The image of her saddling up to some other guy, holding his hand through the halls and sharing stolen looks with him made my blood boil with a jealous rage. How close did she get with him? Did he take her virginity?

I had to stop that train of thought before I vomited up whatever I had left in my stomach from breakfast.

I wouldn’t have wanted her to suffer while I was gone, but it had never occurred to me that she might run straight into another guy’s arms. Was that how it had played out? Had she given any consideration to where I might have been before replacing me, or had her anger at what I’d done given her a clean conscience? When I left, I didn’t expect her to join a convent or anything, but I figured it would have taken at least a little time to get over me. Now, I wasn’t so sure.

But what about the necklace? Was that a sign she still held feelings for me, or was I a hopeless fool?

The questions were endless, stampeding through my brain and trampling all other thoughts. I turned to Tony, my eyes blazing. “I want to know everything.”

Later that afternoon, I found myself back at the Genovese home after receiving a summons from Enzo. I’d had enough time to get my head on straight and was ready to do my job. For now, I would make sure Sofia was safe and play the role of old friend at her graduation party. The only decision I’d made was not to rush into judgment, but that was enough to relieve some of the tension mounting inside me.

Sofia knew I worked for her dad, so I no longer had to worry about explaining my presence. I had time to fix things between us. There was no deadline or time limit to figure out our shit. At some point, I’d have to decide what to do about telling Enzo, but that could wait. For now, I would do my job.

It was easier walking into Sofia’s home this time. The bittersweet aftertaste of old memories was still present, but I was prepared for the assault this time. The far end of the hallway was dark—Sofia was doubtless getting ready for her graduation party, but a part of me had hoped to see that pale light signaling her nearness. I shook off the childish longing and focused on what Enzo might need to discuss with me as I followed him into his office.

He gave a tight smile and gestured for me to sit opposite him at the desk. “I thought perhaps you and Sofia were well on your way to working out your differences, but whatever happened last night did not go well. She’s hardly spoken today, and if I didn’t know better, I’d say she spent the night crying. I don’t know exactly what happened when you two broke up, but she isn’t going to let it go easily.”