Chapter 2

Something sharp twisted in my chest.

I didn’t need to guess.

Lorenzo had bought that TMZ story himself.

He couldn’t just walk her out of that basement, so he was using the press to force me to nod yes.

I forced out one word.

“Fine.”

Bianca’s face lit up.

Her eyes flicked to Lorenzo.

Fast.

Loaded.

I pretended I didn’t see it.

Late that night, the mattress shifted beside me.

Lorenzo murmured, “I’ve got a few emails to answer.”

I kept my eyes shut.

The second his footsteps faded, I got up and followed him down the hall to the study.

The door was cracked open.

Bianca’s voice was low and full of laughter.

“I knew you’d come find me. Your body doesn’t lie, Don.”

“Shut up.”

“You always tell me to shut up, but you never stop, do you?”

I stood there and dug my nails into my palms until they bled.

I went back to bed and pulled the stuffed bear he gave me three years ago against my chest.

Back then, he had told me, “Hold this and the nightmares can’t touch you.”

I pressed my face into it.

My chest burned.

There was something broken in me now that I didn’t think would ever grow back.

That weekend, Lorenzo had some of his crew over for dinner.

His young lieutenants.

His up-and-comers.

Three rounds of whiskey in, somebody brought up the engagement party.

“Real talk — the boss’s woman marrying him? She hit the lottery. She was never in his league.”

My fork stopped halfway to my mouth.

Another one jumped in.

“Bianca went overboard, sure. But she wasn’t totally wrong, was she?”

They laughed.

Loud.

I turned and looked at Lorenzo.

The old Lorenzo would’ve slammed his glass down and thrown them out on the street.

Not tonight.

He leaned back in his chair, drunk-eyed, and waved a lazy hand.

“All right, all right. Cut it out.”

Light.

Casual.

I spoke up.

“Lorenzo. You’re really going to let them talk about me like that?”

He frowned.

His voice got irritated.

“They’re wasted. Their mouths are running. You gonna get into it with a bunch of kids?”

I opened my mouth.

Nothing came out.

Bianca walked over with a glass of wine.

“Ma’am, let me toast you. I owe you an apology. I was young and stupid, and I hurt you.”

She bent forward.

Her wrist tipped.

A full glass of red poured straight down the front of my white blouse.

“Oh no! I’m so sorry!”

The wine ran down my chest.

The white silk soaked through and stuck to my skin.

My bra was showing through, every line of it.

A couple of the guys snickered.

Elbowed each other.

The corner of Bianca’s mouth curled up.

I stood up and slapped her across the face with everything I had.

Crack.

The whole room went dead silent.

Lorenzo shot to his feet.

“Aria! What the hell are you doing?!”

He caught himself.

Cleared his throat and dialed it down.

“You don’t hit people. I don’t care what happened, you don’t put hands on someone.”

I stared straight at him.

“I’m drunk too.”

Bianca cupped her cheek.

Tears rolled.

Little hiccup-sobs.

“I know she’s angry with me. I don’t blame her…”

Every single one of them rushed to comfort her.

Nobody looked at me.

I turned and went upstairs.

Their voices followed me.

“Don’t cry, Bianca. Hitting people is never okay.”

“Get her some ice. Her cheek’s swelling.”

“She really is bad luck, that Aria. Ruining everyone’s night.”

I shut the bedroom door behind me.

I’d put every ounce of me into that slap.

My palm was still buzzing.

Another sleepless night.

My head pounded till sunrise.

At dawn, I slipped out to buy something for the pain.

I hadn’t taken ten steps past the front gate when a black SUV screeched up in front of me.

Someone threw a hood over my head and dragged me into the back.