Total pages in book: 161
Estimated words: 151410 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 757(@200wpm)___ 606(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 151410 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 757(@200wpm)___ 606(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
“I’m not the one married to a madman and far away from my family.”
Greta pulled back with a frown. The concern in her dark eyes didn’t sit well with me.
She released another quiet sigh, then leaned back. I started the car to take us farther away from her home and possible prying eyes. I could just imagine how Amo would react if he knew I was in New York.
The drive to the park didn’t take long. Greta was quiet in the meantime, which wasn’t overly unusual for her but she was watching me in a way that suggested her silence had a deeper meaning.
The moment I parked and turned to her, Greta shook her head. “I don’t think you should be here.”
“Because your husband doesn’t trust me in his city?” Amo and I still weren’t friends, certainly not family. We tolerated each other because of Greta, and even that only barely. Maybe he thought I was here to cause havoc in his city. Or maybe Greta hadn’t told him yet.
“Amo doesn’t know about this yet. He’s at work.”
“You could have messaged him the moment you found out I was in the city.” I wasn’t sure why I still thought it was clever to test Greta’s loyalties. She had married Amo and left Las Vegas, the answer was clear.
“This isn’t about Amo. It’s about Aurora. She doesn’t want to see you. She came to New York because of that.”
“Who says I’m here to see Aurora?”
Greta let out a small sigh and curled her legs under her body. “You hurt her, Nevio. Physically and emotionally.”
The disappointment in Greta’s eyes was a knife in my chest. “What did she tell you?”
I wasn’t sure I wanted to know how much Greta knew.
“We met at Aria’s and Luca’s house a couple of days ago, and she told me a few things, more than you did anyway. Still not everything I believe but enough to make me really worry about you. How could you lose control like that?”
“I’m a mess. I don’t know why you’re surprised,” I said with a twisted smile. My smile died down after a moment. “What am I supposed to do now?”
“I don’t know. I think Aurora is heartbroken, and unless you want to be with her, I don’t think there’s anything you can do. I’m not even sure that would be enough. Aurora is trying to get over you, and I think it might be for the best.”
“I never saw her like that. She’s like one of us boys, not someone I’d fuck.” She wasn’t even my type. She was too good, too kind, too everything I was not.
“But you did, Nevio, and you took her first without care or consideration.” Greta opened the door and got out and left me sitting in the car. Girls and their firsts, bullshit. I didn’t even realize it was Aurora.
I got out too and followed her into the park. My eyes scanned our surroundings for any threats, but I didn’t detect anything. Still I never fully relaxed. Being in a different territory always felt wrong.
Greta sat down on a bench and I sank down beside her. “How do you feel about what happened?”
Feelings. My favorite topic. In the past, Greta was as wary of emotions as I was, but Amo had to come and ruin it.
I rarely felt guilty unless it involved Greta or Mom, but now an uncomfortable sensation filled my chest. I didn’t want to hurt Aurora, even if I got off on hurting people. The right people, not my people. And Aurora was my people.
“You think she’s on her way to get over me?” I asked, mulling over my sister’s words from the car.
Greta turned her head to me, her eyes searching mine. “Not yet but soon.”
I pulled down her sunglasses perched on her head and covered her piercing gaze with them.
Greta didn’t comment but her lips tightened.
I shoved my hands into my pockets and looked out over New York’s skyline. I didn’t like the idea of Aurora getting over me. If that didn’t make me an asshole after everything that had happened, I didn’t know. “Then whatever she thought she felt for me can’t be that serious.”
“How would you know?” Greta asked curiously. “Have you ever been in love?”
I grimaced, and in the reflection of Greta’s glasses my face took on a grotesquely monstrous appearance, which was very fitting I supposed. I didn’t think Aurora was in love with me. She saw something in me and was attracted to the projection. “You know the answer.”
“I didn’t think I could fall in love before I met Amo.”
I stifled a snide comment about him. Every time Greta mentioned her feelings for Amo, her fucking husband, I wanted to scrub my body with a steel brush. “There’s a difference. I’ve known Aurora forever.”
“Not every love is love at first sight.”