Chapter 35

“About Christian?” Vincenzo frowned his eyebrows. I felt bad because it seemed as if he had expected msomething else, but he was the only one who could give me answers at the moment.

“What about him?”“Is he ignoring you because you threw a drink on Francesca?” He asked while my eyes went big. “News tfamilies know about it.” He continued.

“He’s not ignoring me…we’re okay.” I smiled.

“Well for starters, you said you’ve known him for a long time. What was he like when he was younger?” Iquestion which popped up in my head. For some reason, I could not imagine a young Christian.

Vincenzo laughed and sighed while shaking his head. This was going to be good.

“We grew up with a lot of children from all the other families.” He began. I thought about Isobel who hadwas a family friend.

“No matter which game we were playing, Christian always had to be the boss. He was the youngest out oeveryone followed him and no one questioned him.” Vincenzo explained. “So it’s not very different fromnow?”

“No, not really,” Vincenzo confirmed. “Although, when he’s not working or not in a bad mood he’s actuaperson. He loves to joke around, laughs a lot-“

“Laughs a lot?” I chuckled and thought about the standard cold look on his face. “Yes, he laughs a lot…hepeople and is even a bit childish I would say.” Vincenzo smiled. The way he was speaking about Christianwonder if the fight they had was really about me and I couldn’t help but feel guilty.

“I guess one thing is different.” Vincenzo suddenly changed his mind. “Instead of looking up to him, theydown on him. He’s not that ambitious so him taking over his dad got a lot of people angry.”

Hearing Vincenzo’s side made me feel sorry for Christian. While I was worried about a few girls looking dhad all eyes on him— waiting for him to fail just as he had told me.

“How about…your dad?” I asked, unsure whether his dad or his mom was the powerful one. “Dad.”

Vinceconfirmed.

“My mom passed away when I was younger.” He explained with a forced smile on his face. Why did I alwthe line?

“I don’t know my parents.” I quickly sulked to get myself some pity points.

“My dad…let’s just say his relationship with the Lamberti’s is complicated,” Vincenzo spoke.

Complicatedmade me even more curious because there had to be a reason behind it.

“Why?” I asked and tried to read Vincenzo’s face. Whatever must have happened had to be serious.

“Letwas a misunderstanding but there’s nothing that can be done about it.” He shrugged off but his answer more curious. If the Lamberti’s were some crazy family after all, I at least had to find out before the babyTalking about his dad was definitely a no go to Vincenzo and showed me I had to stay in my lane.

“Well, you still hung out with Christian all this time, so it couldn’t have been that bad. Right?” I asked andwhen I saw a smile on his face. I was probably worrying about nothing. “I assume Luis is your half brothe“Yes, you assumed right, but we don’t do half— he’s just my brother, my only brother,”

Vincenzo explainmoved to Beau. “And Beau?”

“Beau… he has been staying with us since he was fourteen. My dad brought him from Canada.”

Vincenzobe your bodyguard?” I asked and Vincenzo nodded his head. “Yes, something like that.”

His answers were getting shorter which meant it was time for me to stop getting on his nerves. Not longarrived at the zoo and Luis and I were having the time of our lives while Vincenzo and Beau walked behinLuis and I took the time to look at all the animals and had a great time together.

“I really like having you here, I feel like you get me!” Luis said and hugged me. I patted the young boy onheld him close. “I feel the same way.”

Being with Luis made me wonder about what my child was going to be like. “The next time you have to chouse!” Luis offered and ran to his brother to tell him the same.

“We should if she wants to of course.” Vincenzo agreed and gave me a wink. “Beau, can you wait here wand I get some food?” Vincenzo asked and walked away with Luis before Beau could answer.

I smiled and made my way to Beau who sat down at the rock by the fountain and joined him. “Are you hof the house?” He asked me and those were the first words he ever said to me.

From the start, I had already noticed that he was a quiet person, but I was okay with it because I was the not that Christian is holding you hostage bu-“

“What do you know about Christian?” I asked him and looked into his eyes. He blinked a few times and mback. “W-we have the same eye color, won’t you look at that.” I stammered and looked the other way. I hputting people under pressure.

