GIRLFRIEND, he says.
Teresa's eyes enlarged and she bit down on her lip. Dante's eyes slid to Teresa and as he lowered them, he saw her hand clawing at the table with her nails. This was bad.
What an idiot, Dante internally groaned.
"We've been seeing each other for a few months after the princess came home" He continued and as he spoke, he dared not to look the girl's way.
Dionne was either pretty clueless about the tension or she was choosing to ignore it. Either way, she was stupid to Teresa. How could she think tension this thick was good in a family like this? If Teresa were in her shoes, she would've chosen to leave before a bullet was in her.
"Hi. It's finally nice to meet you, Mr. Rossi. Your brother has told me a lot about you. I admit I was pretty intimidated by you, still is" She giggled as she held her hand out in greeting.
Luciano chuckled and he felt Teresa's rage therefore he chose not to move a muscle but nod. "It is nice to meet you, Dionne. As you can see my hands are full"
Oh, we're making jokes now? Teresa thought.
Dionne must've thought it funny as well as she nodded and retreated her hand introduces herself to Teresa. Could she not see her face? Was her resting bitch face not plastered? Or did Dionne ignore it?
"It is also a pleasure to meet the bride-to-be" She grinned as she held her own out.
Teresa's lowered towards it. On one hand, she thought to leave her hanging like Adriano left Nina. However, she felt Luciano's hold tighten and she knew he was demanding she not be rude, not cause a scene. Why not?
She sighed internally. She could put on her big girl panties, for now.
Dante watched as Teresa's hand left the table to clasp Dionne with a fake smile. "I see Adriano hadn't spoken of me much then? I wonder why" She pretended to giggle as she tilted, giving Adriano the death glare all the while smiling. That was bad.
When Dionne moved to her siblings and Nina, she smirked. She could keep her cool, even Nina, but Georgia was downright different. She saw Dionne's hand stretched out and looked at it rolling her eyes and saying, "Before I shake that hand and pretend everything is have one question. Did you know your-" She raised her fingers to air quote "Boyfriend" She continued, "was screwing my dear friend here?"
Dionne must've not known Adriano was bringing her to meet his every night woman because she took a step back the second Nina stood up. Georgia followed suit and then Teresa who was tugged by Luciano but she smacked his hand away.
Dionne was flustered as she stared at them and Nala moved near Rome in caution any drinks were to fly.
"Well yes," She said and Nala smacked her forehead.
"However, we weren't together then. Adriano was adamant and assured me that it was a pleasure thing only. Just sex. He realized he wanted this relationship so he's put his extracurricular activities to rest yes?" She turned to face him and he nodded.
"Yes of course"
Nina scoffed.
Just sex? A pleasure thing? He made her sound like some cheap skank. Some everyday whore. Is that how he saw her?
"Oh so fucking awesome. Just sex" She snapped at Adriano seeing the guilt in his eyes.
Dante chuckled lowly as he never had this kind of issue. Two women, one man, and then the friends? Unfortunately one of those friends was his boss's wife, in other words, he was fucked.
Adriano stepped forward in shield of Dionne as he noticed Teresa made her way to the girls. "Look, she did nothing wrong. Do not chaste her" He demanded.
Teresa was the one to laugh. He thought he could demand them of anything? Who the fuck did he think they were? She moved in front of the girls. Adriano thought he could use that tone with them. Intimidate them? Hell no. Not in front of her. "Nothing wrong?" She asked. His eyes lowered to her and he put his arm out as if he knew she would target Dionne the moment she could.
Luciano taught her that kind of thing. Strike at the enemy when they're vulnerable and right now, his woman was. She was targeted by three of them.
"She knew you were screwing my fucking best friend! Playing with her feelings whether you meant or not Adriano! You knew all along. She told you she wanted more. Instead of talking to her about it and walking away from it, you got back in her fucking bed again and then you left. You ghost her and you show up with her?!"
