“Umm…a handful?”
“None. Besides you and Marko, that is.”
Her brows raise. “Really? Not even your family?”
I shake my head from side to side.
She rears back. “Why?”
“Because I don’t like showing any kind of weakness. Especially to my family.”
Chloe frowns. “It’s not a weakness to need something like that. Iron Man would agree.” She nods her head towards Marko.
My lips twitch, fighting a smile. Seriously, she has this ability to erase the ice in my veins whenever I speak about my injury. “I’m sorry about lying and taking advantage of the situation.”
“I’m sorry too. It’s not like I’m completely innocent either. I went along with it all and lied to your family. And I just lied to my”—she stares off into the distance—“to Matteo.”
“Who is he to you anyway?”
“Someone important.”
“Does he know that?”
“No.” She looks down at her hands. “He doesn’t.”
“Why?” I speak low, without judgment.
Her head lifts. “He’s my dad. But he doesn’t know that I exist in the first place.” She goes off, explaining her ancestry kit experiment and how she ended up in Lake Como.
She wrings her hands together. “After I saw how he reacted around you, I kind of freaked out and said the first thing I thought would keep him interested in seeing me outside of here.” She waves a hand around the coffee shop. “I’ve tried multiple times to get him to go to lunch after my shift and he always has something else to do. I was getting desperate. But I’m sorry for using you like that. I wouldn’t have done it if I had known you’re actually some celebrity.”
No wonder she pretended I was her boyfriend. He practically tripped over his feet to meet me, and she took advantage of the opportunity. I can’t blame her when I basically did the same with my sister.
“It shouldn’t matter who I am. You told him I’m your boyfriend, and I doubt you can go and take that back. Plus, there’s no reason to.”
“Why? I’ll just pretend we broke up.” Her eyes drift away from mine. “Honestly, it’s probably for the best. I don’t want to lie to him either. That makes me a big hypocrite.”
“Do you feel ready to tell him who you are?”
She shakes her head from side to side. “Not at all. Today was honestly the first time I saw him animated like that. He’s nice and all, don’t get me wrong, but he treats me like an employee.”
I feel like shit. Here she is trying to connect with her dad, and I’m stealing his attention after a few minutes. An instantaneous flood of guilt hits me, wanting to make amends. “Then no. You can’t tell him the truth yet. Lying be damned, you should spend some time around him,” I blurt out.
“Why don’t you want me to tell him the truth?”
“Because you can spend some more time with him, using me as a way to keep his interest.” God, I hope that’s not the case. It’s sad enough that she traveled all this way to find him, only to be hiding. It must be lonely for her.
Just like it is for me.
Her brows lift. “Why on earth would you want me to use you?”
“Let’s say I have my own selfish reasons for wanting you around.”
And in all honesty, I do. I like the way Chloe makes me feel normal again. It’s something I need more of, and this sacrifice seems like a small price to pay. I can build my confidence around her while she uses me as a prop.
“I feel like I’m getting the better end of the deal here.”
I shake my head from side to side. “I can assure you that you’re most definitely not.”
“Well…If you insist, I suppose it’s not the worst idea out there.” Her blue eyes brighten as they land on me.
I sit taller in my chair and lean in. “I’ll only ask for one favor in return.”
“What?”
“Join Marko and me for dinner tomorrow. It’s his last night before he leaves, and he hasn’t stopped talking about you since he first met you.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s about time we get to know each other. The real us.”
“For consistency. Smart.”
She wants consistency, I want someone to ease the loneliness I’ll feel once Marko leaves. This solution is the best of both worlds.
And with a nod of her head, I know I’ve got her trapped. She gets to spend time with her dad because of me, and I get to feel like a better version of myself.