“But I don’t want you guys to fight anymore,” she says. “I love Jill, and she’s married to him.”
My brows furrow. “You want me to be nice to him?”
“Well, at least try,” she responds.
I grumble. “If I have to.”
She whispers, “He’s your brother. I know deep down somewhere inside you, you still want him to be.”
I roll my eyes. I don’t like the idea one bit, but she does have a point.
We were once brothers. Our love for these girls tore us apart, even when it should never have.
She sighs again and grasps my hand a final time, leaning in for a kiss on the cheeks. “I’ll wait outside.” She walks toward Luca and narrows her eyes at him, pausing in the doorway. “Let it go. Please. For Jill.”
Then she walks off as Luca’s eyes follow her with mistrust.
I’m torn between wanting to argue and wanting to finally settle this.
“You gonna stand there the rest of the day?” I ask, drawing his attention away from her.
He tilts his head at me. “So … you’re alive.”
“Wanna come listen to my heart too?” I jest.
He snorts. “Ask my knife that question.”
I laugh. “That’s more like it.”
“What? You think it’s funny?” Luca asks.
“Does this look funny to you?” I tear my blanket off and show him the wound the bullet left.
He winces. “Put that thing away.”
“Thought so,” I reply, sticking the bandage back on.
The doctor did a good job fixing me up, though. I have to give him that.
“I heard you helped Jasmine carry me,” I say to break the ice.
“Biggest mistake of my life,” he scoffs, planting his foot against the wall while folding his arms. “I should’ve left you to die.”
“You hate me that much, huh?” I say, sighing. I did try to kill his wife on several occasions. “I deserve it.”
“Damn right you fucking do,” he replies. “Don’t flatter yourself by thinking I came here for you. I did it because Jill begged me to.”
“I get it,” I say.
“No, you don’t,” he says, marching over to me. “You should be fucking begging for mercy on your fucking knees for what you did.”
“Well, I would if I wasn’t stuck to this bed,” I growl back.
He stares at me for a moment, as though he’s stupefied I’d even say yes to that.
But he’s right.
I should.