“Where have you been?” my brother said the minute I entered the great room. The familiar tang of garlic and tomato sauce hit my nose.
Sunday dinner. Crap.
I paused for a beat, taking in the scene in front of me. My brother stood in front of the fireplace with an elbow on top of the old world precast fireplace mantle. Evie sat on one of the gray armchairs, picking at the hem of her shirt. My mom was curled up on the cream colored sectional with her head in her hands. I didn’t see Nico anywhere, which was a good thing. My mom must have covered for me.
“I went out with a friend,” I replied, tossing my purse onto the glass coffee table and dropping onto the arm of the sofa. “What is everyone doing here?”
“Dammit, Carmela.” Gian slapped his hand against the top of the mantle. “You know exactly why we’re here. You didn’t come home last night. You didn’t answer your phone. No one had any idea where to find you. Nico said you left his place around three yesterday. That was over twenty-four hours ago.”
“So what? I’m twenty-eight, not sixteen. I don’t need to tell you guys where I am every second of the day.”
“Madon!” My mom jumped to her feet, a red blush staining her cheeks. “When you still live under my roof, you are accountable to me. That means taking the time to give me a courtesy call or text to let me know you won’t be home. I don’t think that’s too much to ask, do you?”
“No. I forgot, and my phone ran out of charge. I’m sorry, Mama, but you didn’t need to worry. I’m a big girl. I lived on my own for three years before Dad died.”
“What are you talking about? You need me. I feed you, I clothe you, I give you a place to live. And all I ask in return is for you check in with me so I’m not up all night worrying about you.” A tear trickled down her face, and she might as well have stabbed me in the chest. “I lost my husband not too long ago. I can’t take this, Carmela. I feel like I aged five years last night. I kept picturing you dead or injured in some alley somewhere.”
“I’m sorry I upset you,” I mumbled, shame and frustration bottling up in my chest. I hadn’t set out to hurt her or my family, and I didn’t do anything thousands of other twenty-eight year olds did every day. “You’re probably right. It’s time for me to get my own place again. This was only meant to be a temporary move.”
My brother crossed the room and stood only a foot from me. “How are you going to do that? You don’t have a job, you don’t have any income except what comes from the family.”
“I have money. I do design jobs on the side.”
“Oh, I know all about your design jobs, and they won’t keep you afloat. Not in New York.”
“Are you threatening to cut me off?”
He cocked his head to the side. “You tell me, Carmela. Should I cut you off?”
“What the hell’s that supposed to mean?”
Evie jumped up. “Guys, stop it. Don’t fight. You’re upsetting your mom more. Carmela made a mistake. It’s not a big deal. She came home in one piece. That’s all that matters. Cut her some slack.”
“Evie, take my mom for a walk. I want to talk to my sister alone. We have a few things to discuss.”
Sighing, Evie stood, and grabbed my mom’s hand. “Show me the flowers the gardener planted yesterday.” She paused at the glass patio door and glanced over her shoulder. “Gian, remember that Carmela gave us space when we got engaged. She supported us. We need to do the same for her.”
“Yeah, yeah. Get out of here, Evie. Have a little faith in me. I’m not going to be a jerk.”
The door thudded closed, and Gian sighed heavily. “Tell me what’s going on with you and Konstantin Trincher.”
I wanted to deny everything. My brother had lied to me about his engagement with Evie. I didn’t owe him the truth, but his hands sliced through the air, stopping me in my tracks.
“You can stop right there, Carmela. I want the truth. I can’t protect you from the fallout if you keep me the dark.”
“The fallout. What fallout?”
“Mom called Nico first thing this morning when you didn’t come home last night. We had to call him back later this afternoon and tell him you were sick and not to come over tonight.”
“So? Nico doesn’t own me. I can do what I want without his permission.”
“You’re his fiancée. What’s he supposed to think when you disappear overnight?”
“That I was busy. That I have a life. That I have friends. Honestly, I don’t care. Nico and I aren’t like you and Evie. He doesn’t love me, and I don’t love him.”