Chapter 9
Maya was standing face-to-face with Carina, about to shoot a scene with her. That involved kissing. Heated kissing.
Which would have been fine. Totally fine.
Except for the part where she was still recovering from their earlier conversation—Carina’s teasing, the way she’d talked about kissing. And, of course, the part where Carina seemed completely unbothered, like this was just another scene, while Maya was barely keeping it together.
The director adjusted her headset. “Alright, places, everyone! This is Dr. Greene confronting Dr. Russo after seeing her with Dr. Hayes. We want tension, frustration, and then—the kiss. Make it messy, make it raw.”
Maya exhaled slowly, rolling her shoulders. It’s just acting.
But then Carina stepped into her space, and all rational thought vanished.
The cameras rolled.
Dr. Greene was furious. “You kissed him.”
Dr. Russo barely blinked. “So?”
Maya—no, Dr. Greene—felt her hands curl into fists. Her character had never been good at hiding her emotions, and right now, jealousy was written all over her face.
“You didn’t even think to tell me?” she demanded.
Dr. Russo tilted her head, lips curving slightly, infuriatingly. “I didn’t think I had to.”
Maya stepped closer—too close. “Oh, you had to.”
Carina—no, Dr. Russo—smirked. “And why is that bambina?”
And that was it. The tipping point.
Dr. Greene surged forward, grabbing Dr. Russo’s face in both hands and crushing their lips together.
And Carina—Dr. Russo—didn’t hesitate.
The kiss was not soft. It wasn’t slow or tentative. It was a battle—a clash of lips and tongues. Dr. Greene was possessive, needing to reclaim her territory, while Dr. Russo fought back, refusing to be conquered.
Carina let out a muffled sound against her lips—part surprise, part challenge—and then pushed back, hands gripping Maya’s waist, pulling her closer. Their bodies pressed together, the tension from earlier unraveling into something entirely new.
The room around them faded. The crew, the cameras, the bright set lights—none of it mattered.
Maya barely registered the moment Andy called, “Cut!”
Because Carina hadn’t let go yet.
Neither had she.
Their heavy breaths mingled between them, lips still just a breath apart. Maya’s pulse was thundering, her hands still gripping Carina’s face. And Carina—damn her—was smirking again.
“That was…very passionate,” Andy said, sounding completely stunned. “Exactly what we needed.”
Maya took a slow, steadying breath, stepping back, her hands slipping away from Carina’s face.
Carina’s voice was smooth, teasing. “Well Andy, you did say to make it messy.”
Maya shot her a look, hoping to seem unaffected.
Carina’s smirk deepened, her gaze flickering to Maya’s lips before meeting her eyes again.
--------------------------
The road curved sharply as Carina guided the car higher into the mountains, the city lights shrinking behind them. Andrea sat in the passenger seat, his knee bouncing, fingers tapping against his thigh. The restless energy had been there since she picked him up from the hospital, but he hadn't said much—just sat there, staring out the window, jaw tight.
She knew that silence well. It wasn’t calm. It was waiting.
"Sei davvero andata via prima dal set?" he asked finally, shaking his head. "Devono essere impazziti senza la loro preziosa Dottoressa Russo."
("You really left set early? They must be freaking out without their precious Dr. Russo.")
Carina kept her eyes on the road. "Non me ne frega niente. Avevi bisogno di me."
("I don’t care. You needed me.")
Andrea let out a short laugh, humorless. "Già. Ma dimmi una cosa, Carina... perché lo fai ancora? Fingere di essere un medico invece di esserlo davvero?"
("Right. But tell me something, Carina... why are you still doing this? Pretending to be a doctor instead of actually being one?")
Here it was. The conversation she had no patience for. Her grip tightened on the wheel.
"È un lavoro, Andrea."
("It’s a job, Andrea.")
"No, essere un medico è un lavoro. Quello che fai tu è uno spettacolo." He turned fully toward her now, voice sharp. "Hai una laurea, sei una ginecologa formata. Dovresti stare in ospedale, non su un set con luci e telecamere."
("No, being a doctor is a job. What you do is a performance." He turned fully toward her now, voice sharp. "You have a degree, you’re a trained OB-GYN. You should be in a hospital, not on a set with lights and cameras.")
"Lo so." Her voice was flat. She was tired of explaining this, tired of defending it. "E invece sto bene dove sono."
("And yet, I’m fine where I am.")
Andrea scoffed. "Perché? Perché è più facile?"
("Why? Because it’s easier?")
Carina exhaled through her nose. "Sì, Andrea. È più facile. È un lavoro ben pagato, senza turni di dodici ore, senza pazienti che muoiono tra le mie mani. Nessuna emergenza che mi fa sentire impotente. Niente lacrime vere, niente sangue vero."
("Yes, Andrea. It’s easier. It’s a well-paid job, with no twelve-hour shifts, no patients dying in my hands. No emergencies that make me feel powerless. No real tears, no real blood.")
Andrea scoffed again. "Ah, più facile. È questo che vuoi? Una vita... sicura?"
("Yeah, easier. Is that what you want? A life that’s just... safe?")
Carina exhaled through her nose, trying to stay calm. "Non puoi capire."
("You don’t get it.")
"Allora spiegamelo." His voice was tight, demanding.
("Then make me get it.")
She hesitated. The words sat heavy on her tongue.
"Mi piaceva fare il medico," she admitted. "Mi piaceva aiutare le persone. Ma tu sai cosa significa stare lì, sapere che non importa quello che fai, non importa quanti anni hai passato a studiare, a prepararti, a sperare—li perderai comunque. Guardare una madre tenere in braccio il suo bambino nato morto e doverle dire che non c’è niente, niente, che puoi fare."
