Page 125 of Secrets of the Brother
Amara, Milana, and I all leaned in and took a closer look.
Each dress Enzo had purchased, every single one, was long-sleeved with a high collar and a hem that ended below the knee. We continued to unpack and critique the clothes, trying to decide what could be salvaged and what was hopelessly too “nun-like."
Aunt Gabriella sighed. “Well, we’ll just have to go to Rome ourselves.”
I opened my mouth to object.
After all, I technically had my own clothes at my parents’ house and regardless of their protests, it wasn’t like we were destitute. And despite his insistence, I hadn’t actually agreed to marry Enzo yet, and secretly still hoped to put him off, at least for a little while until I was surer about us.
Before I could say anything, Amara patted me on the shoulder. “Don’t even try. Aunt Gabriella’s infamous shopping trips are another one of those things you’re just going to have to get used to. The men expect it.”
Aunt Gabriella shook her head as she examined more of Enzo’s fashion choices. “What could the man have been thinking?”
I sighed. “This might be my fault. It has to do with your engagement party, Milana.”
Milana’s eyes widened. “Don’t tell me he objected to that adorable Guccicorset number you were wearing? You looked hot!”
Amara smirked. “I think it had more to do with how sheaccessorizedit.”
I raised my palms. “He was my parents’ idea. They were trying to set me up.”
Trying to force me into marriage to help secure a shady business deal and line their pockets was more like it, but why air my family’s dirty laundry when we were all having a nice afternoon?
Amara asked, “Who was he? He looked familiar.”
There were fewer things I wanted to talk less about than Nevio, but I didn’t want to seem rude when they were all being so sweet.
It was nice hanging out with the women.
I never had a close relationship with my own mother or sister. And being a painfully shy art nerd in school, who was teased as a result of my sister’s bullying, meant I never really had many girlfriends.
I pretended to examine the beadwork on one of the longer dresses to hide my discomfort. “He went to school with us. His name is Nevio Zettici. Apparently, he used to have a crush on me. He left a valentine in my desk once, but I thought it was a prank, so I ignored it.”
I held the dress up to my chest and turned to face them. “This one isn’t so bad. If I wore it with…what? What’s the matter? What’s happened?”
All three of them were staring at me as if I had suddenly sprouted horns.
CHAPTER33
ENZO
Islammed my fist on the table. “It’s out of the fucking question. I forbid it.”
Bianca reared back. “You forbid it? Youforbidit?”
“That’s right. I forbid it.”
She leaned her palms on the table. “You are not allowed to fucking forbid anything.”
“Watch your fucking language,” I growled. “Or I’ll put you over my knee and spank your ass.”
Her cheeks flamed at my suggestive language in front of my family. Still, it didn’t prevent her from firing back. “Youwatchyourfucking language. Need I remind you that we are not married yet?Ifwe get married at all?”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
She crossed her arms. “It means you don’t get to tell me what to do, and if this is a sneak peek of what it would be like to be married to you, then I think I’ll pass.”
I didn’t give a shit that my entire family was assembled around us.
