Chapter 67: Chapter Sixty Seven

*Enzo*

After hanging up the phone with Charlie I couldn’t help but feel a little on edge about our conversation. Okay, a little more than just on edge. The fact that they found out about us made me suspicious. According to the spy we set out Elena, she somehow acquired a picture of the two of us. And there was only one person who would have sent it to her that I can think of.

It was time to tell Domenico what he didn’t want to hear.

And he can try and deny it all he wanted, but the evidence keeps stacking up that there was no way he can refuse what’s in front of him. With that in mind, I knock on his door and walk in after hearing his muffled voice.

He sat there on the edge of his bed, looking like shit. His sheets was stripped from his bed since it was soaked from the water I had poured on him, and he was wearing fresh clean clothes.

“Not going to take a shower?” I ask as I walk over to him.

“What’s the point. Not like I’m trying to impress anyone here.” He mumbles dejectedly.

I stare at him hard wondering what brought this mood on. Sitting down next to him, I ask, “What’s been going on with you lately?”

“Nothing.” Was his immediate reply.

We sit there in silence, neither of us talking now. I wanted to keep pushing but something told me that it wasn’t such a good idea right now. He looked like he wanted to argue. Not sure if it’s from the hangover or something was eating him up inside that he refuses to let out. But I had a feeling it may be Ivy. Or me.

“Do you want to talk about it?” I ask after another few moments of silence.

“What’s there to talk about? You have everything you ever wanted. The title, the company, the girl.” He states bitterly.

Sighing deeply, I look at him, but he avoids all eye contact with me. “I thought none of that mattered to you. You always said while growing up that you didn’t want anything to do with the title, that it was like an iron bar anchoring you down, heavy weighted with responsibilities. You wanted to be a free bird, flying wherever you please. And the company was too much to handle. So, tell me why now of all times you’re acting like this is all you care about?”

He looks down at his clasped hands on his lap. At first, I didn’t think he was going to answer so getting up I head for the door, not interested in talking to myself.

“I just want to matter too. I may not want all those things, but it would be nice to be considered at least. To know that I still exist to the people that seemed so hellbent on wanting you to control everything. I’m tired of being pushed to the back, to stand behind in your shadow all the time.”

I stand there listening. It was hard to digest honestly. Benny, I get. Because he was always jealous that I had been born first. But Dom? I never knew he felt this way. Slowly sitting back next to him, I ask,

“Why didn’t you say anything before? I never want you to feel that you’re less important than you are, Dom. Are you…jealous too?”

“No.” He sighs heavily looking away. “It’s not jealousy, its…fuck, I don’t know. I just want to know that I can be loved too, without you being a factor in it.”

Facing him fully, my heart starts to pound, breaking for the vulnerable way he said that. “You are loved, Dom. Nonno loves you for you and it has nothing to do with me. You know that. Your mom and dad thought the world of you-”

“They don’t count, Enzo. They’re both gone. That’s the past, not now.” He interrupts looking a little peeved.

“I don’t understand what you want from me-”

“I don’t want anything from you. And I know you don’t understand because you never had to be in my situation or Benny’s for that matter.”

“Now you’re defending Benny?”

“Of course not! But you don’t get it and you never will.” He practically jumps from the bed staring me down looking agitated.

“You have always been the center of attention because you were born first. And its expected, especially being born in our family. But you don’t get how it makes the rest of us feel to always be compared to you in every way.”

My fists tighten on my jeans. “I can’t help that, Dom.”

“And I know that too.” He expresses, looking sad now. “Which is why its so hard to stay mad at you. You can’t help being born first and its doesn’t help that you’re the best cousin in the fucking world to me.”

His eyes start tearing up causing me to feel just as emotional.

“But I can’t help feeling the way I do either. Sometimes I want to hate you and I can’t because out of everyone in our family you have always been there for me.”

That hurt.

Straight to the heart with that one sentence. I would never want Dom to hate me for any reason. But something brought this on and it can’t just be the fact that I was born first. Licking my lips in thought I slowly stand to face him.

“I’m sorry I ever made you feel like you’re less than anything that you are. You’re important to me Dom. You’re like my little brother.”

“Fuck.” He whispers, looking away as he roughly wipes his face from the tears that suddenly fell. “I don’t want you to apologize Enzo because you did nothing wrong. And that’s what stops my hate every single time. I look up to you. Out of everyone I know you are the one person I wish to never disappoint. And I feel like that’s all I’ve been doing.”

We both stand there, not knowing what else to say. I don’t know how to fix this or if it could ever really be fixed. Its not like I can change anything. I will always be the first born. I will always be asked to take over and I already have the companies that I run.

But there was one thing that I didn’t ask about, afraid of what his answer would be.

“About the girl part…” I start to say only for him to breathe out heavily again. “What did you mean about that?”

He walks across the room to pick up a small box that was sitting on the little table that was in the corner by the window. It was small and velvety almost like a ring box. And I was right on my assumption as he opens it up to reveal a big diamond ring.

“I bought this the night Ivy was to be kidnapped. I had it all planned out.” He starts out.

I go to say something when he cuts me off. “I know what you’re going to say, so don’t. I really thought this time she was different. That she wanted me for me. She’s a good actress I’ll give her that.” He places it back on the table.

He looks right at me. “I know Ivy is using me, Enzo. I’m not stupid. Or at least not any more I’m not. And all of you were right. I was blinded by something that wasn’t ever there.”

“What gave it away?” I ask, a little overjoyed he finally came to his senses.

“Many things, honestly. But the first of the lifting on my fogged infested mind was the fact that she didn’t ever want to have physical contact. I forced myself to believe it was because she wanted to stay pure until our wedding night, a bit old fashioned in my opinion but I would have gone through with it.” He shrugged like it was no big deal.

“But something changed that theory?” I ask.

He goes silent for a long moment. A bit of anger shined in his eyes as he stared at the black box. “I caught her and Benny fucking in the washroom when everyone else was looking for Gabriela when she went missing.”

My eyebrows quirk at that just as he looks over at me looking a bit embarrassed. Rolling his eyes he looks away. “Yeah, why am I not surprised that little tidbit didn’t surprise you at all.” He mumbles. “You apparently already knew this.”

I don’t say anything since I pretty much knew this about her from the very moment I met her months ago. But the fact that he knew was what’s throwing me off.

“If you know she’s using you, then why are you allowing her to stay?” I ask, baffled that he didn’t expose the two of them right then and there.

Picking up the box again, he squeezes it hard. “She made me look like a fool in front of everyone I cared about. But what makes me even angrier is that she made me look like a fool in front of the one person I can’t stand the most in this world.”

Benny.

Now that I do understand.

He looks back at me, his jaw set, his lips thin, his eyes shinning bright. “This time, it’s my turn to make her feel what it’s like to be the fool.”