Page 38 of The Lies We Tell

“And then some,” Matteo assured her.

Chapter Fifteen

Tessa studied the handwritten menu, careful to avoid the food stains, and tried to imagine Sienna eating at this restaurant willingly. She didn’t know the woman that well, but this hole-in-the-wall place across the street from a seedy motel didn’t exactly seem like Sienna’s usual scene.

“I know it doesn’t look like much, but if the rest of the food is as good as the tiramisu I had the last time I was here, we won’t regret it,” Sienna said from across the table.

The dingy blue tablecloths and chipping tile floors might leave a lot to be desired, but the view was beautiful. Beyond the abandoned patio, with its pergola strung with fairy lights, was a rocky beach leading down to the sea. Waves capped with white foam churned over the rocks and receded again and again.

With the right lighting and a couple glasses of wine, the whole place could be considered quaint, especially with the pulse of the waves just under the thrum of conversation. Besides, it was pretty busy during lunch on a weekday, and that seemed like a good sign that nothing she ate here would poison her.

Turning back to the menu, she was distracted by a flash of pale pink at the edge of her vision and glanced up to see Carina weaving through the tables. Tessa shifted in her seat, suddenly uncomfortable with the prospect of facing both of them down over a meal that had already been full of awkward silences.

Sienna followed Tessa’s gaze and gave her a sheepish smile. “I told Carina we were having lunch today, and she asked if she could join us. I hope that’s all right.”

“Of course.” As if she had any other option.

She plastered a smile on her face, but it felt too wide, fake, and she hoped neither of them noticed. She hadn’t spent much time in either woman’s company, but they made her nervous.

“This place is…interesting,” Carina said, slipping out of her wool coat and draping it over the back of the chair. “Did you spend so much time hiding in Berlin you forgot what good Italian food was?”

Tessa’s eyes widened at the jab, but Sienna threw her head back with a laugh. “I can only vouch for the tiramisu, but it made me curious enough to want to try the rest of their food.”

Carina swept a glance over the worn edges of the menu and raised a brow. “I guess we’ll see.” She looked over at Tessa and offered a small smile, even though her gaze was sharp. “Are you settling in at the villa okay?”

“I am. Thank you,” Tessa replied, taking a quick sip of wine to calm her nerves. “Everyone has been very…” She tried to find the right word.

Sienna snorted. “Don’t lie. The only one who hasn’t been an asshole is Matteo.”

“Seems very out of character for my brother.” Carina studied Tessa closely, ignoring the waiter when he set a decanter of wine on the table and scurried away again. “Why are you really here?”

“Jesus, Carina,” Sienna muttered. “Subtle much?”

“I wasn’t subtle with you when we had a similar lunch last month.” Her eyes never left Tessa’s as she spoke. “Subtlety is not in my nature. So?”

“My mother might be alive. And the only way to find out for sure was to leave Syracuse.”

The half-truth felt more and more like an outright lie each time she said it. This part was supposed to be easier. She wasn’t supposed to feel guilty for lying to these people. Lying to her father to escape his wrath or get what she wanted was second nature to her now. Lying to the Bianchis shouldn’t bother her nearly as much as it was beginning to.

For the last two nights, she’d allowed herself to fall asleep in Matteo’s bed. And for the last two nights, she’d burrowed closer to him when she woke in the dark instead of slipping out quietly and back to her own room.

It was a dangerous game she was playing, letting herself get this comfortable with him, with his family. But it’s the game she’d been forced to play. She had every right to make the most of it.

“Has Maeve had any luck?” Sienna wondered.

Tessa sighed. “If she has, I haven’t heard anything from Matteo.” Not that they spent much time talking. “I just…” She blinked back the sudden onslaught of tears, annoyed with herself for the display of emotion. “I feel so helpless.”

“I absolutely know that feeling,” Sienna assured her.

“I spent years wishing she’d come back, and after a while I just assumed she was dead. To find out she might not be but have no real way to look for her myself…” She blew out a deep breath. “It feels impossible.”

Sienna reached across the table and gave Tessa’s hand a squeeze as the waiter stepped up to take their order. When he left with their menus, she spotted a familiar figure seated two tables away.

Her father’s favorite hired man stared back at her, predatory gaze landing on hers with a grin. If her father was having her followed, that could mean only one thing. He was losing faith in her ability to help him get what he wanted. And if that happened, she was sure to be left collecting only bits of her mother.

“Are you okay?”

Carina’s voice dragged her back to the conversation, and Tessa nodded, forcing a smile.

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