been trying for years to set those two up.”
“And Claudio has refused,” she says, pouting. She gives her son a dirty look. “Every time I try and get them together, it’s Claudio that says no.”
The jealousy in my stomach starts to settle.
“Because I am not interested,” he says plainly.
“But how can you not be?”
“Like this,” he says, and then shrugs as an example.
“No, no,” she says, shaking her hands, her bracelets jangling. “You told me once it’s because Vanni wouldn’t approve. But how would you know? How would he know? He’s never met Angelina.”
“I just know,” he says, voice taking on an edge. “And anyway, it doesn’t really matter. In the end, it is my decision. I don’t have any interest in her.”
“So you’re going to stay single forever?”
Oh, I don’t like this conversation and I don’t like where it’s going.
“Not forever,” he says carefully.
“You are too tied to your art,” she admonishes him with a wave of disappointment, leaning back in her chair. “No time for women. You will die alone.”
“Or perhaps no woman is stupid enough to go out with him,” his father says. “Who wants to come in third place? There is Vanni, there is art, and then there is this poor woman. She will always come in last.”
I bite my tongue. Hard. I don’t want them to know we’re together, especially now, but it’s really hard not to come to Claudio’s defense.
I glance at him. He’s furious, his eyes hard pinpricks as he stares at his father.
“First you say I don’t work hard enough,” Claudio says through gritted teeth. “Then you say I don’t have time for a woman. Which is it? I’ll tell you what it is. Could it be that, until now, I hadn’t found the right woman?”
Fuck.
“What do you mean, until now?” his mother asks.
He stiffens beside me.
Gives me an apologetic glance.
“Me and Grace are together. She is my girlfriend.”
Oh my god. My eyes go wide, my face in flames.
“She is?” his mother asks, looking at me. “Is this true?”
I swallow. Obviously I’m not going to deny it.
But oh my god, how could he tell them this when I specifically told him not to, when I don’t know what we are?!
“Of course it is true,” his father says gruffly, getting out of his seat. “Don’t be so naïve, Nina.”
“I am not naïve,” she protests. “I just … well, well.”
Claudio is watching me, his eyes boring into the side of my face, but I can’t look at him, not right now. Not when he told them that.
We get up and leave the restaurant.
Cram into the back of the car.
As we drive back, Claudio keeps reaching for my hand but…
I keep mine in my lap.
I’m so angry that he outed us.
That this relationship is out in the open and it’s no longer in my control.
I had wanted to take things slow, and suddenly we’re official? He’s announced to his parents that we are boyfriend and girlfriend? What’s next? Jana knowing? Vanni?
You know they’re going to find out eventually. You should at least prepare for that moment now. It’s going to get bleak.
I sigh, the thoughts dwelling on me heavily, my anger coursing through me. I know I shouldn’t be this upset over it and that I’m overreacting, but I can’t help it.
When we get back to the house, Claudio and his parents go out onto the balcony to have some more drinks, but all I want to do is either yell at him (and there’s no good place to do that), or just go to bed angry.
And as unhealthy and moody as it is, I decide on the latter.
Nineteen
Claudio
She won’t even look at me.
I started this morning trying to pull that same shit with her. You know, you are mad at me, so I will be mad at you. I can usually play that game very well, my temper getting the best of me.
But it was impossible. How can I not look at her? She is my muse, my everything. My eyes are drawn to her everywhere she goes, as if they have a will of their own, wanting to drink in her beauty, like a man dying of thirst.
Even when I’m mad at her, I’m utterly captivated.
But the thing is, I’m not mad at her anymore. I’m just hurt. Hurt that she decided to clam up and ignore me. I know I shouldn’t have said anything about us being together, I know it’s opened up a proverbial can of worms. I know this is