Chapter Twenty-Three

Nora

I cover my embarrassingly large smile with my hand as I turn away from Sebastian's room.

And then I stop dead in my tracks.

Mamma V's eyes hold mine across the hall.

Every good feeling, every spark of joy, every bit of hope drains from my body in an instant.

Her name is on my tongue, but I'm too frozen to speak or move toward her.

She looks crushed .

What would I say? It's not what you think? That's a lie. It's worse than what she thinks, isn't it? Benji and I are both lying to her.

Or maybe it's worse that she thinks I'm cheating on the same hall where Benji sleeps.

It's all bad. Hot bile rises in my throat as she turns on her heel without a word.

Beyond her, a window lets in the bright light of…morning? My brain scrambles to make sense of it. Sebastian's alarm clock said four something when I left, didn't it?

I race down the hall—the opposite direction of Mamma V—toward my room.

Benji is going to be so upset. Fuck, what was I thinking?

It's very inconvenient that my stomach is trying to exit my body when all I want to do is run to my room and hide.

I release my hold on my belly to whip my key card out of my bra.My throat burns as I picture Mamma V's face.

No . I'm not going to make it.

Veering sideways, I stumble into an alcove, praying for a trash can—

And crash into a couple locked in a heated embrace against an ice machine.

"Nora!" Santino jumps sideways, releasing— Gloria ?

Benji's grandpa and Alessia's grandma, sworn enemies , kissing? I can't even begin to process that right now.

My fingers land on the clear plastic liner of a trash can as Gloria moves past me and whips around the corner. I dry heave. There's no food in my stomach because I haven't eaten. I've been too busy forgetting my priorities.

My eyes shut as Santino's hand lands on my back. He rubs a soothing circle with his palm. "That's okay, you're okay."

The pain and panic is so much worse with him here to witness it. I wish he wouldn't be nice to me.

In the span of one kiss, I've made an enemy out of the most interesting, welcoming family I've ever met.

Remember they drive Benji up the wall.

Remember they make him feel less-than for his life choices.

These reminders feel flimsy. They feel like only half the point. His family cares deeply for him, and now I care for them.

But this was never going to be a forever relationship, and I was always going to lose them. I never get to keep the people I want.

But I could've maybe preserved their respect, had I stayed away from Sebastian.

I dry heave again. Santino just stands there, patient, with a hand on my back. "Should I call Benjamino?"

"No!" I release the trash can and straighten up. "No thank you. Sorry."

"It's okay, dearie. Are you okay to get where you're going?"

"I'm fine." My words skate down the razor-sharp edge of fine and unhinged. "What time is it?"

He checks his watch. "Nine forty. Rehearsal brunch at ten."

I suck in a breath. That's late . Sebastian's clock was wrong. But how?

It was blinking.

The storm.

The power must've gone out for a few hours while we were sleeping. The room was hot. I thought maybe it was just waking up on top of his warm body, but no. The AC would've needed to be switched back on, too. And, since he closed the curtains before we lay down, it would've been dark in the room no matter what time we woke up.

Santino squeezes my shoulder. "See you down there. And if you wouldn't mind keeping what you saw between Gloria and me to yourself, I'd appreciate it. We're usually more careful than that."

Usually? As in, this has happened before? I kind of hoped I hallucinated that kiss. Telling anyone I saw it is the last thing on my mind. "Uh— Sure. Yes."

I move to my room in a fog.Benji isn't here. I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing.

When I find my phone on the end table, I've missed a few texts from Benji.

I don't know what to say to him. Not only am I screwed if— when —Mamma V tells people, he and Alessia will be screwed, too.

I pull on clean jeans and a T-shirt, and then strip them off when I recall Santino's voice.

Rehearsal brunch.

The whole of this wedding is scheduled to enjoy a big happy meal before the bridal party scoots down to the lake gazebo to rehearse their procession.

Maybe I've got a little time to figure this out. Mamma V won't want to mess up the rehearsal for her daughter. But then, would she find it disrespectful that I'm there?

My brain is a wild animal on a treadmill. I shouldn't go to brunch.

The stuck zipper on my floral fancy brunch dress almost brings me to tears.

Yeah, I definitely shouldn't go.

This is Benji's family. He should be the one who decides what we do, which means I have to talk to him.

Now.

I dial his phone.

It rings from his travel charging port next to the bed.

Teeth clenched, I slip into the heels I chose for this dress and set out to intercept him before brunch. If his mother has already pulled him aside—

Nope . Not trying to make myself sick again. No use future-casting this nightmare.

The elevator takes a biblical length of time to reach me. When the doors slide open, a gaggle of wedding guests fill the space.

I step inside and count my breaths.

Benji is already in the event hall, along with, oh , two hundred other people. He's seated at the massive bridal party table, black hair combed over like he's actually trying today.

