Page 40 of When She Falls (The Fallen)
“Go, Gemma. They’re about to start,” Mamma says, nudging me with her elbow.
I get up just as Damiano steps onto the altar. On the other side of him, Ras appears.
Our eyes lock, and heat expands inside my chest.
I must be still angry with him.
The string quartet begins playing. Everyone turns to the back of the church, eager to see the bride.
Vale appears at the end of the aisle wearing a silk-chiffon wedding dress that nips in at her waist before flowing out around her legs. The hem of the skirt is strewn with pearls and white flowers. She looks perfect.
She walks toward Damiano alone, her head held high, and her eyes sparkling as she keeps her gaze on the man she loves. She carries herself with such confident ease. I wonder if any of the other guests note the absence of Papà at her side.
To us, the message is clear. She doesn’t need Papà. She’s already got everything she needs.
After the ceremony is done, we change into our party dresses, and head to Damiano’s restaurant where the reception is taking place. Everyone takes their seats. I’m relieved to find that Ras isn’t at my table. Nero and Rafaele are, but they’re sitting on the other side of it, far enough that I won’t have to make attempts at conversation.
A woman’s melodic singing fills the air. Candles flicker in the elaborate centerpieces on the tables. The waiters move around us in deliberate arcs, making sure not a single glass is empty.
Cleo leans closer. “Here’s what I’ve been wondering. How big do you think Nero’s dick is?”
My champagne goes down the wrong pipe. Cleo pats me helpfully on the back while I work through my coughing fit. My eyes are watering by the time it passes.
“Come again?”
She lifts her glass of wine to her lips. “I mean, he’s got to be like six-six? Six-seven? If his body is proportional, his penis must be—”
“Cleo! He’s right there!” I whisper hiss.
She purses her lips at my outrage and casts an unconcerned look to where Nero is sitting across from us.
“He can’t hear us,” Cleo says. “You probably wouldn’t be able to walk after he’s done with you.”
My cheeks heat. “What’s gotten into you? Need I remind you this is the man who tied your wrists with a zip tie and taped your mouth shut a day ago?”
She rolls her eyes. “First of all, my memory is just fine, thanks. And second of all, Nero didn’t do that. He just carried me into the car. The rest was your fiancé. Who, by the way, is staring.”
I shoot a discrete glance at Rafaele. “Yeah, at you,” I hiss. “He probably overheard you.”
A smirk unfurls over my sister’s lips. “God forbid I bruised his ego by talking about his consigliere’s package instead of his. Just look at Rafaele. He’s so wooden. Even with that handsome face, something tells me no one’s rushing to jump into his bed. He can’t exactly glare his way to a woman’s orgasm.”
I tug on her arm. “Do I really need to remind you that’s my future husband you’re talking about?” I say, my voice clipped.
Her expression sours. “Right. Sorry.” Her gaze drops to my hand and turns admiring. “At least the ring he gave you is beautiful.”
“Yeah.”
She notes the lack of enthusiasm in my voice and snorts. “You hate it, don’t you?”
The ring isn’t my style. I like dainty jewelry that I can layer, the kind Mamma always tells me looks cheap. She was thrilled when she saw the enormous emerald.
“I guess we have slightly different tastes,” I offer.
My sister studies me carefully. “You don’t want him.”
A wave of frustration rolls through me. “Just don’t, Cleo. You think I haven’t heard enough of this from Vale?”
“You keep hearing it because it’s true. You don’t want to marry Rafaele. It’s obvious.”
