“I’ve been busy.” I stuffed the letter into the top drawer of my desk and faced him. “I haven’t been ignoring you.”
“Come on, Emilia. Don’t play games with me.” Sal shifted his hip, leaning against my doorframe. “You blew me off on Christmas Eve, and you haven’t said more than hello and goodbye to me in nearly a month. Did you dump me without bothering to tell me?”
Staring blankly at the wall above his head, I struggled to put my feelings into words. He was right. I had been avoiding him. Truthfully, I couldn’t get the conversation with Alessandro out of my head. His words were tattooed in my brain. While his accusation wasn’t enough to talk me out of wanting Sal, it hung over me, taunting me with the possibility of it being the truth.
As badly as I wanted to ask Sal about his history with Lettie, I hadn’t found the courage to do it. If he confessed to having some sort of relationship with her, I didn’t know if I could get past it. I hated the thought of her having a claim on Sal, no matter how insignificant.
Even worse, I needed to tell Sal Lettie and Alessandro saw us, and that would bring up a whole other set of issues. Deep in my gut, I dreaded the possibility Sal would flake on me, and I’d be on my own again, spinning my wheels, struggling to break free.
“Don’t exaggerate. I’ve talked to you. I even kissed you goodnight last week.” I drew one of my knees into my chest and wrapped my arms around it. “And my father’s been around a lot lately so it’s not as if we’ve had many opportunities to hang out or anything. It’s like he senses I’m going to take off and he’s watching me like a hawk.”
He crossed the room and sat on the edge of my bed. “Kisses on the cheek don’t count, but your dad’s gone all day today so you can kiss me all you want. I won’t complain.”
I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry at the prospect of being around Sal uninterrupted for hours on end. He wouldn’t let me hide from him today without an explanation.
“So he said. Who knows, though? My dad could pop in here any second. You know how he is.”
“Did I push you too hard? Is that what this is about?”
I glanced at him quickly, then returned my attention to the tips of my gray painted toenails. “I’ve already told you I’m fine with what happened between us.”
“Fine with it.” He chuckled quietly. “Now that’s a ringing endorsement if I’ve ever heard one. Just so you know, my ego took a huge nosedive and it might never recover.”
“Whatever.” I rolled my eyes, unsuccessfully fighting the urge to smile. “You didn’t push me into anything I didn’t want. In fact, it’s probably the other way around. You’re always saying no, and I’m always trying to change your mind. I think our roles have reversed.”
“I knew my sarcastic girl was still in there somewhere.” Wrapping his foot around the leg of my chair, he scooted me close enough that his breath grazed the side of my face. “Now are you going to tell me what’s going on in that head of yours or do I have to pry it out of you piece by piece?”
“There’s nothing to tell.”
“Uh huh.” He lifted me, tossing me flat on my back on my bed. Bracing his hands next to my shoulders, he rolled partially on top of me. “What’s your preferred method of torture today? Kissing or tickling?”
“You wouldn’t.”
“Oh, I would.” His hand shifted to my neck, making its way to my armpit, pausing there for a second. “Decide.”
“Neither.” I grabbed his wrist, attempting to hold him in place.
“Five. Four. Three.”
“Don’t you dare.”
His smile widened. “Two. One. Too late,” he announced as his hand dove in, tickling me until I couldn’t breathe and my body was wiggling like a lunatic.
“Stop. Stop! I’ll tell you. Please. I’m going to pee my pants!” I said between ragged pants.
“Okay.” His hands curled around my waist. “Go ahead. Spill.”
“Ugh. You jerk,” I said without heat.
He flexed his hand, silently threatening to continue tickling. “Go on.”
“All right.” I kept my gaze planted over his shoulder. “Did you ever…” My heart picked up speed.
“Say what you need to say. I’m not going be mad at you.”
“Were you and Lettie ever together? You know, intimate?”
His eyes narrowed, all humor melting from his face. “Where the hell did that come from?”
“Alessandro said something after I left the mudroom that made me think you and Lettie hooked up in the past.”