I try to catch his eye without drawing undue attention to myself, but he's not checking the doorway.

This is the one time he's not eying his escape—when I need him to.

Rosalina and Enzo are already seated on the other side of our big table, heads bowed together like they're praying.

Rosalina does not look pleased.

That can't be about us, can it?

I hover in the doorway for an unreasonable length of time as people pass me by on their way in. Speaking of praying, I send one up to the patron saint of lost causes that Benji will glance my way so I don't have to go inside. He's not making it easy to pull him away for a chat.

"Hey Nora!" Alessia slaps me on the back as she and Sebastian materialize to my right. They're dressed like they are about to board a yacht, right down to the silk sash wrapped around Alessia's hair.

"Morning," I mumble. I can't even look at Sebastian. He has no idea what we've done. Without looking left or right, I stride toward Benji as fast as my heels will let me.

I wish we weren't seated with the bridal party. Everyone is here, present, accounted for.

My hand lands sharply on Benji's shoulder. "Hey, can we talk?"

"There you are." He keeps his voice low. "Couldn't find you this morning. Jeez, loosen your grip."

My throat is sandpaper. "Now, please? Outside?"

Mamma V rises from her seat one table over, metal chair legs scraping the floor.

Our eyes lock. My insides ice over.

"Why would you come here?" she asks.

A hush falls over the bridal party.

I take a step back."Mamma"—I switch to her proper name, given the way she's glaring at me—"Veronica, please."

Benji looks between me and his mother. "What's going on?"

Veronica looks from Benji to me, jaw setting in resolve. "I don't relish telling you this, I really don't, Benjamino. Especially today—this is supposed to be a celebration . But you have to know. Your girlfriend is cheating on you." She flails her arm toward Sebastian, who has just landed in his seat across the table. "With him . A taken man."

Each word lashes into me harder than the last. Her eyes flash more hurt than anger, but there's enough anger to spare.

"What are you talking about, Ma?" Ro asks. "That's a huge accusation to make."

We have everyone's attention in the room now. Benji might smother to death under the weight of it; another thing that is my fault.

I hazard a look at Sebastian, but he's whispering frantically in Alessia's ear.

Benji meets my eye, confusion drawing his brows up. "Huh?"

I shake my head no even though, well— yeah . I was with Sebastian. That is true. And now Benji and I will both pay for it at the hands of his family.

My chest is so tight I can barely breathe. I'm hurtling into a deep, dark well.

This will be the way I lose my first best friend. By doing him a favor and messing it up so spectacularly he'll be dealing with the fallout for who knows how long.

My voice is weak. "I don't know what to say."

Benji's gaze, ever studious, roams my face.

And then he rises to full, intimidating height, shoulders drawn back. "It's not true. Nora isn't cheating on me. In fact, we're engaged."

An uproar of voices drown each other out.

"Engaged?" Veronica yells, as Giuseppe yells something about nonsense , as Santino says settle down —

I choke on a breath. "What? No! That's not—Benji, can we please talk outside?"

"We are!" He waves his arm with gusto. "So whatever you think you know, forget about it. Let's eat brunch and rehearse this damn wedding, shall we?"

"I saw her, Benjamino," Veronica blusters, huffing and puffing like she's about to blow this house down. "I saw her with him. Coming out of that man's room this morning, kissing in the doorway."

Benji finally spares a look at Sebastian. I can pinpoint the exact moment he connects the dots and realizes it's true by the side-eye he gives me.

Sebastian runs a hand down his face as Alessia massages her temples, mumbling under her breath.

Gia whispers something in Ro's ear, and Ro leans over to say something to Enzo, and it's official: this is the world's most fucked-up game of telephone.

Benji seems to realize all at once how many people are staring at him. "This is ridiculous. Everyone, mind your own business. Mom, there are things I need to tell you, and I sure as hell don't want to do it here and now. Do not worry about me or my relationship to Nora."

To Nora. Not with Nora. I breathe a little easier. He's going to tell her the truth in private, as is his right.I wouldn't want to yell "I'm faking it!" in front of a room full of my extended relatives, either.

"That's not a relationship, Benjamino! If you won't stand up for yourself, I'll do it for you. That—that woman disrespected you. Disrespected our family, sneaking around with one of theirs . And is no one from the Mazzelli side at all perturbed, or are affairs just standard fare for you?"

Alessia shoves up from the table. "None of us are married. Why don't you mind your business and leave my family out of this?"

Veronica blinks in shock. "I would say your family is very much in this, young lady. And how are you so okay with your boyfriend sleeping around?"

"Because he's not my boyfriend!" Alessia all but growls. "Fuck, this was so not worth it. Sebastian isn't my date, he's my friend."

