Gian (Trassato Crime Family #1)(50)

“What?”

“He wants to meet with you.”

“Why the hell would he care about seeing me now? He hasn’t made any effort to see me for years.”

“He checks in on you from time to time to make sure you’re doing okay.”

“In New York?”

“Yes. He lives near the city.”

“Great. My father stalks me rather than talking to me. That’s exactly what every girl wants to hear.”

“Evieee…” She drew out my name. “I know this sounds strange—”

“Strange doesn’t begin to describe what you’re telling me. None of this makes sense. You kind of blindsided me here.”

“I know. I know. He’s got it into his head that you’re hanging around the wrong kind of people. He wouldn’t go into the details, so I can’t really offer you any more than that.”

“All right,” I said absently. “I don’t know where to go with that. I’ve known Carmela the entire time I lived here.”

“Maybe he’s talking about something else. Maybe he’s overacting. I don’t have a clue. Just put a little thought into moving home. Okay? I think you’d be safer here with me. We could expand the dance studio, offer more classes, maybe summer camps.”

“I have an audition in a couple of weeks, and if it doesn’t go well, I’ll start thinking about my next move, but I can’t promise anything. Even if I can’t make this work, it doesn’t mean I’ll move back to Nebraska.”

“Okay,” she said after a long moment of silence. “I’m sorry for pushing. I’m just worried about you. I’ve tried to give you space for the past few weeks so you can sort out your breakup and your future without interference. If you’re not ready, I’ll let it go for the time being. I understand.”

“Thanks, Mom. I’ll call you next week.” I disconnected the call, feeling way too tired for a person who woke up an hour ago. I buried my face in Gian’s shirt.

“Talk to me,” he said. “What happened?”

I closed my eyes momentarily. “I can’t. Not yet.”

He frowned. “Why not?”

“Because…” I struggled to find adequate words to explain the emotions swirling in my gut with the force of a Cat-5 hurricane. “I don’t know where to start, but here it goes. Apparently, my dad never really dropped out of the picture, which means my mom spent the majority of my life lying to me. He lives in the New York area and keeps tabs on me. Oh, and he wants to meet with me because I’m hanging around bad people.”

I spun out of his hold and snagged my dance bag from the table. “I have to get going. I’m late, and I have less than two weeks to prepare for this audition.”

“Wait.” He clamped his hand around my wrist.

Sucking in a deep breath, I closed my eyes for a second. My life was a complete and total mess. I couldn’t fathom how far I’d fallen. How I had managed to make a string of bad decisions, and now my life was a virtual house of cards ready to collapse at any given second.

“I didn’t mean to lash out at you, but just when I’m getting my life in order, someone lobs another bomb in my direction. I can’t handle much more. I want it all to go away until I can get my head in the right place. My ankle. The implosion of my career. Kevin. My dad.” I sucked in a breath. “You.”

The second the word left my lips, I regretted it. He took two steps backward, his eyes carefully trained anywhere besides on me, his nostrils flaring, and his lips twisted. My stomach bottomed out. A hollow ache burrowed beneath my breastbone, and I wanted to kick my own ass. I didn’t want to fight with him. He meant too much to me. Somehow, he’d snuck into my life, and now I couldn’t picture living without him.

“Unbelievable.” He laughed, only it wasn’t kind. It was brittle. Dark. “I’m on the list of things you want to disappear. The same f*cking list as your piece of shit ex?”

He grabbed his car keys off the countertop and stuffed them into his pocket. “After last night, I thought we had moved past this.” When I reached for him, he dodged my hand. “No. Fuck it. I can’t talk to you right now. We’re both late. I have a shitload of work today, and I have to deal with Kevin.”

“Gian, I didn’t mean it.” I cupped his face with my hands, desperate for him to look at me and see what was inside of my heart. “You’re right. You’re not on that list. Not even close. You’re the only thing good to come out of the last year. I’m being an idiot. I am an idiot.”

I untucked his shirt, and my hands dove underneath the starchy material, seeking out the now familiar connection that drew us together. My hands explored the hard planes of his chest, and I peppered his pursed lips with kisses, whispering apologies.

“Gian, I’m sorry. I feel like an ass. What can I do to—?”

Groaning, he dipped his head, and his lips fastened onto the side of my neck, sucking hard on my skin. Without a doubt, I knew he’d left a mark, and I didn’t care. He licked a line along my collarbone, and the hair lifted on my arms. I arched my pelvis into him as his hands drifted up my ribcage, only stopping to cup my breasts. He pinched my nipples hard through my leotard, his teeth nipping my ear. Lust licked at my nerve endings.