It wasn’t as if I was left alone to fend for myself. I still had Teresa. She wasn’t my mama, but she’d been my nanny for as long as I can remember. I also had Nonna Lucia. Still, my Papa is always trying to do what he thinks is best for me so he married again. I’m almost positive that he didn’t marry for love this time around, but I’d been excited to get a sister out of it.
I didn’t think having a sibling would ever be in the cards for me. I have to admit that I latched on to her a bit when she first arrived. She always seemed so beautiful and worldly. I recall hanging on to every word of her stories about her travels. I might have burst into tears the day Papa adopted her, giving us all the same last name. Life is supposed to be about family, and I’ve always believed the more the merrier.
It’s not often that Glorianna comes into town, and I want to spend some time together. Her husband Edgar doesn’t like it here and prefers to be back home in the States where they live now. She drags him back over every now and then. Usually for some sort of event that she’s been invited to.
This time I also have an invite to the wedding she’s here for. It was a nice excuse for Papa to let me out from the estate to go shopping. Most people would be upset that the wedding is so last minute, but I consider myself lucky.
Normally, Papa would call for the stylist to bring gowns out to me, but now there is no choice but for me to go into the city to find one. As soon as I found out, I immediately sent Glorianna an excited text asking her to go with me.
“Pink, Maria? Really?” She finally says when she lifts her head.
“You don’t like it?” I turn to face the mirror. I adore the color. My mama actually got married in a pink dress. Some tried to talk her out of it, but Papa told her she could wear whatever dress she wanted.
“Pink is for little girls. Don’t you want to be a sexy woman?”
“I love pink.” I run my fingers down the front of my breasts that are pushed up from the tight fit of the top of the dress. I hadn’t given much thought to wanting to be sexy. It’s a wedding. Why do I need to be sexy? I don’t think my body naturally screams sexy like Glorianna.
She might be an actress, but she could have been a model. She’s tall with long legs, matching long blond hair, and blue eyes that sparkle. She’s always been gorgeous. There’s no missing her when she enters a room.
Don’t even get me started about how much the girl can pack away. She can eat all the pasta and bread she wants and never gain any weight. Not that she does that anymore. She wouldn’t touch the sauce I’d spent all morning making for her arrival. I wish I could say the same for myself. I’m never one to turn down a home-cooked meal.
“Where is the red one I picked out?” Glorianna directs her question to Julie, the woman that has been helping us.
“We have it, but it might need a size adjustment in the breast area.” I’d tried it on first but wasn’t coming out of the dressing room with it on. I’d been spilling out of the top. My papa would lose his mind if I was seen wearing such a dress. There will be press at the wedding tomorrow. He’d never let me out of the house again if I were photographed in that dress.
“You know small boobs aren’t really in anymore,” Glorianna informs me.
“I came like this.” I laugh.
Glorianna has nice-sized breasts, but I know she bought them. Not that she would ever admit that to me or anyone else. There is no shame in it, but I can’t really control this. I’m not sure I want to. It might be weird, but when I catch glimpses of myself in the mirror I see my mama. I look so much like her.
“Fine, try something else on.” She waves her hand. “Can I get another glass?” She nods to her empty champagne glass before going back to her phone. I head back into the dressing room.
“Keep this one. I want to buy it either way.”
“Of course, Princess Costatelli.”
“Please, call me Maria,” I tell Julie for the third time.
My face rushes with heat. It always does. I don’t know why, but I feel awkward when people call me a princess. It’s only a title. Nothing more really. I don’t go around wearing a crown. Not that I don’t own a handful of them. After my mama passed, all her family jewels had been given to me. I haven’t found the will to ever wear any of them, for some reason. I think I’m waiting for the day I get married.
One day. Hopefully not to the man I’m promised to.
CHAPTER 3
STERLING
My sister flits about the wedding reception talking to everyone. I’m a mere afterthought at this point. She hasn’t even bothered to check on me or include me. Since she moved to the States, everything has changed.
I try not to let it bother me. I just miss her. Why is it that everyone else is moving on with life and I’m stuck in this limbo? If anything, I’m the one that is now eighteen and should be moving on to the next phase of my life, but I’m stuck in the same loop of nothingness.
I chug down the rest of my glass of champagne before I leave it on one of the tables, reminding myself I’m at a party and my papa is hovering near. The wedding was beautiful. I might have even shed a few tears. I can see why the wedding was so rushed. The bride and groom are madly in love.
“Princess Costatelli.” Henry catches me by the elbow.
“Henry, how are you?” He kisses my cheeks.
“Better now that I’ve found you.”
“Still a rake, I see,” I say with a laugh.
“Dance with me.”
“You know I can’t.” Though I want to. Henry is rather handsome, and it might be fun. There’s no spark between us, but it might be nice to have someone’s attention solely on me for once. Even if it’s only for a few fleeting moments. Wow. I sound rather pathetic, don’t I?
“So the rumors are true?”
“I don’t know about all that.” I dip my head, hiding my blush because I’m lying. I too am hoping the rumors aren’t true. At least not until I get my hands on my papa and shake some sense into the man. He’s gone too far this time. I know he’s trying to do what he thinks is best for me, but that doesn’t make it any better.
“There you are!” Glorianna is suddenly beside me. Her eyes bounce between Henry and me. I suddenly remember that I’d caught them fooling around once. It was a bit surprising since Henry is closer to my age than Glorianna’s, but that was before she was married or really made a name for herself.
“Don’t you have a husband to bother now?” Henry says dismissively to her.
“Of course you’re talking to him. I would be surprised but not after what I just heard.” Glorianna is fuming.
“What’s wrong?” I can feel people around us starting to stare.
Edgar, Glorianna’s husband, comes rushing up behind her, trying to pull her back. But no one tells Glorianna what to do. Ever. He must not have gotten the memo. Cameron Hyde-Franklin and the giant man she brought with her, Tucker Justice, rush over too. Everyone seems a bit worked up, and I’m so lost as to what is even going on.
“Glorianna, be reasonable here. We all know Maria would never betray you,” Cam cuts in coolly. She’s always had this cool gracefulness about her.