Benji clears his throat. "While we're on the topic, might as well—"

"Alessia." Nonna Gloria lifts her hand as if to silence the classroom. "Don't feel pressured to give into the Ferraro flair for the dramatics. You don't owe anyone anything, especially in public."

"No, I do ," Alessia cries. "I owe this to myself. And while we're at it—I owe it to that woman serving food over there. Oye, Eloise, turn around!"

Across the room, Eloise pivots on her toes, a serving tray in her hands, looking utterly terrified.

"You see her? The cute one with the bangs? That's the love of my life. I'm going to marry her. She doesn't know it yet because I was going to ask her on the fourth of July, but yeah . Sebastian was here as my date because I didn't want to upstage Enzo's big day by bringing a person I wasn't sure some of you people would approve of. But I don't give a fuck anymore, because what I'm not going to do is spend another second keeping a secret for the convenience of everyone else. Nor will I listen to you harass my best friend, who did nothing wrong by me. And a bit of advice? Leave your grown ass children alone to make their own choices."

Gloria shakes her head as if incredulous. "Darling, you did not need to go to all that trouble to hide your girlfriend. Why would you do such a thing?"

Alessia's rage subsides a little when she looks at her nonna. "Because none of you know I'm gay, except Enzo, and this room is more Catholic than Vatican City. I wasn't about to tell all of you this week."

"I knew." Gloria says with a wave. "You've had girlfriends for the last decade. The whole town reports on you to me when they come into my office. You think someone who loves you as much as I would even bat an eye? I just wanted you to tell me when you wanted to tell me, if at all. It never needed to be a ceremony."

Alessia looks left and right, gobsmacked. "But…you always talk about how much you hoped I'd marry someone like Nonno Joseph."

" Someone who loves you as much as Joseph loved me. That's all I've wanted for my family. We all deserve that kind of love." She also rises to her feet, her eyes scanning the next table over. "And by golly, I think I've found it again. Santi, it's time to come clean."

Alessia's jaw falls open, closes, and then opens again. "Sorry, I think I missed a step. What was that last part?"

Santino lets out a low chuckle and leans back in his chair, as if utterly amused by this whole thing. "We doing this for real, Gloria?"

"We have to." Gloria points at me. "Nora now knows about us. It's only a matter of time before the truth gets out."

Oh, fuck my entire earthside life. Why are they bringing me into this? "I know nothing!"

Gloria nods fervently."It's okay, Nora. There's no need to cover for us."

"What's this, now?" Veronica pins me with another glare. "What does Nora know about my father?"

Benji's head cocks sideways. "Yeah, what do you know about my grandpa?"

"I don't know what she's talking about," I say, a manic edge to my voice. "I'm not keeping any secrets."

Just the small one Santino asked me to keep.

"Other than your cheating , you mean?" snipes Veronica.

Benji throws his napkin on the table. "Jesus Christ. Mom, we were never—"

"Lies and deceit may come naturally to you," she continues, clearly not even hearing her son. "But they aren't acceptable—"

"That's enough ." Sebastian's voice booms as he rises to his full imposing height, almost flipping the table in his haste. "You will not continue to speak to Nora that way."

"Don't you dare cut off my wife when she's speaking," Giuseppe bellows. "She has every right to say what—"

"The hell she does." Sebastian turns to face him. Whatever shred of respect he was holding on to when speaking to Veronica morphs to unfiltered rage when he addresses Giuseppe. "No one will disparage Nora, or make assumptions, or speak one word against her. If anyone has a problem, they can direct it at me . And that goes for everyone in this hall, understood?"

The room goes completely silent.

I stand stock-still as my heartbeat rages in my ears.

Sebastian finally meets my eye, and thunder claps in my chest. The ground beneath me grows unsteady.

No one has ever defended me like that.

His chest rises and falls as Alessia murmurs wow beside him.

Ro looks directly at me. "I want to know what the truth is. Were you ever interested in my brother? Were you dating Sebastian the whole time? Whatever it is, why wouldn't you just tell me?"

And there's the nausea again. How do I tell her that I wanted to protect Benji but that I started to care for her like a friend, too, and it made it hard to lie? Can I do that here and now, without admitting why he felt the need to lie in the first place?

Enzo rakes his hand through his hair as red splotches that look like stress hives creep across his neck. "We— They were trying to keep your week as stress-free as possible, baby. It came from a good place."

She cuts a look at him. "Wait. You knew about this? And you also lied to me?"

Alessia winces. "That's my fault—"

"Don't act so surprised, Rosalina," Veronica intones. "He's a Mazzelli. I warned you about his character."

"I said it's my fault ," Alessia repeats louder.

Veronica sweeps a hand. "A Mazzelli is a Mazzelli."

"Whoa, wait a second— your son lied, too, Veronica. This isn't a last-name specific thing."

