Female Novel
Chapter 29 (Aliyana)
I see Serena comparing dresses and she’s obviously isn’t liking hers very much when everyone gushesabout Guilia’s dress, including her mother, Ilaria. In fact, for all Ilaria’s bitchiness, she has been adream the entire wedding. She even backed ten dozen biscuits and 4 cakes just because she knowsGuilia likes her cakes. I want to believe her niceness is real, I really do but I can’t.
“You look beautiful too Serena.” She beams at me and I wink before I grab my phone from the passagetable and begin to walk down before my sister. The amount of people in our entrance hall is an easysixty. From our old Zia Irene to our Uncle Thomas, and Capo Marcello standing next to Nicole, theywere all here, seeing their not so virgin bride walking down the stairs before she gets to the car.
Deno is waiting downstairs, looking exceptionally neat in a tuxedo.
Our house is packed and it feels like a funeral the way everyone is glaring at me. It is almost like theyall know my secrets like they can see I am hiding something or someone.
I know that is not possible. The phone in my hand vibrates at that moment. A reminder of that secretand what I now have to do.
A lot can happen in a few months, including losing your virginity to a man you have no intention ofmarrying. And My father is standing downstairs waiting to give my sister to the man I once thought Iwould marry.
Slow steps, one at a time, down I go, people whisper as I finally reach the bottom stairs.novelbin
After a quick, run and greet as my sister’s maid of honor, we take a half-hour to get to the CatholicChurch.
Walking inside, I see Leonardo standing next to Marco and Deno by the alter, waiting with the Priest.For some insane reason, the news I heard this morning pops in my head. The shootout at the docks
about 2 days ago, was now the new talk of Seattle, they were calling it gang wars, blaming theMexicans and I’m sure that is what Marco and Deno wanted to happen. Then again, I did stroke hiscoat when I practically told him it was the Outfit who killed his men.
I don't need to wonder about the extent of Marco’s crimes. I already know, and that is the reason thethoughts of us together, his naked body on top of mine, the taste of his lips as he kissed me with suchabandoned play in my head and I find the courage not to go to him and beg him to forgive me.
In this moment I am strong enough. My attention is given to Leonardo who looks striking, with his nowshort-cropped hair and linen white suit and blue tie waiting next to his brothers’ looking every bit thenervous groom. My sister has grown fond of him. But now and again I still catch her looking at me likeshe needs me to give her permission. She has never needed my permission. My father is the onlyperson my sister needs permission from and he has taken that away from her.
These last few days I am finding it very hard to believe that Papa is better than the other men but as Ilook at him enter the Church with Ilaria, like all these Italian Made-Men with their big rings and so muchpower, I'm finding it very hard to convince myself that my Papa is the man I have believed him to be, oram I blinded by the idea of better?
"Aliyana, a woman after my own heart," Gabriel’s voice snaps me out of my wicked thoughts as I spinaround to look at him.
He is looking very handsome today, in a Navy-blue suit of finely tailored perfection.
I have not seen him since the day of my sister's Bachelorette and with Matteo now permanently servingas a watchdog for my Papa, I couldn’t even call Gabriel without Matteo breathing down my neck.
"If I was after your heart I would have it by now," I tell him as a small smile peeks through the corner ofmy lips.
“Sometimes you say the sweetest things Liya.”
I hug Gabriel, knowing this is my only chance for the day to let him know what happened, “Mero called,Vincent saw him, we moving him today.”
Gabriel pretends to kiss my cheek, “I’ll arrange the jet, Michel will let you know when to leave.”
I step back just as my father announces that they will be having dinner in the ballroom. My eyes landon my stepmother who is dressed in a lime green Vera Wang dress. She does not look very happy allof a sudden. And I know that it has nothing to do with my sister's marriage.
Which boggles my mind because I know for a fact that my stepmother wants me to get married butdidn’t want Guilia to, and that I always presumed was because Guilia was the twin's free babysitter.Now I am not so sure.
“Sit next to me, Aliyana," Gabriel’s face has a slight grin as he says this.
"Why not, it will be better sitting with you than with her," I say as I tilt my head to the side.
He takes me by the elbow with his fingers touching my flesh. The touch is intimate, but this is Gabrielso I brush it off and we move together toward the ballroom.
"This must be hard for you, I hear your father and Filippo didn’t take your little scene too well the othernight," Gabriel whispers closely in my ear.
“It is what it is." Marco’s words come out of my mouth and this is the first time since he said it that I canunderstand why.
Once, a not too long time ago what made it hard would be the feelings I have for him but today it is notmy feelings making this hard, it is the extent of his crimes and those crimes extending to my friend.
I see Leonardo stand and talk to my father, their hands locked in a man shake as my father tells himsomething that has him smiling.
Matteo was very happy on our ride back home after we left the Manor, to share some of Leonardo'scrimes as Guilia slept with her music blaring in her ears. To say the man didn't like Leonardo wasputting his actual hate toward Leonardo mildly. I don't think the rest of the Catelli family did any better inhis head. Which made Matteo a bit more tolerable.