“Don’t forget to pick up the stub later or Nino will have your butt,” I said with a smile.
Adamo nodded, no smile, nothing. Shadows spread out under his eyes as he walked over to the piano and sank down beside me on the bench. When he didn’t say anything I started playing again, trying to suppress my flood of questions wanting to burst out of me. Months had passed since his capture, and his body had healed and scarred. But he had become more closed off.
After the melody ended, silence descended on us until I couldn’t take it anymore. “You’re gone a lot.”
“I’m with C.J.”
I bit my lip. “At the Sugar Trap?”
“There and at her apartment.”
Adamo was fifteen. C.J. at least twenty-eight. “Are you together?” I asked, trying to keep the judgment from my voice so Adamo wouldn’t shut down again.
His eyes rose to mine, and an ironic smile tipped his lips up. I still remembered his honest, kind smiles from before. “We’re friends with benefits.”
I blinked, then nodded, unsure what to say to that. My protective side made me wonder what she got out of it. C.J. seemed nice but why would she hang out with a teenage boy for no reason?
Serafina came in with Greta and Nevio, then paused when she saw me with Adamo. He got up. “Hi, I need to leave anyway.” Without another word, he walked out, not taking the cigarette butt with him.
Frowning, I got up and picked it up and threw it in the bin beside my piano that was reserved for papers with my scribbles.
“He’s still suffering because of what happened?” Serafina asked.
I nodded. I’d noticed that Adamo often avoided Serafina’s presence. When he was around her. Adamo was nice but he made sure he was gone most of the time. “Do you want me to take Nevio?”
Serafina handed him to me and I smiled down at his grinning face. “I wanted to ask, if you want to come along when I go wedding dress shopping?” She was still unsure if we were friends. Maybe she thought I was only being nice because I felt obligated, and while that might have been true in the beginning I honestly liked Serafina, not just because she was a great mother, but also because she was nice and tough, and loved Remo.
“Yes, of course,” I said. “Would you mind if Leona came along?”
“I’d love for her to be there. I wasn’t sure if she’d want to though, because I don’t know her that well.”
“Not yet, but we’re all family so you will sooner or later. And I can’t wait to look for a dress for you. I’m so excited to plan this for you.”
Serafina laughed. “My last wedding took two years to plan and it never happened, and this time we have only months.”
“Are you worried it won’t be a big enough affair?”
Serafina shook her head, gently rocking Greta who was getting squirmy. “No, Remo and I don’t want anything big. Only a family wedding, nothing fancy.”
“That’s perfect. What’s the use of having hundreds of guests you hardly know?”
Serafina’s face lit up. “Right?”
I could hardly hold back asking her about what she wanted to do for her bridal shower. I stifled the impulse. This had to be a surprise.
Nino, Fabiano and Remo did eventually agree on us going dancing—of course, under certain conditions. The three of them would stay home and watch the twins while we had to take Savio, Adamo and Diego with us. And of course stay in contact through Savio in case anyone needed to intervene, which wouldn’t happen. It was already April and there was only one month until the wedding, so it was high time we finally got around to our hen party.
Serafina, Leona and I got ready together in Leona’s vanity while the men were over in the Falcone mansion. I had bought a tight mini-dress for the occasion that made my blood pound faster with nerves when I wore it, and matching red high heels.
Leona shook her head. “Men are going to trip over themselves for a dance with you.”
My eyes trailed over Leona in hot pants, a tight shirt and high heels, and Serafina in a glittery mini dress. “I think they’ll have a hard time choosing.”
We giggled and clinked glasses. We’d finished off a bottle of sparkling wine while getting ready and were already feeling a nice buzz.
Serafina downed the remaining wine and set the glass down with an audible clang. “Let’s head over and show our men why they’d better appreciate us.”
Leona grinned and I shook my head with a giggle.
“They’re going to decide that we’re not allowed to go out after all,” Leona said. “Fabiano is super-jealous. He won’t like this.”
“He’ll get over it,” Serafina said.
“Is Remo jealous?” I asked curiously.
Serafina shrugged. “He said he’d kill anyone who touched me, so I suppose he is.”