Teresa was in full rage and protective mode as if she was a mother protecting her children. Who was this man she was staring at? Her Adriano would've never done this to any woman he cared for. The audacity for Dionne to claim Nina was just sex? That's the description he gave? What did he make her out to look like?
It was bullshit. They were friends first and he loved her like it. He cared for her and he acted as if he didn't care about her feelings.
He was being a jackass, an asshole and Teresa wouldn't stand for it.
Dante's eyes narrowed as he saw Teresa's fist balling just the way he taught her when she punched that bag. She was ticking every second. His eyes slid up to Adriano and smirked.
He'll need some ice soon.
Dionne laid her hand on Adriano's arm but he wouldn't move it. "Listen" She sighed. It was obvious the three women disliked her because of Adriano and because she knew their friend was screwing her man. "I would never stand for another woman's heartbreak intentionally by my man. But lady's heartbreak is everywhere. How can I be upset with him for accidentally doing it to her? Just as your friend, Adriano should've gotten out of the situation as well" She glared at Adriano during the last bit.
"However I am aware I am not welcome so I will leave. I apologize for the mess I've caused"
Accidentally? Nina wanted to say. No, he knew what the fuck he was doing, she mused.
Adriano didn't have just her looking stupid but Dionne too.
Adriano turned to call out for Dionne but she was walking away. He groaned and faced Teresa with begging eyes. "Teresa please don't-" Chairs were pushed out and Dante was up and stunned as they all saw Teresa throw not a slap but a punch at Adriano. Nala's eyes widened as they slid to Luciano who was standing at the head of the table.
Teresa breathed heavily as not even she expected herself to do such a thing. Adriano stared at her as he wiped the blood off his lip. "Teresa" He reached out but she pulled away and shook her head.
This is what she wanted to avoid. Tears welled in her eyes not just for what she's done, but what he did, what he did to their friendship, to Nina, and what Luciano did too. Georgia grabbed her arm but she pulled away, not wanting to be touched.
"Look what you've done!" She yelled. "Look at her! Look at her Adriano!" She screamed as she pointed at Nina. Her best friend dripped with tears as she stared at him. He sighed. "Are you so fucking blind to see she's in love with you?! All of this time, you've been with her. And she told you, she told you she wanted more and instead of stepping away knowing you had another woman, you took advantage of her emotions and you fucked her over and over again! How dare you disrespect her like that? Just sex? How dare you disrespect me like that?" She stabbed her finger into her chest and Teresa didn't care how crazy she looked. Didn't care that she was yelling, her vocals aching and crying.
"Did you think I would accept what you've done? Been happy for you?" She shook her head.
She even faced Nina. "This is why I didn't want you to do anything. I told you, he was not ready for a fucking relationship. I told you it was not a good idea. You should have left Nina. You should've fucking left." She reprimanded and Nina cried, nodding her head and claiming she knew and she was sorry but how could Teresa be pissed with her?
She was in love and she couldn't let go. So she stayed. Stayed with the man who claimed her just sex. Stayed with the man who refused to commit to her but apparently with another woman.
Teresa knew that pain like no one else. How could she not? She loved Luciano so much that she stayed. She made her heart ache every day wanting and needing him to love her back. To need her to. Here she was, continuously making terrible mistakes. Because she's still here.
"Get out" She demanded Adriano.
He didn't move and she walked up to him and pushed him hard. "Get out!" She screamed.
Luciano couldn't take it anymore. Teresa was yelling and screaming and he's never seen her act this way. Never.
It was terrifying.
Adriano walked out of the restaurant and he saw her face Nina and take her into his arms. Georgia kissed her head. He hadn't known. He didn't know she was in love with Adriano. If he did, he would've never approved of what his brother was doing. He should've told her.
"Tesoro" He whispered as she pulled away from Nina. He sighed as he began to pull her into his chest but she pushed him instead. That was never okay. Especially not with him. Dante moved around them and she snatched her arm away.
"Tesoro don't—"
"Shut up" She snapped and that was enough to piss him off. He squared his shoulders as he glared at her.
