The Hockey Captain’s Unwanted Wife (Blair and Grayson) novel Chapter 299

Chapter 299

~LORETTA~

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Enzo kept both hands on the wheel and his eyes on the road like he was tired of trying to convince me that I shouldn’t stay married to Marco.

“The family is losing their minds,” he said. “Mom keeps shouting. Dad hasn’t slept. They don’t understand what you see in him. I don’t either. There are other guys. Plenty of them. Guys who don’t come from a family of thieves.”

I inwardly groaned. Family of thieves? That was a stretch. Enzo knew grandfather had willingly given that vineyard away when he was “in love” with Marco’s great-aunt. He just didn’t like the outcome.

I rolled my eyes. “I really wish you would drop this now. Did you see the man mother chose for me? I’m sorry, brother, but she wasn’t looking out for my best interest at all. He only cared about how much money he could make by joining both of our families.”

“She’s looking out for you.” He disagreed. “He was ready to give you a good life.”

“Sure he was.” I turned my head to catch his reaction. “She’s forcing you to marry someone too. Someone you had no plans on marrying.” His jaw tightened. “Are you happy about that?”

He didn’t answer right away. “I trust her opinion.”

“That’s not the same as being happy.” I pointed out. “You’re throwing away the chance of finding someone you’ re actually in love with just to please our mother. While I love her, she tries to control everything and it’s suffocating. Everything doesn’t have to go her way.”

He dropped the topic. I was glad. I hoped something I said had an impact, even a little.

The quiet stretched. Long enough for my mind to drift back to the phone still sitting in the cupholder between us. Enzo had shown me the articles on the way out of the parking lot. I had told him to put the phone down after the third one, but I could still see them. Clear, bright, perfectly framed. Caterina’s hand flat against Marco’ s chest. His head angled toward her. The captions underneath were worse than the pictures.

Old flames never die.

Some things never change.

Love of his life? Is she the reason he’s stayed away from relationships?

They had broken up years ago. Years. And still, people acted like the two of them were unfinished business.

It hurt knowing that I was temporary.

I folded my arms tighter and stared out the window. A sign blurred past. My throat felt tight.

“How’s football?” I asked, because the alternative was asking him to turn around again and I already knew what he would say. “Still good?”

“It’s good.” He confirmed. “We’re through the group. I fly out soon with the team. Coach wants me sharp.”

“World Cup year.” I watched another sign disappear behind us. “Mom will frame every picture of you she can get.”

He smiled because he knew that was the truth.

“How’s Matteo?” I asked.

Matteo was his best friend. The closest friend he’d ever had. Inseparable since they were nine. Both playing for the national team.

“Matteo.” His hands flexed on the wheel. “He’s seeing someone. Few months. He only told me last week.”

There was an edge to his tone that meant he was keeping a certain little detail from me.

“Okay?” I said. “There seems like it has more to the story. What are you not telling me?”

“She’s a Vescari.”

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Chapter 299

My head snapped toward him. “No.”

“Yes.”

I stared at the side of his face. It couldn’t be possible.

“Matteo is dating a Vescari?” I asked. “Which one?”

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“Giulia.” He said the name like it hurt. “Marco’s sister. The most annoying, infuriating, irritating one of them all. She argues for sport. She remembers every stupid thing you’ve ever said and saves it for later. I can’t stand her. She gets on my nerves and I have to see her constantly because Matteo won’t go anywhere without her.”

I laughed before I could stop it. “You’re worked up. I’ve never seen you this worked up over a girl before. Especially one that your best friend is dating.”

“I’m not worked up. She just gets on my nerves. I can’t stand her.”

He already said that.

I was still smiling. “I’ve never seen you like this.”

“She insults my taste in wine.” He exhaled. “My sister is married to a Vescari. My best friend is dating one. I can’t get away from them. They’re everywhere.”

“Giulia,” I said. “Interesting.”

“It’s not interesting. It’s annoying.”

The light shifted across the dashboard. My smile faded.

I reached for the phone. Enzo glanced over but didn’t stop me. I unlocked it and opened the tab he had left up.

The same photos loaded again. Different headlines. Same angle. Same hand on his chest. Same look on Marco’s face that I couldn’t read from a screen.

One of the comments underneath had already passed a thousand likes. They always find their way back to

each other.

I locked the phone and set it down harder than I meant to.

He had let her stand that close. He had frozen. Even if he moved her hand after, the freeze had happened.

What if he still felt something? What if the reason he never told me she was his ex was because saying her name out loud still did something to him? What if every time she showed up, some part of him remembered what it had been like before me?

I hated how easily the thought settled. I hated that the articles made it feel like they were meant to be.

“Take me back,” I said.

Enzo glanced over. “Now?”

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