"Hey," Benji gripes. "I thought we were cool?"

"We are cool. I like you. I'm just trying to get my future mother-in-law to regard me with the barest amount of respect and not constantly assassinate my character. That's all I want."

Benji lifts his hands as if to say fair enough.

Ro's head falls into her hands.

"Enzo, we'll discuss this later. You're upsetting Rosalina." Veronica resumes her default stance—staring daggers at me with her arms crossed. "Now, I want to know what's the secret you're keeping about my father. Can you at least speak to that, Nora?"

Sebastian's disapproving glare returns with a vengeance. He opens his mouth to take her on, but Santino pushes his chair back and lifts his hand in a call for silence. "Allow me to speak to it myself. This is long overdue." Santino scoots between the Ferraro and Mazzelli immediate family tables as every single set of eyes in this place tracks him. He takes Gloria's face between his palms, fondness shining in his eyes. "Come here, you royal pain in my ass."

And then the kissing starts.

The entire hall erupts in shouts and Italian expletives, gold digger this and traitor that, and way too many people yell about sheep thieves.

"Since we're all confessing shit, yes, Nora and I were faking it the whole time," Benji yells, too little too late. At the look on my face, he adds, "I tried to do it sooner but these people never shut the fuck up, even for a second."

Ro lifts her fork as if to javelin-toss it at Benji. "Why would you lie to me about this, let alone the week of my wedding? You don't trust me with your secrets?"

Exasperated, Benji yanks at his hair. "I lied to everyone, not just you!"

Vinny whistles in a failed attempt to quiet the room. "Take a seat, children. The adults are talking. You have got to be kidding me, Mother. You're with Santino Ferraro ? Are you turning senile? Wait, is he blackmailing—"

"We aren't kids, Dad," Alessia says. "And Nonna's relationship is none of your business. For once in your life, recognize that you don't know everything."

"I know what's best for my family." Vinny stands up and cracks his neck as if he intends to throw his mother over his shoulder and cart her out of there. "My mother has clearly lost her mind. It's bad enough my son is shackling himself to that family. One marriage is all we can stand."

"How dare you speak about them that way?" Alessia says, pure venom in her tone. "Rosalina is your future daughter-in-law. That's her family. Show some respect."

"I'm not talking about her , specifically," he blusters, incapable or unwilling to say Rosalina's name. "It's just the rest of them."

Mortification flashes in Ro's eyes.

Alessia nods in furious dispute. "I think you should get the hell out before you make the bride cry."

"You will not speak to me that way, young lady," Vinny growls. "I raised you to respect your elders."

"You're not an elder, Dad," Alessia says, suddenly sounding exhausted. "You're just an asshole."

Shock flashes in Vinny's eyes.

Enzo presses his temples. "Dad, watch your tone when you're talking about Rosalina, okay? And Alessia, please, save your energy. Let them all kill one another. This isn't our problem."

Alessia's brows raise to her hairline. "It is our problem, Enzo. Yours, specifically, because these bickering people are about to be your family for the rest of your life. This fighting is about to follow you into your marriage."

The tap-tap-tap of a knife against glass fails to calm anyone down.

The sound grows louder until the glass shatters in Rosalina's hand, sending shards flying all over the table.

" Enough! Enough. I'm done. This is officially a circus, and I'm tired of playing ringleader. This isn't right. This isn't how getting married is supposed to feel ." Her voice breaks on the last word, her pain echoing through the room.

Gia grabs for her hand and Ro shakes her head, stepping away from the table. "I can't. It's off. The wedding is off. This was a mistake."

Veronica's hand moves to her heart. "You don't mean that."

"I do." She throws a pleading look at Enzo, who is staring back at her with utter betrayal in his eyes. "We can't start the rest of our lives this way, Enzo. Our relationship was perfect in secret, but now the secret is out and look around! It's falling apart at the seams. You'll never love my family as your own. Your family will never love me."

"You're just having a bridal moment!" Veronica argues. "That's natural. But you can't just call it off. Think of your family, all of us who have sacrificed so much to get you to this moment."

"All she's done is think of you," Benji growls. He looks at Ro across the table with the fierce protectiveness of a brother before turning back to his mother. "All any of us have done is think of you. And it's because of you that she's losing her shit. Don't you get it?"

"I can't do it." Ro's voice is a whimper. "Not like this."

She rushes for the exit with Gia trailing.

"This is a disaster," Veronica mutters. "The week is absolutely ruined. Hope you kids are happy."

I've never been less happy a day in my life.

I chance a look at Sebastian, but he and Alessia are already halfway to the exit.

My stomach plummets. I know our night together was reckless, but I didn't think it'd undo an entire wedding. Their relationship just imploded before our very eyes.

One single moment, one decision, started a cascade of chaos that ruined everything .