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11

LUCIA

T he soft glow of morning light seeped through the curtains, warming my face as I stirred awake. My neck ached, a dull throb radiating down my back from sleeping on the couch. Blinking groggily, I pushed myself up on one elbow, my hand automatically going to my pounding head.

On the side table next to me was a glass of water and a small packet of ibuprofen. I stared at it for a moment, a faint smile tugging at my lips.

Alexander.

Of course .

I reached for the water and pills, swallowing them gratefully. As I sipped the last of the water, fragments of the night before began filtering through the fog in my brain. The pulsing music, Matteo’s drunken antics, the warmth of Alexander’s hands guiding me out of the club. And then…

Oh God.

I groaned, burying my face in my hands as flashes of memory surfaced. Dancing with Alexander, the way I’d practically dragged him onto the floor. The teasing comments, the way I’d touched his arm, his chest, flirting with him like some drunk, carefree version of myself I barely recognized. I was so close to kissing him, to pulling him down into my space and brushing my lips to his.

I cringed, the heat of embarrassment creeping up my neck. What was I thinking? This was Alexander —stoic, composed, ridiculously handsome, famous millionaire Alexander. Matteo’s best friend. Gia’s unofficial godfather. The man who’d been nothing but patient with me since this whirlwind of a trip began. He could have anyone he could ever want, why would he want me?

And I’d…what? Batted my lashes at him under neon lights and tried to pull him into my tipsy, reckless world? The memory of his low voice, his steady presence, flickered in my mind. The way he’d looked at me—not annoyed, not judgmental, but something else entirely. I was probably making it up in my head, I mean, I was drunk and the man was beautiful, I couldn’t deny that. But he was my brother’s best friend. Off limits. Beyond off limits, actually.

I pulled myself up, leaning over to glance into the bedroom, the curtains were shut, blocking out the morning light in that room despite the light in the living room side. I glanced toward Gia’s crib, where she was still sound asleep, her tiny fists curled up near her face. The sight of her calmed me, grounding me in the present.

Sliding my feet to the floor, I wrapped the blanket Alexander must’ve tucked around me tighter, running a hand through my hair. He’d undone it for me, I realized. I expected my eyes to be groggy, with an unwashed face, but when I went into the bathroom, my face was clear and the makeup wipes were on the counter instead of in my travel bag.

I bit my lip, the weight of the night pressing down on me again. I owed him a thank-you, and maybe an apology.

The sudden dread of guilt crept into my mind as I remembered we had all agreed to meet in my room for breakfast. I glanced at the clock, way too little time to get myself together, but it would have to do. I pulled out my phone to text my brother.

Lucia

Hey just woke up, let’s do breakfast in an hour

Matteo

Aye aye captain

I began hustling around the suite as quietly as I could, picking up discarded clothing and toys, trying to make the room look less like a chaotic mess.

As I moved around the suite, trying to restore some semblance of order, I couldn’t stop my thoughts from drifting back to Alexander. The memories of his steady hands guiding me to the couch, his careful attention to the little details—like leaving water and ibuprofen—made my chest tighten.

I shook the thought away, focusing instead on the task at hand. I gathered Gia’s favorite stuffed giraffe from under the coffee table and set it neatly on the couch. I folded the clothes that had been tossed over the back of a chair, stuffed a few stray toys into her travel bag, and wiped down the coffee table.

“Not bad,” I muttered, stepping back to survey the room. It wasn’t perfect, but it didn’t scream hurricane aftermath anymore.

Gianna stirred in her crib, a soft coo escaping her lips. I crossed the room and peeked over the edge, her tiny face scrunching up as she began to wake.

“Good morning, sunshine,” I whispered, reaching down to stroke her soft curls. She yawned, her little arms stretching above her head as she blinked up at me.

I scooped her up, holding her close as she nuzzled into my shoulder. The warmth of her small body in my arms was a reminder of why I was here, why I’d agreed to this crazy trip in the first place.

“Let’s get you changed and ready for breakfast, hmm?” I said softly, carrying her over to the changing table.

Just as I finished getting Gianna dressed in a tiny floral romper, there was a knock at the door. My heart leapt, and I glanced at the clock. Already?

“Coming!” I called, quickly setting Gianna down with her toys before hurrying to the door.

When I opened it, Alexander stood on the other side, holding two steaming cups of coffee and looking far too composed for someone who had dealt with drunk Matteo and me the night before.

“Good morning,” he said, his voice warm and even, like he hadn’t spent the night carrying my drunk self back to the hotel.

“Morning,” I replied, suddenly hyperaware of how disheveled I must look in my oversized sleep shirt and messy bun.

He held out one of the cups. “Thought you might need this.”

I took it, my fingers brushing against his for a moment. “Thank you. And…thanks for last night. I know I wasn’t exactly easy to handle.”

A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “You were fine. Matteo, on the other hand…”

I laughed, shaking my head. “I can only imagine.”

He stepped inside, his gaze sweeping over the room before landing on Gia, who was happily playing with stuffies on the floor, her favorite bunny wearing a lopsided crown. His expression softened in that way it always did around her, and it made my chest ache.

“Did I come too early? Matteo texted he’ll be late.”

I glanced down at my sleep shirt and bare legs, heat creeping up my neck. I had stripped out of the dress I slept in and pulled on my favorite oversized, ratty T-shirt I always slept in. It was white with hot pink distressed lettering that said surviving on spite and coffee . It had seen its fair share of wear and I was suddenly very aware of the way I looked. “I was just about to get ready, actually.”

