Kon (Trassato Crime Family Book 2)(25)
He opened the glass door and disappeared into the maze of umbrellas, leaving me to deal with fallout.
“What the hell was that about?” Evie yelled, her voice louder and more confident in her brother’s absence. “Please tell me you’re not hanging out with Kon. I don’t care what he says. I don’t trust him.”
“Like he said, we’re friends, of sorts.”
“That doesn’t make sense. You don’t have anything in common. ”
“We met to figure out how to get you and Gian back together.” I shrugged, trying to convey a casualness that contradicted my skyrocketing blood pressure and damp brow. “Since then, we’ve been friendly. Besides, he’s your brother, cut him some slack. He can’t be as bad as you’re imagining. He’s always been nice to me.”
For the most part, that was true, although I didn’t like the way he and his father had backed me into a corner. Admittedly, I could have walked away and let Evie and Gian figure it out themselves. In hindsight, they probably would’ve ended up together regardless of what I did. They were meant to be together. Even jaded and emotionally wounded, I could see that.
“I can’t forgive him.”
“You used to be close. You talked about him all the time even though you hadn’t seen him in years.”
“I don’t know much about him anymore except that he’s a different person than when we were kids.” Her brown eyes clouded for a second, and she swallowed hard. “There’s nothing happening between you two, right?”
I wanted to tell her no, only I couldn’t. I didn’t know what would happen between us down the road, and like Kon said, I might as well get the hard stuff over with. “It’s complicated. You don’t need to worry, though, I know it’s not going anywhere.”
I cringed at my words. I couldn’t promise that. Admittedly, Kon wanted out of this arrangement as much as I did, but that didn’t mean anything. Nico’s reaction wasn’t a sure thing. He didn’t love me or feel all that passionate toward me. Our limited kisses could only be described as friendly and not all that attention grabbing. He might lose all interest in me once he found out about Kon.
“Wow, um, okay.” She tugged on the scarf around her neck like she couldn’t breathe. “I’m confused. I thought you and Nico were—”
“Nico and I are exploring a possible future, though I don’t feel much of anything for him beyond friendship. He goes out of his way to make sure our dates go smoothly. He treats me well. That’s all it is right now. Maybe it will change down the line. I can’t say for sure.”
“Really?” Evie frowned, and her eyebrows snapped together. “Your mom told Gian and I that you and Nico plan to announce your engagement next weekend at Dominick’s birthday party.”
“What?” My head jerked back like I’d been slapped. If my family and Nico went behind my back and arranged this, I’d lose my mind. “That’s news to me.”
“Wow. Okay. That’s weird. Nico took her to lunch yesterday to sort out the details. She called me on the phone a couple of minutes ago. She told me she was taking you shopping tomorrow for an engagement dress.”
A chill darted down my spine, and I swung my head wildly from side to side. “No, I never agreed to any of this. I’m not ready to jump into another relationship. I’m still figuring things out.”
“Since you feel something for my brother?” Her face looked like she’d sniffed something repulsive. “I can guarantee he’s using you. He has an agenda. He always did, he always will. He’s not a nice person. Not anymore. My dad ruined everything good in him.”
“People aren’t black and white, Evie. You of all people should understand this. My brother isn’t a saint by any stretch of the imagination, yet you overlook that because you love him.”
“You’re not suggesting you’re in love with Kon, are you?” Her voice rose an octave or two, and she looked like she was on the verge of having a panic attack with her flared eyes, short, rapid breaths, and clenched hands. People at the nearby tables stared, too interested to pretend they weren’t listening. “He’s a bastard. He nearly ruined my life. Gian hates him. He does bad stuff. Gian told me a few things, and it’s ugly.”
I picked up my messenger bag and slung it over my shoulder. “While I’m sure that’s true, you don’t need to worry about me falling for your brother. My shot at a happily ever after fairytale expired the moment Rocco took his last breath. And let’s face it, my family wants me to marry Nico. I probably will at some point seeing that’s what everyone expects me to do. It doesn’t matter either way. I’m only going through the motions these days.”