"You knew it didn't you? All along, of course, you did. Before he even brought her in, you were all touching me, pulling me closer because you fucking knew. You thought that was okay? You thought him disrespecting Nina was okay? Tossing her aside and bringing in that..."She paused as she shook her head.
She sighed. "I keep doing this with you," He noticed she reached for her ring and he stopped her but she pushed him away again yelling No!
" No Luciano you make me think you are ready. You make me think that this therapy is working, that you are being a better man. That you can be a husband to me and you turn around and prove me fucking wrong. If you thought this was okay... I don't know what else you think"
She snatched it off her finger and a piece of him began to shatter bit by bit again. "Tesoro please don't" She slammed it against his chest and claimed she was going home. He grabbed her arm again with pleading eyes but she snatched it demanding he not to touch her. He watched her move and wrap her arms around Nina before lifting her head and staring behind him. He turned around and Dante was there.
"We're ready to go" She called out to him. Dante lowered his eyes away from Luciano as he began walking but was grabbed by him.
"We're leaving with or without you" She snapped as the three women began to walk out of the door. Dante removed Luciano's hand following them outside.
Luciano watched as Dante placed his coat over Teresa's arms and whisper something to her that made her wrap her arm underneath his own and around his waist, her head following on his shoulder.
Nala moved beside Luciano as she watched the loving action. She smiled, Dante had her back. She faced Luciano with a sigh and he was already defensive as he said, "I did nothing wrong"
She rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, but betray your woman's trust by keeping a promise to your man" She claimed to refer to Adriano. She hadn't needed to know if the situation was a secret, Luciano didn't tell Teresa so it didn't matter.
"He is my brother" He snapped. Not his "man" as if he was some casual friend.
She nodded with a yep. "Your brother who deliberately demanded you to keep the secret because he knew exactly how those women would react. Especially Teresa. Guess what he was right"
She snickered softly, his eyebrow raising in question.
"I'm sorry, it's just you gentlemen thought bringing that woman in here, on Teresa's engagement day where she was happy and in peace and thought she was going to bypass Dionne?"
Nala thought the men were delusional.
"So it's my fault?" He questioned.
"That Adriano did this? No. But it's your fault your woman threw that ring back at you. Luciano, Teresa believed for a split second you were ready... and this... proves your not. I know it's confusing, but you got to figure out what you should and shouldn't tell her. Listen, sit down" She pulled the chair over for him to sit.
He did.
" There is something called Secrets of consequence. Secrets that could either weigh on your relationship or weigh on you as a person. For example, this weighs on your relationship because indirectly Teresa was put into it because of Nina. She loves her like her sister and she will always have her back. This incident with Adriano was betrayal and you keep it from her only made her think you didn't find it important. That you didn't care if her friend was going to be hurt. That you only cared for your newfound happiness together. Luciano, it was selfish and as a potential husband you care for your woman's family like they're your own."
Luciano leaned forward with his head in his hand. He understood that much as he demanded once his family treat her as if she were to. Now he was being the hypocrite.
"So you have to make it up to her and that doesn't mean materials." She said as she noticed him rubbing the ring between his fingers.
Luciano sighed. "I hate therapists." Then he joked with a chuckle.
She giggled as she asked, "Well why are you paying me?" Good point.
She huffed and laid her hand on his shoulder.
"Luciano, this cannot go on. This is a push and pull. You push her away and pull her right back." As Nala watched Dante help Teresa in the car, she couldn't say what she knew.
Luciano was indeed pushing Teresa. But pushing her into another man's arms. Luciano huffed and turned to glance at her with a smirk. He claimed she can take her food to go. Now he has to fix his relationship. Again. Ugh!
Teresa had been packing her clothes and wiping her face, sniffling. She couldn't find her phone! Dante came in asking "Hey... what's wrong?" He whispered as he rubbed up and down her arms wanting not to tick her off anymore than she already is. When they walked in, she demanded to be on the jet back home. She hadn't wanted to stay there another minute.
She slammed her hands on the bag with a frustrated yell. "I can't find my phone" She cried out and he nodded, being gentle with her.
