Weâve been seeing each other a couple of months now.â
âMonths? And you didnât tell me?â
âYouâve been a little preoccupied.â
âStill.â Bella pouted a moment. âIs he from around here?â
âNo, he grew up in Ohio. But heâs living here now. Heâs got a job in a bookstore for the summer. I really like him, Bella. Iâve slept with him. Five times.â
âJesus!â Bellaâs eyes went saucer-wide as she bounced her butt on the bed. âReena, this is huge. Is he good at it?â She popped up, closed the door. âVince is amazing in bed. He can go for hours. â
âI think heâs good at it.â Hours? Reena wondered. Was that really possible? âHeâs the only one Iâve ever been with.â
âMake sure you always use protection. I stopped.â
âStopped what?â
âBirth control,â she whispered. âVince said he wants to have a family right away, so we tossed away my pills. Itâs so close to the wedding, it wonât matter if I get pregnant. We threw them away last weekend, so I might already be pregnant.â
âGod, Bella.â It gave Reena a jolt, a hard one, to think of her sister going from bride to wife to mother in one big rush. âDonât you want some time to get used to being married first?â
âI donât need time.â When she smiled, everything about her went dreamy. Lips, eyes, voice. âI know just how itâs all going to be. And itâs going to be perfect. I have to finish getting ready. Vince will be here any minute, and he hates when Iâm late.â
âHave a good time.â
âWe always do.â Bella sat down at the vanity again when Reena wentto the door. âVince is taking me to a fabulous restaurant tonight. He says I need to relax and take my mind off the details of the wedding.â
âIâm sure heâs right.â She went out, closing the door just as her brother came up the stairs.
He glanced at the door, back at Reena and grinned. âSo how many times did she say âVince thinksâ?â
âI lost count. Heâs pretty crazy about her.â
âGood thing, otherwise by now heâd have been driven crazy by her. I know one thing, Iâll be glad when itâs over.â
She walked to him. Heâd edged over her in height, so she bounced up on her toes to kiss his cheek. âYouâll miss her when she isnât in the next room.â
âI guess I will.â
âYou got plans tonight?â
âOn your first night home? What kind of brother am I?â
âMy favorite kind.â
S he waited until Bella was out to her fancy dinner and the rest of the family was around the dining room table sharing steak Florentine in honor of Reenaâs return from college.
âI have some news,â she began. âJohn told me today, and I asked him to let me tell everyone else. Pastorelliâs out. He was released a week ago.â
âSon of a bitch.â
âNot at the table, Xander,â Bianca said automatically. âDo they know where he is, where he went?â
âHe served his time, Mama.â Sheâd had time to reconcile to that, and to sound calm about it. âJohn doesnât think we need to worry, and I agree. He doesnât have any ties to the neighborhood, no reason to come back here. What happened was long ago.â
âAnd yesterday,â Gib said. âSeems like yesterday. But I think we have to accept this. What else can we do? He was punished for what he did. Itâs done, and heâs out of our lives.â
âYes, but it wouldnât hurt to be a little watchful, at least for a while.âBianca drew a long breath. âAnd itâs probably best not to say anything to Bella until after the wedding. Sheâll just have hysterics.â
âShe can have hysterics over a chipped
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