Anna would do everything in her power to prevent that. She wanted me in Paris with her, and in usual Anna fashion, she抎 find a way to get her will. 揊rederica needs you here. You抣l have to make sure she doesn抰 forget to live.?
揝he抯 busy, and you know she won抰 listen to me. She抯 eighteen now and with the path she抯 chosen, I can抰 interfere.?
揧ou could arrange a marriage for her and ignore her choice.?
Dad shook his head. 揘ot a single priest would agree to do the ceremony.?
I sank down on my bed and allowed myself one last look around the apartment. I抎 bought it only last year from my savings. I抎 felt proud having my own place that I抎 bought with my hard hard-earned money. Dad had offered to give me money so I could buy a place sooner, but I抎 wanted to do it myself. Now I抎 leave my home behind to watch Anna 24/7. I抎 never felt the desire to travel the world, to uproot my life and live somewhere else. Chicago was my home. I抎 grown up in those streets, knew almost every corner, even the most notorious ones. I fucking loved going to the same coffee shop every morning where I knew the barista抯 entire family history, I loved going to my favorite restaurant and being able to order food without looking at the menu because I knew it by heart. Anna was different. She wanted to experience new things, wanted to roam the world.
Now she was dragging me along. She didn抰 care if I wanted this or not. For her, it was a game. She didn抰 care if I couldn抰 risk playing her game. Of course, part of it was my fucking fault. The kiss we抎 shared had definitely sent her the wrong message. Now she would be even more determined to push my buttons, and Paris was the perfect place for that.
I had sworn myself not to fall trap to her mind fuckery again. I had plenty of self-control in general. In the last few months, I抎 reinforced my walls, had been as professional around Anna as humanly possible, had let out whatever pent-up energy I had in the gym or with one of the lonely wives who wanted dick.
Anna had respected the new boundaries I抎 set, which could mean only one thing: she was waiting for a better time to attack, and I knew exactly when that would be. In Paris, the goddamn city of love. What bullshit.
The next day, around lunchtime, Dad and I headed to the Cavallaro mansion together in his car. Our flight was scheduled in the late afternoon, so we had time.
Three suitcases waited in the entrance hall when we stepped into the house. Anna was probably still packing her three suitcases in her room.
To my surprise, I spotted her in the living room with her little sister Bea on her lap.
揥here抯 the rest??I motioned at the suitcases. 揗y father and I are going to load them into the car now.?
揟hat抯 all,?Anna said. 揗om has one suitcase and I have two.?
揙nly two? Are you sure you have packed enough outfits??
Anna gave me a sweet smile. 揚aris is the home of fashion. Why should I bring what I can buy there or create myself??
Dante came out of his office and headed my way. 揥e抣l say our goodbyes here. I don抰 want to draw too much attention to your trip to Paris.?
揟hat抯 reasonable.?
I glanced at the clock. 揥e should leave in about fifteen minutes, just to make sure we have plenty of time.?
Dad and I carried the suitcases out into the car, and when we returned the Cavallaros were already in the midst of their farewells. Valentina held Bea in her arms who clung tightly to her mother. Anna was wrapped in her father抯 arms and actually crying. Despite having worked for the Cavallaros for years, I couldn抰 remember the last time I抎 seen Anna cry. She was like her father in that regard.
I stepped back outside to give them some privacy but kept glancing inside from the corner of my eye as Anna hugged her brother next. Those two often fought but you could tell they were close. Watching Anna being so honestly emotional and cry, I felt a hint of guilt over being an asshole to her most of the time, but it was the only way how I could keep her at a distance.
I really wished I hadn抰 seen this vulnerable side of Anna. Fuck. Now I would have an even harder time pushing her away.
Dad watched me, no longer disapproving, but with honest concern.
揈verything抯 going to be fine.?
He nodded, but he didn抰 believe it.
In all honesty, neither did I.
When we boarded the plane to Paris in late January, I could have danced from joy. Until the last moment I抎 been worried Dad would change his mind and not allow me to leave for France. The wistfulness and sadness lifted off my shoulders as soon as we lifted off the ground.
Mom accompanied us and would stay for a week to help me settle in, and to make sure everything was to her satisfaction. Of course, I knew she also wanted to make sure Santino and I didn抰 seem too close. That was the only advantage of the cold war between Santino and me at the moment. Nobody would suspect there could ever be anything between us.