Tangled In Strings

Chapter Twelve

Giovanni glances at his mom. "Are you happy for me?"

"Y-Yes," she responds, gaping slightly, clearly enraged. "I didn't know this was that serious?"

Giovanni's eyes slant. "Actually, it's a good deal more serious than that."

I watch fear strike in her eyes. "Oh?"

"Scarlett's, miraculously, agreed to marry me."

"Marry! Oh my gosh!" Valentina gasps excitedly, slamming her hands into the table. Giovanni grins as she jumps up and rounds the table, coming up behind him. Her arms wrap around his shoulders, capturing him in a chokehold. I laugh hesitantly as she hugs me as well. "We're going to be sisters!"

Tammy stares between us, pale white. I can't tear my eyes from her.

"Giovanni, can I have a word," Tammy whispers, holding a passive expression, "in the other room?"

He doesn't move for ages, simply staring at her. He finally sets down his drink, looking at me as he rises.

"Excuse me."

I nod, letting go of his hand with reluctance. I nearly tell him to stay. They both disappear through the doors into the adjacent room.

"Has he given you a ring yet? Why aren't you wearing one?" Valentina asks me, disturbing my attempt to listen in on their argument in the next room.

"He hasn't. He proposed... spur of the moment in Italy. He gave me this." I show her my locket. She grabs it, inspecting it and reading the quote, and smiles.

"Who knew he was such a sap?"

I hum. "I like it quite a bit."

I take a sip of wine as she walks back to her seat to serve herself. She gestures for me to as well.

"You might as well... this might take a while."

"Why?"

"Because my mom still wants him to marry Lola."

I still, unsure if I heard her right. "Lola?"

She chews on a roll. "Mhm."

"She wants him to marry the woman who cheated on him with his brother?"

"They've always been close. Lola has been here recently selling this sob story that Giovanni was never around and Tony paid attention to her. She's convinced Mom that Giovanni was in the wrong."

I'm blistering with rage. I can hardly sit still.

"Don't you dare," I hear Giovanni bark, and suddenly, Tammy is in the doorway, chest heaving, face red.

"What do you want with my son?" she shouts accusingly.

Somehow, I keep my cool. "I want to marry him."

Giovanni walks by her, currently livid.

"Why?"

"Because I am in love with him." Giovanni stops behind my seat. "Because we love each other."

"You are not the right person for my son. You have destroyed this family. My son is in jail because of you!"

"Tony is in jail because of Tony." I lean forward on my elbows, sick of her accusations. "He has wronged Giovanni in many ways, but the reason I held anything over Tony's head was because it was my job to protect Giovanni's reputation, even from his own family members."

"Giovanni could have handled the missing money. It was your influence that made him begin this ridiculous trial! We could have settled this privately! If you think for ONE second I'm going to approve of this marriage, you're mistaken, little girl!" She points at Giovanni, gritting her teeth together she's so angry. "And if you came here thinking for one second that I'm giving this whore my mother's ring–"

"Mom!" Valentina shouts, eyes widening.

"Fuck this shit," Giovanni snarls, holding his hand down for me.

I'm shaking violently, holding my tongue hard enough to taste blood. I take his hand, rising onto my feet.

"Giovanni, don't go!" Valentina cries, tears welling up in her eyes.

Giovanni points to his mother with a rigid finger. "I will be here at seven A.M. on the goddamn dot, and we will go together to the doctor because you are clearly out of fucking control! And let me tell you this, you will accept Scarlett, or you lose me. There's no alternative. She will be my wife."

She cackles like an actual witch. "Oh! Look at you! You'll give up your family for that–"

I pull myself from his grasp, unable to listen to any more from her. I won't do that to myself.

"I'm ashamed of you," I hear Giovanni hiss behind me before his shoes are following me.

"Scarlett, I'm sorry!" Valentina shouts, her small voice echoing through the foyer. Fred opens the door for me, his face full of resolution.

"Thank you for coming," he murmurs as I pass. I can only offer a nod in reply, my arms circling my body in a desperate need for protection. I sprint down the steps, a fire sparking beneath my toes.

"Scarlett!" He's right behind me. My chest expands, my emotions exploding within my frail body. "Scarlett, wait."

I spin on my heels, and as he is unsuspecting of it, we crash together. And in my anger, my defiance, my mouth lands upon his with a heated passion, my arms circling his shoulders.

The initial shock wears off within seconds, and he gives in to my kiss, fisting the material of my dress so I can't move an inch. Our mouths attack one another as if we're fighting, both so enraged we cannot help it. I pull on his bottom lip, clamping down, unwilling to let go, and he moans low at the pain of it, his hands raking up my back with strong, steel fingers until they are nestled tightly in my hair.

He only removes his lips from mine enough to meet my eyes, gasping.

"I fucking love you," he groans.

To answer him, I seal the space between our lips.