“He’s always been nice to me, so.” Beau sighed. “But I can understand why he hates Vincenzo at the moyou work in a factory while you’re pregnant.”

“Yeah he didn’t know, that was on me.” I chuckled embarrassed and did not want to get reminded of whVincenzo. “So your family is from Canada? You grew up there?” I asked to change the subject, but once ascrewed up when I saw the dull expression on his face.

“Just me…family is a big word.”

“I also grew up without a family,” I reassured him to make him feel better, which seemed to have workedhappy about your pregnancy.”

“Yes, I am,” I spoke. At first, I was scared and did not even want to think about having a baby, but so muc“How old are you?”

“I’m twenty-one, in six months twenty-two,” I told him. Beau frowned his eyebrows in surprise and smileme to-“

“We’re back!” Luis interrupted us and hugged Beau. Even though Beau grew up without a family, the smface whenever he played with Luis made me believe that he was okay with how things were.

Would I alsohow things were once the baby got here?

I spend my day eating and laughing with the three and for the first time in a while felt in a good mood wother than Olivia. Vincenzo who had originally annoyed me at the factory was too nice for words that I eabout him having a crush on me, but he was a good friend.

An unexpected feeling of sadness came over me when it was time to leave and I wished I could’ve stayed“You can call me whenever, I’m stuck at home doing nothing so,” I told Vincenzo and hugged him. “Me tand pushed away his brother so he could hug me instead.

“Beau!” I called out and opened my arms. He seemed flustered but accepted my hug anyway. “Beau wona handshake.” Vincenzo scoffed, making Beau pull away with a shy glare on his face.

“Bye guys!” I said one more time and walked in a different direction. I had no idea whether Vernon reporto Christian or not, but what I was doing wasn’t exactly any of their business.

He had his car parked at the same location where he dropped me off and opened the car door for me tohave a good time?” He asked as he sat down in the driver’s seat. “I did.”

“What was it you were doing again?” He tried to get information out of me. Once again it was hard for mwhether he was babysitting me or just genuinely curious. “I went to the zoo with a friend,” I told him andclosing my eyes. If I pretended to sleep, he could not talk to me anymore.

After a short drive, we had arrived back home and I walked into a dark house. Emmanuella was probablyChristian probably wasn’t home-

“You’re late, did you went clubbing or something?” Christian who had turned on the lights asked. I flinchheld my heart for a second.

“Don’t scare me like that!” I sighed and looked at the confused expression on his face. “You get scared vdecided to get to the bottom of it and walked circles around me. “Well yeah, if you are doing shit like thi“Sorry.” He apologized and stopped what he was doing. “What are you doing here anyway. You’re homemy eyes and walked past him.

“You, the temporary housemate— is asking me what I’m doing in my own house?” He questioned and leafterward. Ah, so that’s what Vincenzo meant by childish.

“You know that’s not what I meant.” I giggled. For some reason, he seemed more at ease and I started tohim way better.

“I came home early because I made you a promise but why are you home so late?” He dared to ask me. was to tell him that it was none of his business, but we were having a peaceful moment and I did not wawent to the zoo.”

“Could’ve just looked in the mirror,” Christian spoke boldly. I laughed in disbelief at his offensive joke.

“I just couldn’t get enough of you so I went and paid you a visit instead,” I spoke back, determined to geChristian closed his eyes for a second before he opened them again and shrugged his shoulders. “I’ll let time, you’re not capable yet of handling my clapbacks. Come on!” He gave up on our game and walked “What is all of this?” I asked him and looked at the snacks on the tray. “I told you I’d try, it’s for the moviwatch.” He explained and pushed the tray into my hands.

“And because you showed up so late and almost embarrassed me, you can carry them to my room.”

“Room?” I repeated and watched as he nodded his head. “I’m pregnant, you can’t let me carry stuff,” I toexcuse. He sighed and pulled the tray from my hands.

“It is eight-ounce snacks, but I’ll spare you. Let’s go.” He said and made his way to the stairs as I followedhim.

When he said he would keep his promise I had not expected him to take me to his room to watch a movThis should be interesting