From Tori loving on me like a mother hen to Angelo giving me that quick hug, it’s as if they’ve just decided they’re adopting me, which is a soothing balm to my crushed heart.
“No, we’ve watchedThe Lake Housea million times,” Tiny complains. “Pick something with action for a change.”
“Action, my left butt cheek,” Big Ricky grumbles while flipping through the selection of movies on Adriano’s massive TV. “How about My Best Friend’s Wedding?”
“Ugh.” Angelo groans. “Don’t torture us with that one.”
“Come on,” Big Ricky grumbles. “You’re killing me. What about The Notebook?”
“I will smother you in this bowl of popcorn if you put that on again,” Adriano suddenly says, and my head snaps in his direction.
He’s taken off his jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt. The sight of his tattoos and the veins running down his forearm makes butterflies erupt into flight inside me.
When he turns around and I see the gun tucked into the back of his pants, I don’t react the same as yesterday.
That’s when I realize I’m not scared of him anymore.
While he and Little Ricky cover the coffee table with snacks, I glance at everyone who’s here because of me.
Tori is sitting beside me, and Angelo is to her left, rubbing his thumb over the beautiful wedding band and engagement ring on her finger.
I glance down at my own hand, seeing the initials A & L in a perfect swirl across the gold wedding ring, then I take in the massive diamond that Adriano pushed onto my finger without so much as blinking an eye about the ginormous price tag.
The other jewelry. The expensive, but absolutely beautiful clothes and accessories.
The hugs and kisses, and undivided attention he’s given me.
The spicy moment we shared earlier. I had zero time to process everything Adriano made me feel, the sheer size of his erection, or how scorching hot he looked as he came down my throat.
But out of everything that’s happened since Adriano took my life by storm, what stood out most was how he came thundering through that bedroom door to get to me. How he grabbed hold of me, giving me a safe place to deal with the shock of losing Elise.
I’ve never had this. People rushing to my side to comfort me.
‘Most people have shitty lives.’
That’s what Austin said when I opened up to him about my parents.
‘Yeah, I’m still going to need that spreadsheet done.’
That was Heather’s response when a heavy jar fell on my big toe and the blood was pooling beneath the nail. God, it felt like the nail was slowly being torn off.
‘No, I can’t take off work.’
My mother’s response when the school called her because I was vomiting badly.
‘Something came up. We’ll make plans for another time.’
Dad, canceling on me for the umpteenth time.
‘Go keep yourself busy.’
‘I don’t have time for you right now.’
‘Handle it yourself.’
‘I don’t care.’
Squeezing into the space between me and the armrest, Adriano takes hold of me and tucks me close to his side while he gets comfortable.