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Or maybe I was just overwhelmed from the past three days.

I picked a sleep shirt from the top shelf of the closet and headed to the bathroom. I looked a fright. My makeup had run through and mascara lines tracked down my cheeks, reminding me of a corpse bride. I felt like a corpse. A drug store cleanser sat by the sink. I had sensitive skin, but vanity was the last thing on my mind. I scrubbed my face until it was makeup-free. I didn’t look any better. My eyes were puffy and bloodshot and the dark circles under them looked like I hadn’t gotten rid of the smeared mascara.

My head needed to find a pillow, so I stepped out of my wedding gown and donned the sleep shirt. I eyed the box sitting on the accessory tower and, as if hypnotized, lifted the lid. I picked up the silver cuff and stared at it. It was probably the wrong thing to do if my objective was to excise Sandro from my heart. But I was desperate to cling to something that made me happy long before things became complicated between Sandroand me. When I was simply a girl with a harmless childhood crush.

I got on the bed and crawled under the covers, holding up the cuff against the moonlight streaming through the window.

I remembered that day Sandro had given it to me.

He’s not here.

I had been looking out the window of my parents’ row house overlooking Tenth Street. It was my twelfth birthday and Mom assured me she invited Sandro.

“Bianca,” Mom called from behind me. Her hand clasped my shoulder. “It’s rude to ignore your guests.”

“I’m waiting for Sandro.”

Mom gave me a sympathetic smile. “I know, sweetie, but you also know his time is not his own.” Ever since he turned eighteen, their crime family kept him occupied. I hardly saw him anymore.

She coaxed me away from the window and back to the festivities.

The first person who noticed us come into the dining room was Matteo. “Smurfette, where were you?”

“Stop calling me that, especially in front of my classmates. I’m twelve.”

He shot me an irritating grin.

“Matteo,” Mom admonished.

“Okay, baby sister.” He hugged my shoulder, but then whispered in my ear, “But just for today.”

I punched his side.

“Ouch,” he said dramatically.

“Stop being a wimp,” I returned. “Your fan club is here.”

Almost every single girl in my all-girl class was here because half of them had a crush on Matteo. The other half had a crush on either Nico or Renz. It was irritating as hell.

It was another thirty minutes of me socializing and craning my neck to the entrance of the dining room before I saw him.

Sandro walked in, looking hot and handsome in black. Beside him was his current girlfriend, a blonde named Holly. She was better than Griselda, who was always dismissive of me. I was glad Griselda dumped him. Holly was nice to me. I rushed to greet them. On my way, Nico rolled his eyes, but I ignored him.

“Happy birthday, Sunlight,” Sandro said. I noticed the bruising under his right eye and a cut lip. It wasn’t there when I saw him two weeks ago. It reminded me of the first time I found him hiding behind the stairs at one of the family parties. But I knew he didn’t want me pointing it out, especially not in front of Holly and my family.

He was here. That was all that mattered. Even if he brought Holly.

He handed me a gift. A small box wrapped in craft paper and baker’s twine. I hurriedly unwrapped it and gave a delighted squeal when I saw the gorgeous silver cuff I’d been eyeing at a Brooklyn store. “How did you know?”

He glanced briefly over my shoulder and I followed his gaze to Mom. “I had help.”

I stared at the silver cuff again and then at the smiling Sandro. Frankly, his barely there smiles were the ones that set my heart racing the most.

The rest of the room diminished to Sandro and me.

I was marrying him one day.

Chapter