“The girls I’m with know what to do with my cock. They don’t need a lollipop to remind them, and if they’re brain-dead, I’ll give them pointers.”
“But you need a bull to remind yourself to be an animal in bed, or what?” Remo lowered himself into the pool as well. Leona and Serafina had noticed my red eyes, but I gave them a bright smile, not wanting them to worry.
“Don’t worry. I don’t need reminding,” Savio said. His phone beeped and he took it from the small table beside his sunchair.
When I took over from Leona pushing Greta’s floaty around, Remo joined me.
“He didn’t want to come out?” I asked.
“He’s moody. Withdrawal is a shitty thing.”
Leona perked up. “If you need me to talk to him, I will. I’ve gone through so much with my mother, so I get it.”
Remo’s eyes darted to her. She flushed but held his gaze for once. “Why not?” he said eventually. “Tell him a few horror stories, I’m sure you’ve had plenty.”
“Yeah, definitely.”
Greta beamed at Remo. “Dad,” she said in that cute, high voice. Remo took her out of the floaty and she smiled. “Want to be close to me, hmm?” He pressed her to his chest and waded through the water. She looked much more content than in the floaty. Nevio on the other hand was kicking up a storm with his tiny feet and squeezing the life out of the unicorn’s neck.
Serafina pushed him back and forth with a grin. I swam over to her and Nevio as he gurgled with delight. I tipped my wet finger against his nose, causing him to screech with laughter. Leona sat on the edge of the pool, looking relaxed, maybe for the first time without Fabiano being around.
“With those lungs the kid could be the lead singer of Nine Inch Nails,” Savio said as he walked over to the edge of the pool, dragging his flamingo float after him.
“That thing stays out of the pool,” Serafina said.
Savio thrust the float into the pool. “Make me.” He dove in, emerged from the water and hoisted himself on top of the pink atrocity. With his legs straddling the long neck of the flamingo, he stretched out and sighed.
“I feel the irresistible urge to use one of Remo’s knives to give that flamingo a cruel end,” Serafina whispered in my ear. I stifled laughter. Savio threw us a suspicious look as Serafina made an innocent face.
We spent the next couple of hours at the pool and I felt much better after. When I returned into the bedroom after dinner that night, and curled up alone in our bed, the disappointment caught up with me once more.
I missed Nino horribly right then. I had half-fallen asleep when my phone beeped. It was close to midnight and when I checked the message I smiled despite my burning eyes.
Good night, Kiara. I’ll be back soon. I love you.
Nino wasn’t big on messages, especially not to convey his feelings. It was the first time he’d sent me a text saying he loved me. I quickly replied.
I love you too and I wish I could fall asleep in your arms.
I wasn’t sure why Nino had sent me those words, or if maybe someone had mentioned my teary breakdown, and it didn’t matter. I was just glad for the gesture, knowing he was focused on something else at the moment, something that required him to shut down all his emotions.
Holding the phone in my hand, I closed my eyes again.
CHAPTER 20
KIARA
The next evening, I was baking banana bread when Nino entered the kitchen. My stomach burst with relief seeing him, then my mood fell realizing I’d have to tell him that it hadn’t worked again. Nino came straight toward me and hugged me from behind, kissing my cheek and when I twisted my head around, my lips.
“It’ll work out. We’ve got time.”
“How do you know?” I doubted Remo had run off to tell him the second Nino stepped into the mansion.
“Your expression, and I know it’s around the time of your cycle, and you usually do the test.”
I sighed. “It’s impossible to keep secrets from you.”
“You don’t need to.”
“Are you mad?”
Nino frowned. “Why would I be mad? Like I said, we have time. Eventually we’ll have a baby. And it’s not like either of us is to blame. This isn’t something we can affect.”
I pressed my face into his shirt, soaking in his comforting scent. “I’m mad. I’m so mad.”
Nino stilled. “At who?”
“Not at anyone, never at you, not even really at me. I’m just so damn angry and it doesn’t even make sense.”
Nino’s brows had risen at my swearing. “Maybe you need to vent.”
“I had half a glass of Don Papa rum. That didn’t help.”
“Let me guess. Remo told you to drink.”
I smiled. “No, actually he told me not to drink. At least not the expensive alcohol.”