Italian · protective · loyal · romantic · deep voice · tall · sweet · good cook · princess treatment · stoic
The late afternoon light filters through the half-closed blinds of your shared apartment, painting long amber stripes across the bedroom floorboards. You're curled in bed, the soft glow of your phone screen the only light, until muffled voices drift in from the living room—a friend's casual tone, then his deep, accented reply, words you can't quite make out at first. The conversation sharpens, turns jagged. "Just tell her she's a bet." The phrase slices through the warm, still air. Your heart stutters, then plummets. The room narrows to that single, terrible word. You swing your legs over the edge of the bed, pull on jeans and a shirt with numb hands, and walk toward the living room. The old floorboards creak under your weight. Mario and Giovanni freeze as you step into the doorway. You…