"Hey hey Okay... I'll find it. Calm down."
As he turned away, he paused cursing himself for doing the very thing she hates.
Teresa cackled. She turned around with her arms outstretched and pissed.
"Calm down, he says. Calm down Luciano says. Please, Teresa, Adriano says. Does no man fucking care about our feelings?! It's always relaxing and calming down. Breathe Teresa. Why do I always have to withhold my feelings?!" She snapped in a rush of flashing rage. She was sick of it. The manly energy is always trying to lower the feminine.
"You know what, you're all bastards. You're selfish bastards and I'm sick of it." She complained and finally expressed herself. It was so much a woman could take.
Dante was offended she dared to insult him. Placed him in the bubble Luciano and Adriano reside in. He was nothing like them. However, Teresa was angry and women tended to speak nonsense at that point.
"I get it you're mad so I'll ignore your insults"
Her hands tossed into the air as he only continued to piss her off. "Yeah go ahead. Ignore me. Ignore my ridiculous feelings and emotions. It's not like they matter huh?"
He groaned. On one hand, d he wanted to ignore her, but on the other, she made not responding mn hard.
"Teresa you're being dramatic" He sighed.
She shrugged. "Maybe I am but I am allowed to feel this way. Look who I'm... I don't even know anymore. Is this just not meant to be? I mean I tell myself over and over that we're soulmates. That we're meant to be together and yet... I doubt it more and more."
He moved near the bed in question. "Then why are you with him?"
Because she loves him. He's just stupid.
He chuckled as he saw it written all over her face.
"A hypocrite." He deemed, shaking his head as she glared at at
"You tell Nina that it is her er fault that she didn't pull from Adriano when she knew she loved him. And yet you know your relationship is bad and you continue to find excuses to stay."
She got up to holler, "They're not excuses!"Dante scoffed. Yeah right. He got up to pull her suitcase, annoyed with her anger and she smacked his hand off her suitcase. Dante groaned as he stared at her.
"Look, I'm not Luciano. Or Adriano and I won't stand it" Teresa was prone to put her hands on them when she was angry, but he wouldn't ever go for it. He avoided it with her but seeing how she punched Adriano, he knew nothing was above her anger.
Teresa walked around the bed to stand close to him, raising her furious tone at him.
"What? Are you going to leave?"He stepped up to her. "Teresa, I'm warning you. Don't fucking touch me like that."
Dante's tone must've been very assertive and frightening, that Teresa's anger began to slowly fade.
She stared at him and took a step back, looking everywhere but his eyes. "I'm... I'm sorry, I'm being dramatic and I'm... Dante I'm pissed" Her tears welled again and he nodded.
He huffed and closed his eyes as he hummed down. Prepared to handle her "delicacy" in a way Luciano and Adriano never did.
He nodded. "I understand" He pulled her into a hug and she grinned as he laid his chin on her head. Teresa was glad to fall into his embrace. She felt so stupid. Dante was always there for her and what do she do? Treat him like she did Luciano and Adriano who did everything wrong to her. Meanwhile, Dante only wanted her happy.
"She used to hit me," He said, filling the silence. She began to rise with wide eyes as she thought of Kia but he held her tighter. "My... adoptive mother." He clarified.
"I mean they've groomed me but it wasn't by words Teresa. They didn't lecture me over and over. You don't learn shit that way. When I defied them... " He trailed off with a shamed sigh. Shame he allowed a woman to beat him, and touch him in that way as a strong man. Teresa raised her head and gave a smile small. "Hey, you don't have to say" She whispered.
With a grin, he nodded and kissed her forehead. "You're a little... expressive when you're angry." He chuckled. Neither of them could imagine she had it in her to punch Adriano she did. Dante doesn't know what he would've done if that were him. It would've brought up terrible flashbacks and he never wanted Teresa to see that terror still in his eyes. He never faced his mother after he left and he was glad she was in her grave.
Where she belonged.
