At the thought of one more sin on my soul, I moaned, “I’m going to spend the next year at daily mass, aren’t I?”
With a rueful smile, Vittoria replied, “It can’t hurt. You certainly can’t risk going to confession.”
“I guess there’s some small mercies in all of this,” I teased.
Vittoria playfully popped my ass. “Don’t you joke about confession.”
When my door flew open, I shoved the hand with the bottle in it behind my back. Flicking her wrist at me, Mother said, “It’s time.”
“Before you go, let me check your ring,” Vittoria said.
While I knew not to question her, Mother huffed from the doorway. “Whatever for?”
“I cleaned it earlier, and I want to make sure there isn’t any leftover residue.”
“Fine.”
When I brought my hand from behind my back, I slipped the bottle back into Vittoria’s hand. Bending her head, she pretended to examine the ring. “I’ll put this in your makeup bag,” she whispered.
“Thanks,” I replied before leaving her to join Mother.
After following her downstairs, we headed out of one of the back doors onto the patio. I gasped at the sight before me. Our garden had been truly transformed. As you walked through the lighted floral archway, fire performers twirled batons and lit bullwhips giving a carnival theme. It didn’t hurt that there was a ferris wheel and carousel, which all the children and teenagers were riding.
After descending the marble stairs, you left the over-the-top element to enter classic elegance. Besides the tables with white linen table cloths, silver flatware, and crystal, folk dancers performed beside life-sized ice sculptures with a backdrop of shimmering fairy lights. Couples swayed to the music of a full band while others danced on an enormous black and white checkered makeshift dance floor.
While I remained silent at her side, Mother spoke to every guest. After slinging her arm through mine, she leaned over to hiss in my ear. “Put a fucking smile on your face, Andrea!”
Too defeated to defy her, I placed a smile on my face. By the time I made it through the crowd to the bridal party table, my face hurt. Rafe stood stoically in front of the groom’s chair.
As he held out the chair for me, Rafe said, “You look beautiful, Drea.”
“And you look even more heartbroken tonight than you did earlier,” I replied.
Rafe forced a smile to his face as he collapsed into his chair. “I’m sorry I let my mask slip. I’ll do better.”
“You don’t have to act for me.”
Taking my hand in his, Rafe brought it to his lips. “I seriously don’t deserve you.”
“We’ll get through this together,” I said genuinely.
A glass slammed down on the table next to Rafe. When I jerked my gaze up, Leo glared down at the sight of my hand in Rafe’s. “Aren’t you two cozy?” he remarked before jerking his chair out.
Although heat warmed my cheeks, Rafe only chuckled. “Sounds like I’m already doing a better job pretending.”
A nervous laugh trilled from my lips. “We’re both going to get an Oscar for pretending.” At the mention of pretending, I looked directly at Leo.
He caught my meaning because his body language relaxed. “Yeah, you two totally had me fooled.”
The waiters began serving dinner then. Although I didn’t have an appetite, I knew I needed to try to eat something for the baby. Guilt flooded me at how little I’d been thinking of it today. Maybe it was because it was so early, so I didn’t feel or look pregnant.
But I was.
And tomorrow night I was going to drug Rafe’s drink and pretend that we fucked. It would be the first of many lies I would tell him.
The waiter held out two plates to me. “Steak or salmon?”
Immediately, my mind went to the night Leo and I had cooked. As a glutton for punishment, my gaze tore across Rafe to stare at Leo. “I’ll have the salmon,” he replied as he caught my eye.