Page 53 of Vicious Intentions
That knowledge carries me through most of the day and allows me to navigate the forced smiles and polite conversations. Gets me to the moment my mother kisses my cheek and tells me how proud she is of the young woman I’m becoming. From the expensive gifts my fathers shower me with, to the light teasing and raucous laughter of my siblings. All of it fades into the background as the hours tick by.
Rafe:Sunset.
That was his last text to me, and by the time evening begins to creep in, I’m restless.
I pace the living room, checking the clock far too often, my heart thudding harder each time the minutes slip away.
“Are you okay there, sis? You look a little anxious,” Stella says, lying on the couch, her head on Kirill’s lap so he can run his fingers through every strand of her red hair.
“I’m fine.” I fake a smile, to which her brows pull together in curiosity.
Damn it.
“I knew one day it would happen, but I never assumed it would be today. Annamaria Bianca Romano, you just bold-faced lied to me,” she laughs, amused by the fact she caught me in a lie.
“I doubt our Anna is capable of such a thing,” Alejandro quickly comes to my defense, while Enzo runs his fingers through his curls.
“You trust too easily, my love,” Enzo coos at Alejandro, “Even saints are capable of sin. Isn’t that the whole premise of Catholicism? That the archangel Lucifer was the one who committed the first sin? The sin of vanity? Or was it pride? I forget.”
“Both are right,” Alejandro says softly. “Hence why the Church was built for sinners, not saints.”
“It sure restored my faith, since it gave this sinner exactly what he prayed for,” Enzo teases, placing a quick kiss on his boyfriend’s lips.
“If prayer worked that efficiently, churches would be a lot more crowded,” Stella says dryly, shifting on the couch, already bracing herself to argue Enzo’s point.
“Here we go,” Kirill grumbles as he slides one arm over my sister’s shoulders, while the other grabs his wine glass.
“Just let them argue it out. These things usually end in an hour or so.” Mina winks at him conspiratorially.
“I think faith is less about following dogma,” Marcello interjects after a beat, “and more about who shows up for you when things fall apart.” He then looks over at Isobel with nothing but love in his eyes.
“Pretty sure that’s not in the catechism,” Lucky says, grinning. “But I’m not exactly an authority. Why don’t we ask my girlfriend here? She was the one who once considered the travesty of becoming a nun.”
“Are you ever going to let that go?” Frankie rolls her eyes only to giggle when Lucky begins tickling her.
“Not a chance, babe.”
“The Church has survived worse contradictions than love. It’ll manage just fine without Frankie or Alejandro’s involvement in it,” Jude offers his two cents to the discussion.
“Theology aside,” Mina cuts in smoothly, “can we all agree the wine is doing most of the heavy lifting tonight?”
“I’ll drink to that,” Kirill laughs, raising his glass and clicking it with Mina’s.
“I don’t like how you two always get along. It’s very unnerving,” Jude grumbles.
“Maybe you should pray on it,” Stella goads with a wink.
While my siblings and their counterparts continue to bicker and tease one another, I use their distraction to my advantage.
“I’m going for a walk,” I announce, though they only absentmindedly register it over their own loud voices and commentary.
Mina was right. Give my brothers and sister a topic juicy enough to ruffle feathers, and they’ll argue it to death. Which means I’ve earned myself at least a good hour or two before they realize I’m taking too long.
I grab my coat, slide open the doors leading to the backyard, and slip outside. I can still hear the muffled argument unfolding in the living room behind me, but my thoughts are no longer on my siblings. They’re on Raffaele.
The moment I cross the tree line, I break into a sprint, running in his direction, knowing exactly where he’ll be waiting for me this time. The cool wind lashes against my face, my hair whipping wildly as I race toward the only friend who truly understands my current state of being. When I reach our meeting spot, I’m gasping for air with the widest smile on my face.
“Rafe!” I call out in glee. “Don’t you dare scare me again like last time.” I giggle.
