Page 41 of Always Meant To Be
I narrow my eyes at the intruders while Holly glares hard.
“Holly,” Leonardo says, smirking, his eyes taking in her jean shorts and crop top.
Holly replies, “Manwhore mafia asshole,” with a curled lip, and I snort.
Leonardo looks my way with a raised brow in question, but I grin wide and state, “Best friend trumps cheating husband’s brother.”
Romeo growls while Leonardo’s face goes red, clearly not happy I told my best friend his ‘profession,’ and he snaps, “He hasn’t cheated on you, Elena, and maybe it's about time you grew the fuck up, and realized that before you ruin your marriage, because now your just being pathetic.”
My eyes widen in shock at his words, especially when I thought he was my friend. Holly goes to take a menacing step toward him, but I grab her arm while Leonardo doesn’t back down or even look sorry for his words.
Guess brother trumps sister-in-law, too, huh?
Ensuring he sees my hurt, I nod and ask, “So my husband spending all his time with the woman he was originally promisedto over the last four years, keeping a protective arm around her at events I was forced to go to didn’t ruin my marriage?”
Romeo narrows his eyes while Leonardo snorts, “It was put in the contract byyour own motherthat he is supposed to protect her at all costs, or he’d lose you. If you haven’t noticed, your sister caused a lot of shit over the years so that she could spend time with him. Stop blaming my brother for your insecurities, Elena.”
Holly growls, but I squeeze her arm and question, “My insecurities?” I hum trying to act nonchalant when my heart is being smashed into pieces. I tap my finger on my chin to try and hide the wobble in my chin, the urge to cry hitting hard, and summarize, “Funny, here I thought my problems stemmed from the fact I got shot twice and was not even thought about until an hour after the incident, when my husband threw his body over my sister’s, and stayed on top of her to keep her safe while I was in danger. Heck, he placed me at the back of the room, unprotected, despite knowing there was going to be an attack.” Leonardo stills, and I continue, “I thought my problems stemmed from the fact my own father sold me to protect his precious eldest, and I was made to feel second choice all my life, and the fact I got whipped by a belt as a kid because of my own sister’s lies.”
I take four menacing steps and get in Leonardo’s face, and I sneer, “I have spent the past four years of my marriage being made second best, Leonardo.” He flinches, his eyes wide at my using his full name. “I wasn’t even an afterthought when I got shot and because of you and your manwhore ways, I got water instead of the contraceptive shot that I wanted, because bringing a baby into a marriage where my sister is always first is sickening!”
“Farfalla…” Romeo tries, but I ignore him and shove Leonardo hard, showing both men my anger, causing sharp pains to shoot through my leg, but I ignore it.
Leonardo stumbles in shock, and I shout, “Last time I checked Leonardo,” he cringes again, “he didn’t need my sister to fawn all over him, to hang off his arm to fucking protect her; he also didn’t need to make out with her while I was bleeding out on that restaurant floor, the same restaurant I didn’t even want to go to, the same restaurant my so-called husband forced me to go to just so I could watch his arm around her all night, embarrassing me before everyone who believes they should be together.”
I take a step back, breathing hard, Leonardo’s eyes wide, his face pale. I look at Romeo, ensuring to make eye contact with him as I ask Leonardo, “Tell me something, Leo. Did your precious brother here tell you about all the naked photos he has of my sister on his phone?” Romeo’s eyes darken. I continue, “Did he tell you about all the calls?” I look his way, his face pale. “So tell me, dear brother-in-law, am I insecure, or am I just done being someone’s pawn?”
Holly comes up beside me, linking her arm with mine, and I say, “If you don’t mind, not only is this my private space that you’ve both barged in, but we have an appointment to get to.”
Leonardo’s eyes soften toward me, and he nods. “Always knew you had a fiery side,sorella.” I flinch at that word, making him frown.
His frown deepens when I whisper, “Don’t call me that anymore. I’m no longer your sister, after today, I want nothing to do with you.”
His mouth drops open in shock as Romeo growls, “Leonardo, take Holly home, now!”
I snort as Holly says, “I drove myself, Romeo, and like hell would I ever get in the same car as that manwhore. I’d probably catch something just sitting in the seat.”
I grin at her words as Leonardo growls, but I ignore him and make eye contact with Romeo. “I have a meeting with my cousin, so why don’t you do me a favor and move.”
Romeo smirks, crossing his arms over his chest and commands, “Leonardo….”
I frown but soon gasp as Leo charges toward us, bends, and throws Holly over his shoulder. He gives me a wink like he didn’t just destroy whatever friendship we had with his nasty words as Holly screams, “Put me down, you walking STD!” before he turns.
She kicks and punches him, causing him to grunt when she hits her mark between his legs, but he continues to limp out the room, not once putting her down despite clearly being in some pain.
“If I wasn’t so mad right now, I’d probably laugh,” I murmur as Holly’s screams echo through the house.
As soon as the front door slams, I look at Romeo and raise a brow. Nothing but anger radiates from him as he growls, “Did you think Maxim wouldn’t let me know you wanted to view one of his apartments?”
“That traitorous little…” I sneer, hurt he’d go behind my back like this, only proving I can’t trust him anymore.
Romeo remarks, “He’s not a traitor, El; he told me because you’re my wife, and he knows I won’t allow you to leave me.”
I scoff, “So what? I’m supposed to stay with my lying, cheating husband, who’s done nothing but show me how little I mean to him?” I chuckle darkly. “Yeah, no thanks. Papa put those stipulations in about pregnancy for a reason, and that reason is so I’m not stuck in a loveless marriage. It’s probably the only good thing he ever did concerning the contract.” I curlmy lip at him, trying to ignore how hot he looks with his black shirt tight across his muscles, the scruff on his face making me want to run my nails through it. I snap, “I did start to believe that you felt something for me, that everything was just so I could be yours, but you were just playing me, using me so you could have your cake and eat it too, you?—”
My angry ramblings are cut off when Romeo growls and grabs my neck, slamming his lips against mine, shocking me.
He licks the seam of my mouth, and I try to shove him away, only for him to grab my hands, trapping them behind my back as he turns us, pressing me against the wall, my lips opening with a gasp, giving him the opening he wants.