Killing Me To Love You | ✓

[ 26 ]

"Oh! Is that a blush I see? Mr. Nicholas has worked his magic already?" She giggles.

"No! It's nothing like that! He's been great company; him and Angela. They've kept me sane." Suddenly, it hits me. "So, your family's part of a huge mafia and you never told me, huh?"

Caterina's expression changes to stone. "I'm sorry... I wanted to, I really did but how do you tell someone you love and care about something like this? I'd sound crazy! On top of that, you'd probably leave me."

"So, all those times you avoided taking me to your parents' was because of this?" I ask.

She nods.

"Even when your parents always invited me over?"

"It's never safe around us. I could never risk it. My parents love you and I know they wouldn't intentionally hurt you but with what they do... we could never be sure." She looks down at her hands on her lap.

"Are you involved in any of the mafia... activities your family partakes in?" I ask more out of curiosity than anything.

"No!" She says defensively. "Never! Not once. I swore to not follow the same path. I'm in social work for God's sake. I know I can never wipe clean the blood on my family's slate clean, but I can keep my half clean."

"Then, that settles it. Even if you did, I'd still care for you the same, don't ever think differently. You've been with me through thick and thin, I'll do the same for you." I hold her hands in mine. "That will never be out of pity or payment of some kind, it will always be because I love you."

"Inaya! You always want to make me cry." Tears well up in her eyes. "You're a blessing in everyone's life. I don't know how you do it, but I'm sure you could make a criminal feel guilty."

"You're always so dramatic, Cat." I laugh. "Hey... can I ask something?"

"Go for it. I'm sure I just told you the biggest secret I have kept. I feel like I'm on top of the world." She laughs.

"That time... in grade 6 or 7, when I first started to wear a hijab, what did you do to make those boys change their whole persona?"

Caterina smirks. "I don't know what you're talking about."

I smack her with the pillow that was on my lap. "Cat! I want to know!"

"I showed them my bad bitch side." She sticks out her tongue.

I give the look where I know that she's lying.

"Let me have my heroine moment!" She whines.

"I'm not taking it away! Either way, you did make it happen." I reassure her.

"Okay... listen. I was getting really fucking annoyed that those bastards wouldn't leave you alone and one day, I snapped. I know you told me to let it be and I told myself I would never use my family business to intimidate others but..."

"You made an exception for me." I finish her sentence.

"It was just once! Besides, those guys never picked on you since!" She pouts. "They even made sure no one ever said a word against you till the day we graduated high school."