over here. When I invest with partners, they're the ones I trust."

She gapes at me. Stifling silence fills the air between us. She finally whispers, "Is that true? About your parents?"

Emotions I haven't allowed myself to feel in a long time sweep over me. I clench my jaw and sniff hard, focusing on the ceiling. When I feel it's safe to speak, I grit out, "Do you think I'm a monster who would lie about something like that?"

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