“If you could do anything, what would it be?”
“People like us don’t have choices,” he pointed out.
“My parents didn’t want me to paint. Look at how far I’ve come with my career.”
“You don’t know my dad well. None of us had a choice.”
“Luca’s never complained to me.”
He shook his head. “No, he wouldn’t. Luca is where he wants to be. He’s my father’s twin. Two megalomaniacs plotting world domination.”
“Yeah, I can see that.” I laughed. “When your dad moves, Luca moves with him. I’m kinda surprised they’re so close after seeing Luca’s back and chest.”
“Luca took the brunt of the punishments.”
“You’re loyal to Luca, even when you shouldn’t be. Do you feel you owe him for helping you?”
“In some ways, yeah, I guess. We were never close as kids, but after my mom died, he would throw himself in front of me and take my dad’s punishments. I think he liked it.”
“Yeah, I get that,” I admitted. “The way he’s treated me over the years… Your brother is a monster.”
“He cares about you, Alex. I know he has a funny way of showing it, but Luca needs you.”
“If that were true, he would have treated me better. He doesn’t love me. Most of the time, I think he hates me.”
“He doesn’t hate you, not even close. My brother can’t process emotions. When he was younger, my parents took him to different doctors. They thought he had alexithymia, but none of the doctors could pinpoint his diagnosis.”
“What is alexithymia?”
“It’s a disorder that prevents a person from expressing and feeling emotions. They’re angry all the time, confused and disconnected from people, not affectionate, and lack empathy. But Luca doesn’t have any of the underlying medical conditions associated with alexithymia. So the doctors refused to label him. My parents forced Luca to talk to psychologists and psychiatrists. His doctors thought he was making progress, but he’s so fucking smart he figured out how to play them. They all fed right into the palm of his hand.”
“Even as a child?”
Marcello nodded. “You don’t know how manipulative Luca can be.”
I snorted with laughter. “I know what he’s like. Sociopaths don’t have feelings.”
He tapped his fingers against mine with a serious expression on his face. “You’re trying to rationalize your feelings for Luca by adding a title to his bad traits. It’s not that simple with my brother.”
“I just want to understand why he’s like this. You’re nothing like him.”
“We had different roles to fill within the family. Luca will unravel if he loses you. He’s been slowly falling apart since the meeting with your grandfather.”
“Marcello,” I breathed. “I think you already know this, but I need you, too.”
He squeezed my hand. “I’m here for you, but I think you and Luca need each other more.”
“I have given him years of my life getting nothing in return.”
“In his own way, he loves you.”
“His actions are not loving,” I shot back.
“I won’t make excuses for Luca, but I will say this. Talk to him. Tell him what you want. And if he tells you no, then you have your answer.”
I stared into his eyes for a moment and had the itch to draw my Lonely Boy. “I like you, Marcello.”
He wet his lips with his tongue. “I know.”
“And I think you like me, too.”
“I do.”
I released a sigh. “So, where does this leave us?”
“I don’t know.”
“I’m in the mood to read,” I told him, mostly because I needed a reason to leave the bedroom. “How about I read The Iliad to you?”
He smiled, a real one that lit up his face. “Yeah, that sounds good. It’s on the table at the center of the library.”
I climbed off the bed and stepped into a pair of fuzzy slippers. “I’ll grab it and come back.”
I stepped into the hallway. Dom leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. He dressed in a suit, a gun at his waist, and gave me a quick nod as I walked toward him.
“Everything okay, Miss Wellington?”
“Yes, I’m fine. Just grabbing something for Marcello.”
I rushed down the corridor and ascended the stairs to the third floor. The library was in the west wing. Luca’s office, bedroom, and library were on this floor. I flung open the heavy wooden doors on my right, and my eyes widened as they traveled up and down the two-story library. The large room had vaulted ceilings and endless bookcases.
I strolled toward a long wooden table piled high with leather-bound books. As I flipped through the titles, I recognized a few classics like The Canterbury Tales and The Great Gatsby. I wondered who read these books. Did Luca sneak in here late at night and devour the pages? Was this where Marcello hid from his family?
I found The Iliad among the books and clutched it under my arm. As I left the library, I wondered if I should take Marcello’s advice and talk to Luca. He’d given me his mother’s necklace and planned an amazing date. But after the shit in the temple last night, I wasn’t sure what to think about our relationship. Was everything a game to him, or did he have real feelings for me?