Rome is outside waiting for me when I walk out. He grabs my suitcase from me and throws it into the trunk. “Where am I taking you?”
“To Nico’s place, please. Amber is living there now.”
The ride to wherever he lives is quiet and I use this time to do a mini-evaluation of my life. Everything has changed so much this last year and a half. I went from being a college student, to being kidnapped, to being saved by Gio. I told a man for the first time I love him only to have lost him because I was attacked. I thought I was finally in a good place. Even after Weston attacked me, I woke up this morning and wasn’t going to let it bring me down. I can’t control what others do, but I can control what I do, what I say, and how I choose to handle what life throws at me. I wish Gio would tell me what’s on his mind so we can work through it.
“Aria, we’re here.” The hotel comes into view that Gio encouraged me to stay away from.
“He lives in this hotel?”
“Yep. Just go to the east elevator and type in this code.” He hands me a sheet of paper. “It will take you right up to his suite.” He gets out with me and hands me back my luggage.
I thank him and say goodbye, then head through the front door and to the east elevator. The code works as Rome said and a minute later, I’m face-to-face with a guard standing outside the only door on the floor. “Is Amber here?” He nods and knocks on the door for me. “Thank you.” Another nod. Okay then…
Amber swings the door open and pulls me in for a hug. “Eeeeek! Get in here!” She slams the door shut behind us and grabs my luggage, throwing it to the side.
“You didn’t tell me Nico lives here, and what’s up with the mute guy standing outside your door?”
“I didn’t know! The night of the charity function we went for a drive and after that we spent time at my place. I didn’t know he lived here until he asked me to move in, and that guard is a requirement. Nico said it’s to be on the safe side.” Amber parks her ass on the couch and I plop down next to her. “So, what’s going on, Aria?”
“If that isn’t a loaded question.”
I explain to her how good things have been between me and Gio recently, about our shared confessions of love, and how everything finally felt good. Then I tell her about last night, about Cecilia being fired, and how cold and distant Gio was to me this morning.
“Maybe he feels responsible. You just might be overthinking this, chica.”
“Maybe, but it all felt off—I had to get out of there and give him some space. He yelled at me like he does to his employees when he’s mad. He was so cold and distant. I want to put what happened to me behind us, but he wouldn’t even talk to me about what’s wrong.”
Amber bounces in her seat. “You know what we should do? We should go clubbing!”
“And how will that help fix my Gio situation?”
“Oh, it won’t, but we’ll have a blast! We’re both finally over twenty-one. Weston is out of the picture and we need to have some fun. We can call Holly and Natalie and Sienna! Oh, and I can call our friend Vicki!”
“I don’t know…”
“C’mon! Some drinking and dancing. It will be a fun girls’ night.”
“Gah! Okay! Fine.”
Amber jumps from her seat, grabbing me in a hug and pulling me up so we’re dancing around the house. “Call the girls at the club and I’ll call Vicki. Tell them to meet us here and we can all go get manis and pedis!”
We spend the day hanging out. We go to the nail salon, to lunch, and then everyone comes back to the hotel to get dressed and ready for tonight. All of us are dressed similar, tight dresses in various styles and colors with high heels. Throughout the day, I kept checking my phone in hope that Gio would text or call but he hasn’t. It makes me sad that after everything, this is how it will end.
Since we’ll be drinking, we’re having one of Amber’s guards, Mack, drive us to the club. She said Nico promised her she wouldn’t be guarded around the clock, but since he’s out of town she’ll be with a guard until he gets back.
When we get out of the car, I eye the name of the club and immediately recognize it as one of the clubs Benjamin mentioned owning. “Maybe we should go somewhere else.”
“What? Why?” Vicki whines. “This is the hottest new club.”
I don’t mention I escorted the guy who owns it, instead following her lead as she walks up to the bouncer and flirts her way in.