Chapter 2 Past Is Past

• Elle put on a brave face for Romano Nikolov. Barely. It's not because she was unhappy to see him, but she would have preferred it to be under different conditions. It's because of the sight that is currently shredding what's left of her insides. Her vision is fuzzy from the tears, but not foggy enough for her.
• Those whorey babes pawing at Hunter Moretti as if he were a hot steak for their hungry sexual cravings.
• Have they no shame?
• Grandpa Vito is laying in his casket not more than a foot away, and they can't even keep their dirty hands to themselves long enough to kneel and offer a quick prayer for his soul?
• They'd rather get down on their knees for other reasons, regardless of why they were all there.
• "You look amazing," Romano says, his lips curled into a smile. "How was the holiday?"
• Elle nods because a sob is inconveniently caught in her throat, and if she tries to say anything, it will explode out of her.
• Yes, she adored Grandpa Vito, and she had shed many tears for the guy who raised her as his own granddaughter when her own died years ago. This sob, however, is reserved for the jerk at her grandpa’s left. And that jerk doesn't deserve one more cry from her, as she shattered heart can witness.
• Romano leans in for an embrace, misinterpreting her stillness for sadness. He's correct; he just doesn't know for whom it's reserved.
• Elle tries to look away from the Maqui twins.
• What the hell are they looking for?
• She can no longer see their fucking hands! Her throat fills with bile, and nausea washes over her.
• Hunter does not belong to her. He never was, as he'd made obvious when she departed for Manhattan months before. Something he'd proven by not responding to her texts and emails. Even after that night...the night she was certain he'd tell her he loved her, the night she was certain he'd beg her not to leave.
• She didn't want to go to college in Boston. Her parents chose it more than anything else. They wanted her to leave New York and the perils that come with being a member of the East Coast's largest crime family. But she was willing to accept the hazards of staying put, especially since it meant keeping near to Hunter.
• Her parents, despite never admitting it, saw right through her nonsense justifications for why she should stay in New York, which made them even more eager to whisk her off to Manhattan.
• Hunter is a dangerous man, and they didn't want her near him.
• But it's difficult to expect feelings you've had for the larger part of your life to simply vanish from your heart. She couldn't do it, and she clung to every minute they had shared before she left for her freshman year, hoping and praying he'd tell her he, too, loved her.
• He didn't do it. Instead, he took her to her favorite pizza restaurant for dinner, brought her to his house, surprised her with rainbow cookies from ABCD’s Bakery, and kissed her as if she were the only woman on Earth. Then he shattered her hopes for their future and informed her he couldn't be the man she needed.
• And she was such a moron.
• She should despise him.
• But she doesn't think so. She can't. She doesn't have a single recollection of her childhood that doesn't include him.
• Their fathers were closer than brothers, and their offspring followed in their footsteps. Noah, Hunter, and her had been inseparable despite the fact that she was six years younger.
• Every birthday party, vacation, grilling, and beach day... Hunter and his family were there for it all, until it all broke apart a few years ago.
• She was still not sure what caused the feud, but their parents are no longer speaking. They rarely acknowledge each other in public, and Elle knows they're just here to honor Grandpa Vito, not Hunter's parents.
• It's a far cry from the strong relationship that the Moretti and Rossi had maintained for so long. Even their mothers, who are all too used to putting up a cheerful face for the cameras, scarcely exchange a glance while they're in the same room.
• Regardless of their feud with Hunter's parents, her parents had always remained loyal to Grandpa Vito. He just had that kind of influence on people. He was a strong old man with a wonderful heart. Until it broke down on him. And it pains her that all of this nastiness prohibited her from seeing him before he died. She should have paid them a visit or called.
• She should have done a lot more.
• He died alone, and she will remember it until the day she die.
• "Nikolov." Elle looked up just in time to see her older brother Noah’s disgusted expression. He squeezes between them, causing Romano to back away. "You didn't waste any time bringing ass back here. Vito isn't even buried yet, for fuck's sake."
• Romano sighs. "I came to pay my respects."
• Noah exhales a snort. "Respect. That's an intriguing word for you. How did you manage not to choke on that one?"
• "I have a lot of choking-related ideas, Rossi. Would you like to see some of them in action?" Romano clenches his hands and moves in closer to Noah.
• "Hey, stop it!" Elle hissed and forced them apart. "For the love of Christ, it's a funeral. Keep in mind where you are."
• Romano grins. "Not like the old man can banish me again."
• "No, but it doesn't mean somebody ain't gonna plug you on his behalf." Noah looks over Elle’s shoulder at Romano. "Why don't you take a fucking walk, asshole?"
• Romano looks across the room and notices his father, Carlos, giving him a disapproving look. He squeezes her shoulder again, not making eye contact with Noah. "Nice to see you, Elle. Let's catch up before you start school again next month."
• Noah stiffens next to Elle but says nothing.
• Elle rolled her eyes at Noah as Romano returns to his corner. "Noah, you can calm down," she murmured, waving to Romano. "He was only saying hello. I don't get involved in your problems, so please stay out of mine."
• "I believe they can be classified as more than 'my issues.' And as my sister, I'd assume you'd want to be loyal to your fucking family over that jerk."
• "You are aware of my devotion to you. I simply believe it is time to let go. The past is the past, and all that.”
• "Geez. What kind of nonsense are they teaching you down there? When did you become so forgiving?"