30. Help you get over him.

BETH.

"What's this tension between you and Tony? Is something going on between you two?" Luca asked, and immediately, I choked on my drink and began to cough.

"Careful, careful." He said and walked into the house. He returned with a glass of water and handed it over to me while I was still coughing. I collected it and gulped in the water immediately. After a few seconds, I was good again. Seeing that I was fine, Luca burst into laughter. No one needed to tell me that he was about to make fun of me.

"What is it? Why are you laughing?" I asked him with a stern look on my face. I was trying so hard to hold my laughter too because I was a little embarrassed. Just one simple question and I choked on my drink like that. Even if I lied that there was nothing between Tony and me, that was enough reason for him to know I am lying.

"Why did you choke on your drink?" He asked, in between laughs.

I rolled my eyes at him before replying. "That's your business. It just came that way. It was a reflex action."

"Really?" He had stopped laughing by now but there was a jest-like smirk on his face, which looked funny. I still tried to hold my laughter though, I was in no mood to laugh. "Fine, answer my question then."

"You asked a question?" I asked, trying to act like I had no idea what he was talking about.

"Stop playing charade. I know that was why you choked."

"I can't remember your—"

"What's the tension between you and my brother? Did you two date or something? Or is he cheating on that fine in-law of mine with you?" He said the words nonchalantly, but somehow, it stung, and I knew not why.

It was not like Tony was cheating on Lara with me, but the way Luca said it, that was how I felt at the moment. But if I told my story to anyone, any sensible person should know that I am not at fault in any way. The two times Tony and I had a session with each other, he wasn't with Lara. He was single at both times, so I was not at fault in any way.

"Are you alive or your soul has travelled somewhere else while your body is here with me?" Luca asked, turning to face the television. He picked up the remote control beside him and began to navigate from one channel to another. The football match he was watching initially has finished, so he was probably looking for something else to watch.

"I'm here." I simply replied.

"Good. So, answer me. I'm listening." He said, and when I didn't say anything, he added. "I ain't even looking at you at the moment, so I don't get why you are not able to speak. If you're that shy, that's why I'm looking away now. Just speak your mind."

I stared at Luca, thinking of whether or not to tell him or not. I have carried a lot on my mind concerning Tony and I had no one to speak about it to. All my life, I had always told Lara things that bothered me, but this particular issue was one I couldn't tell her. If I did, it might cause a feud that would never be solved.

Besides, if it gets solved in the end, she'd keep saying once in a while that I tried to steal her man from her. A similar situation has happened once and I wouldn't want that to happen again. Till today, she still brings it up in related discussions that I once tried to take a man from her but he chose her in the end.

And that was another hurtful thing. Tony also chose her. It was like I was invisible while she's the one everyone always sees. Life isn't fair after all. She gets a good man and she cheats on him, while I'm being faithful and I get cheated on or get ditched in the end. I sighed as I thought about all that.

"Maybe I should start following her advice," I muttered, not knowing I said it allowed.

"Sorry?" Luca asked, unsure of what I had just said. He then turned to face me as he dropped the remote control on the chair. "This is a safe space, you realize that yeah? It's fine to tell me whatever." He paused and added seconds later. "But it's your choice though. I can't force you to speak up. If you feel it isn't important, then…" he shrugged. "Then there's no point—"

I blurted out, cutting him short. "I like Tony."

"Uhm, I have—"

"I like him, Luca. I can't even explain it. It's more than what you think, for real. We had this kind of thing before he met Lara, and—"

"You two dated once?" He asked with raised eyebrows.

"Oh, nope. Not that. We've never dated before." I sighed. I was about to tell Luca everything, and even though it feels a bit wrong to be telling Tony's brother that I had feelings for Tony, it still felt like that was the only way I could let out my feelings to someone. I had no other friend to tell it to, and holding it in was just hard for me. Now that Luca has brought it up, I think it's time to just tell him.

"Okay?" He said, motioning for me to continue what I was saying.

"We had a one-night stand back then and parted ways. I didn't even know anything about him, not even as little as his name. But something about him just stuck with me and I wanted to meet him again. And my prayers got answered. I met him, but…" my voice trailed off as I sighed again.

"But as your best friend's man." Luca finished my sentence for me, and I simply nodded. "Ouch," he said, touching his chest dramatically. "That must hurt a lot."

"Yeah, I guess," I said and looked away.

"So, you still like him, yeah?" He chuckled lightly, before adding. "Why am I even asking? Obviously. I see the way you two stare at each other. I've noticed that since the day we met at the bar. I just knew something was there, but I didn't want to drag it further."

I turned to look at him. "You didn't want to drag it further, so why did you ask me now?" I folded my arms while staring at him.

He smiled a little. "I only wanted to confirm my assumptions. Besides, I wanted to help you if you let me. I believe you already know this thing you two have, cannot work out anymore. Lara is pregnant for him, you know that yeah?"

"Yeah," I replied, and it came out like a whisper. "And it's so painful," I added. What hurt more was the fact that the child isn't even his, but I couldn't tell Luca that.

"I understand." He said, and there was a pause between us for a couple of minutes. He broke the silence minutes later by saying, "I could help you get over him though."

I looked at him for a while without saying anything. When I was finally able to speak, I asked. "How?"

"A lot of ways, Beth. A whole lots of ways." He said with a large grin on his face, which was covered by a smirk seconds later. I sat there staring at him, wondering what ways he was talking about.