“I’ll keep an eye on Gia,” he offered, already walking over to her to join her on the floor on her play mat.

I hesitated for a moment, watching as he picked up one of her toys and held it out to her. She squealed in delight, her little hands reaching for it. His attention was fully on her now, he was making voices to go with the stuffies she pointed out.

I sighed softly, before retreating to the bedroom to throw myself together as quickly as possible.

I closed the bedroom door behind me, letting out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. My reflection in the mirror confirmed what I already knew: I looked like a complete disaster. My hair was a tangled mess, circles under my eyes, and in my favorite albeit very old oversized tee with nearly nothing underneath. I felt the blush creeping up my neck as I noticed how little the shirt seemed to cover.

I grabbed some fresh clothes and ducked into the shower. The hot water was a welcome relief, washing away the remnants of last night—the sweat, the embarrassment, and, maybe, the lingering thoughts of Alexander’s steady hands and quiet smile.

Focus, Lucia , I told myself, scrubbing shampoo through my hair. You have a brother who’s probably still half drunk and a toddler who needs breakfast. You don’t have time for whatever…this is. I knew what this was, it was an infatuation, an ever-present crush I had on my brother’s best friend. It needed to be shoved back down, down into a deep, deep small box in the back of my mind. Again .

After rinsing off, I stepped out, towel-drying my hair before twisting it into a loose braid down my back. A little concealer under my eyes and some tinted lip balm brought me back to life. I fixed my favorite butterfly and locket necklaces that never left my body and gave myself a stern look in the mirror.

You got this, I told myself. I loved affirmations; sure, they were cheesy, but it was something I had instilled in myself and Gianna. We did them together most mornings when I did her hair, looked straight into the mirror and hyped ourselves up. Gianna was a huge fan.

Feeling more like myself, I padded back into the main area of the suite, the soft thud of my socks against the floor barely audible. Alexander sat cross-legged on the rug beside Gia, holding her stuffed bunny aloft and making it fly in wide loops. Gia was giggling uncontrollably, her little hands reaching up to grab it, her face lit with pure joy.

The sight stopped me in my tracks, my chest tightening in a way I didn’t expect. He looked so natural with her, so at ease, like he belonged there. Dangerous , I thought, quickly shaking the idea away. It wasn’t like I hadn’t seen him play with her before, so why was my brain short-circuiting now? Tequila shots were definitely a bad idea.

“All set,” I said, pulling on a sweater and stepping over to scoop Gia into a hug. She squealed, her tiny hands pushing against my cheeks as I planted a loud kiss on hers.

“Mu-uhhh-mom,” she groaned through a giggle, wriggling in my arms like she couldn’t decide whether to escape or stay.

I let her go, turning to find Alexander watching us. His expression was unreadable, but there was something soft in his eyes, something that made my pulse flutter.

“You clean up well,” he said, his tone light but sincere.

For a split second, I froze, sure my jaw was hanging open. Nope , not going there. But maybe that flirting last night wasn’t only one sided?

A knock on the door jolted me out of my spiraling thoughts, and I scrambled to get it, grateful for the interruption. Matteo was on the other side, sunglasses perched over his bloodshot eyes, a scowl firmly in place, and a bottle of water clutched like a lifeline.

“How are either of you alive?” he grumbled, pushing past me and shutting the door with a lazy shove. “And where the fuck is the food?”

“You drank double what we drank,” Alexander shot back.

“Stop screaming,” Matteo growled, collapsing onto the couch like the dramatic fool he was.

“Food’s on the way,” Alexander replied, unfazed as he returned his attention to Gianna. She was now explaining, in great detail, why her stuffed unicorn was a princess and the bunny Alexander was holding was the fairy princess.

“Obviously,” she concluded with a look of absolute authority, pointing a tiny finger at Alexander.

“Obviously,” he echoed, nodding gravely, his lips twitching with a smile he was trying to suppress.

I watched them from the corner of the room, my heart doing a stupid little flip. It was just breakfast. Just another chaotic morning with Alexander and Matteo. My brother. My unknowing brother who was lying haphazardly on the couch, his hand falling dramatically over his eyes.

“I’m dying,” he muttered, clearly convinced that mere exhaustion could kill him after all the hard work of drinking last night.

I raised an eyebrow, crossing my arms. “Oh, poor baby,” I drawled.

Matteo peeked a bloodshot eye out from under his arm, eyeing me with mock suspicion. “Why do you look so…chipper?”

I smirked. “I slept like a baby.”

“Ugh, the world is so cruel,” Matteo muttered, flopping back down onto the couch like he had just been betrayed by the universe. “Just give me the food.” Matteo groaned again from the couch, making it sound like I was the one causing his misery.

“Could you be any louder?” I asked, my tone sweet as honey.

“Don’t tempt me,” Matteo grumbled, and I had to stifle a laugh.

“Don’t worry, food will fix everything,” Alexander said, his voice still light but with a hint of sincerity beneath it. He held out his hand to Gia, letting her fly the stuffed bunny around in circles again.

I watched him for a moment longer, wondering why the simplest things—like him sitting on the floor playing with my daughter—felt so important . And why, despite my best efforts to act like it didn’t matter, my heart had the audacity to give a little jump whenever he smiled.