Alessandro shrugged. “It's considered normal by our standards for a man to have women on the side.”
“What about the women?” I challenged, cocking one eyebrow.
Alessandro lost his smile as his expression turned grave. “What about them?”
I shrugged, mimicking his same movement from a second ago. “Are they allowed to cheat?”
His gaze hardened. “No, they’re expected to be loyal.”
“That’s unfair and very hypocritical,” I pointed out. I was punished for having a man touch my hair for a moment while he got to indulge in sex with other women without any consequences. Ridiculous.
He smirked as though he could read my mind. “What do you want me to say? I didn't make the rules, cara. It is what it is.”
“So, out of curiosity...” I didn't even know where I got the guts to ask him this. “How many times have you enjoyed the benefits of those rules during our marriage?”
“Are you asking me if I’ve been unfaithful?” he asked bluntly.
“I suppose I am.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “But it doesn't matter because you can't remember anyway.”
He gave me a long, hard look. “I haven't been unfaithful to you, Olivia.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Memory or no memory, one thing I know for certain is that I haven't been with another woman ever since I’ve laid my eyes on you, cara.”
“Why?” I couldn't help but ask.
His lips twisted into a mysterious smile. “Because every other woman fades in comparison to you.” Those mesmerizing dark eyes bored into mine. “In other words, you’ve completely ruined me, Olivia.”
I reddened, looked away and sipped on my juice like a little girl. For the love of God, Olivia.
“You act like you’re not used to receiving compliments from me,” he concluded, twisting his wine glass on the table without spilling a drop, and still keeping that heated gaze on me. “Have I been so tight with my tongue in the past?”
“We haven't really talked a lot,” I admitted.
“So, what did we do?'
I tucked a strand behind my ear and drew in a shaky breath. “Not much. You were often not around.”
“But surely I took you out?” His eyes were narrowed on my face.
Que in the lies, in three, two... “Yes. You did take me out.”
Forgetting the wine, he rested his elbows on the white, paisley tablecloth, with his hands clasped in front of his face. “Where?”
“We mostly went out to eat.” I tried sounding as casual as possible.
“Did we have a favorite restaurant?”
Alessandro was obviously set on giving me the third degree, and I was getting tired of it. “No, not really,” I retorted. “Like I’ve said, it didn't happen very often.”
“But I love this place. How come I never brought you here?” He seemed genuinely confused.
“I don't know,” I said, forcing a smile on my face. “That's something you should tell me, don't you think?”
He exhaled and leaned back into his chair, dropping the matter of the restaurant, but his questioning was far from being over. “Did we do some other fun things together?”
“Sometimes.” This lie was so obvious that he didn't even bother to ask anything about it.
“Where did we go for our honeymoon?”
“We didn't have a honeymoon,” I revealed.
A shadow of recognition crossed his face. “I was a negligent husband, wasn't I, cara?” he asked in a voice that sounded almost tortured.
“You were very busy,” I muttered quietly.
He shrugged. “That's just a nice way to say I was an inconsiderate bastard.”
I gave him a baffled look. There was no way I would confirm his words. I wasn't touching that one with a ten foot pole. The last time I called him a bastard, I ended up laying on the floor with a smarting cheek. He analyzed me almost as if he understood why I wasn't saying anything.
“Did you have any friends?” he inquired gently.
I shook my head, and Alessandro looked at me with near pity. It was too much for me to bear.
“What about your family?”
Tears formed in my eyes. I shook my head again.
“You must have been very lonely,” he acknowledged, as if reaching some kind of realization.
A splitting sensation of pain exploded in the center of my chest. “Sorry, I have to go to the bathroom,” I mumbled, and stormed away before he could say anything else.
I entered the toilet and leaned above the washbasin, dramatically inhaling and exhaling to control the trembles in my breathing. After taking a good ten minutes to regain my composure and force all those heavy emotions away, I reemerged