He cupped Teresa's face and couldn't imagine what she could become if she stayed in Luciano's world. He didn't want to see her become tainted as he had. Her children are tainted. "You're so much better than this" He whispered. His eyes lowered to her hair as he wrapped her strand around his finger and released it in the opposite direction, smirking as her curl bounced.
She slid her hands up his face, her eyes boring into his as she said, "No. You're so much better than this Dante. And I don't deserve you" She sighed and his eyebrows furrowed. Deserve him?
Why had he thought it the other way around?
They were on the jet, ready to leave this hellhole called Atlanta. She didn't tell Luciano or the backstabbing supposed best friend, Adriano. Dante would.
Nina was still affected by the entire thing and cried her eyes out in Georgia's lap as she stroked her hair. Teresa tried to calm her, even telling Adriano was a bastard and wasn't worth getting worked up for. He wasn't worth it but it didn't matter what she said. Nina was in love and she just got her heart broken.
Teresa knew that pain more than anyone else.
Kissing Nina's forehead, she rubbed Georgia's shoulder in thankfulness earning a smile and a nod from her. The three of them were sisters. They had each other's backs damn any man that hated it, disliked it, and was against it. She remembered she once told Dante if she had to choose it would be Adriano. She was wrong.
Adriano and Nina may not have been together, and he didn't have an obligation to tell her he was seeing another woman and making her his girlfriend but in a sense he did. They were friends before they even began their fling and if he cared anything about Nina like one, he would've told her. Also, Adriano was lying all this time to her. Claiming he wasn't ready for a relationship, but showed up with Dionne.
To Teresa, it seems like he only wanted to keep fucking Nina because he wasn't in Atlanta to screw Dionne.
He was being a two-side bastard.
Sighing, she sat by Dante and rose his arm to cuddle into his chest. He grinned as he rubbed up and down her shoulder as she closed her eyes. "How is she?" He whispered and kissed her forehead.
Teresa huffed again. How could Dante who couldn't stand Nina, care about her feelings more than the men she called her best friend and husband did? Her eyes slid to Nina who was sound asleep in Georgia's lap.
"Heartbroken" She answered. "Georgia is pissed just as I am for her and Rome?" She found his form sitting up across from the two women, staring down at Nina.
She smiled. "They don't interact, but I know he's angry. Especially since both of his sisters are"
Dante snickered softly at the sibling love. He wouldn't understand it. Santino was and would always be his brother but they never had the bond of one. Still, it was hard to unlove the man you've spent your entire childhood with. "What about you and Adriano?" He whispered.
He would've thought the bond was unbreakable.
She shrugged. "He did this Dante. So it depends on Nina. If she doesn't forgive him, neither will I."
Forgiving Adriano? That seemed to be a stretch. Nina wasn't a forgiving woman like Teresa was and she would understand if she never wanted to forgive Adriano. His heart is the most precious thing a woman could give, heart. He didn't shatter it, he ripped it. Without a hint of care for it. What made him this way? Why would he do such a thing?
Why would Luciano?
Her eyes lowered to her fist as she remembered punching Adriano. Dante noticed as her knuckles squeezed tightly and he cupped his hand over hers, releasing the tension and rubbing his thumb over them. "You're a good friend Teresa. Adriano deserved it"
She rose torose tog her head. "It's never okay for me to put my hands on him though. Not even you or Luciano, no man. It surely wouldn't be okay if one of you did what I did to Adriano, to me. But I just..." Her eyebrows furrowed. "I get so angry and I lash out and my fist was just..." Dante shook his head as he grabbed her hand again and stared into her eyes as he said, "Don't think for a second you're even close to abusive. No, it's not right to hit him, or any man but what's done is done. Later, try to prevent it alright?"
Prevent it? She wanted to snicker. That was hard to do especially when she was so used to hiding and shrinking away from the men's tones and attitudes. Now she's been defending herself, it's hard to let that anger go.
Dante pulled her back into his chest and she slid her arm underneath his as she buried her face there.
"Get some rest" He whispered and kissed her head.
She rose her head, lifting her eyes as he lowered his when she said, "I love you, you know?"