("I liked helping people. But you know what it’s like to stand there, knowing no matter what you do, no matter how many years you’ve spent studying, training, hoping—you’re going to lose them anyway. To see a mother holding her stillborn baby and having to be the one to tell her that there’s nothing, nothing, you can do.")
Silence stretched between them. The road ahead disappeared into the dark.
"O quante volte ho visto il terrore negli occhi di una madre, mentre cercavo di farle smettere un’emorragia post-parto? Quante notti non ho dormito, chiedendomi se avessi sbagliato qualcosa?"
("Or how many times I saw terror in a mother’s eyes while trying to stop her from hemorrhaging? How many nights I didn’t sleep, wondering if I made a mistake?")
Andrea’s throat bobbed as he swallowed. He knew. He understood.
"Nel mio mondo adesso," she continued, "nessuno muore davvero. Nessuno soffre veramente. Se qualcosa va storto, possiamo rifare la scena. Nessuno mi guarda negli occhi sperando in un miracolo che non posso dare."
("In my world now, no one really dies. No one truly suffers. If something goes wrong, we just do another take. No one looks me in the eyes, hoping for a miracle I can’t give them.")
Andrea leaned his head back against the seat. "Sai che ci sono anche dottori che riescono a sopportarlo, vero?"
("You know there are doctors who can handle that, right?")
Carina let out a small, humorless laugh. "Buon per loro."
("Good for them.")
The car fell into silence again, the only sound the hum of the tires on pavement.
After a while, Andrea spoke again, his voice quieter. "Eri una dottoressa dannatamente brava."
("You were a damn good doctor.")
Carina swallowed hard. "E tu sei un dannatamente bravo fratellino."
("And you’re a damn good little brother.")
Andrea huffed. "Discutibile."
("Debatable.")
Carina reached over and squeezed his arm. "Non per me."
("Not to me.")
Andrea didn’t pull away.
The tires crunched over the gravel as Carina pulled up in front of her home. It was dark, the only light coming from the porch lantern. She turned off the engine, exhaling as she rested her hands on the steering wheel for a moment.
Andrea sat beside her, staring straight ahead. He hadn’t said much after their last exchange in the car, but she could feel him thinking, turning things over in his head like he always did.
Finally, he spoke.
"Ti sei nascosta qui a fingere di essere una dottoressa invece di esserlo davvero..."
("You’ve been hiding here, pretending to be a doctor instead of actually being one...")
He gestured at the cabin.
Carina sighed, rubbing her temples before stepping out of the car. "Non è così semplice, Andrea."
("It’s not that simple, Andrea.")
He followed her to the front door. "No, Carina, lo è. Tu avevi tutto. Eri una delle migliori. Come puoi semplicemente mollare?"
("No, Carina, it is. You had everything. You were one of the best. How can you just walk away?")
She didn’t answer right away. Unlocking the door, she pushed it open and let him in first. The house smelled like lavender. It was warm, cozy, far removed from the sterile white walls of a hospital.
Andrea tossed his bag onto the couch, watching her as she moved toward the kitchen, busying herself with her moka.
"Carina," he pressed, "dimmi la verità."
She leaned against the counter, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the floor. When she finally spoke, her voice was quieter.
"Ho perso qualcuno a cui tenevo."
("I lost someone I cared about.")
Andrea’s expression softened. "Chi?"
Carina swallowed hard, blinking against the memories pushing to the surface. "Una donna di nome Pam. E il suo bambino."
("A woman named Pam. And her baby.")
Andrea frowned. "Pam?"
Carina hesitated, then sighed. "Era mia paziente. Incinta. Complicazioni. Ma prima di tutto... era un’amica. Una persona che mi faceva ridere nei momenti più assurdi."
("She was my patient. Pregnant. Complications. But before anything else... she was a friend. Someone who made me laugh at the most ridiculous times.")
She let out a small, sad laugh, shaking her head. "Flirtava con me, sai? E io... credo che un po’ mi piacesse."
("She flirted with me, you know? And I... I think I kind of liked her.")
Andrea sat down on the sofa, watching her carefully. "E poi?"
("And then?")
Carina’s hands clenched into fists. "E poi è morta." Her voice cracked. "L’ho persa. Lei e il bambino. Ho fatto tutto quello che potevo, ma non è bastato."
("And then she died. I lost her. Her and the baby. I did everything I could, but it wasn’t enough.")
Andrea was silent.
Carina inhaled shakily, looking away. "Dopo di lei, qualcosa è cambiato. Entravo in ospedale e tutto sembrava... sbagliato. Come se il pavimento sotto di me non fosse più solido. Come se fossi in un posto dove non appartenevo più."
("After her, something changed. I would walk into the hospital, and everything felt... wrong. Like the floor beneath me wasn’t solid anymore. Like I was in a place I didn’t belong.")
She turned to face him, her eyes tired. "Quindi sì. Ho scelto qualcosa di più facile. Di meno doloroso. E se questo mi rende codarda, allora va bene."
("So yes. I chose something easier. Something less painful. And if that makes me a coward, then fine.")
Andrea exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "Non sei una codarda."
("You’re not a coward.")
Carina huffed a quiet laugh. "A volte mi sembra di esserlo."
("Sometimes it feels like I am.")
Andrea stood up and walked over to her, resting a hand on her shoulder. "Sei mia sorella. Sei tutto tranne che codarda."
("You’re my sister. You’re anything but a coward.")
---------------------------
Andrea leaned back on the sofa, stretching out his legs as Carina moved around the kitchen. The coffee was almost ready, depite her mostly just fidgeting with the moka.
He smirked. "Allora, parlami del tuo grande, prestigioso show medico."
("So, tell me about your big, prestigious medical show.")
Carina shot him a look over her shoulder. "Non iniziare."
("Don’t start.")
"Cosa? Sono curioso." He raised his hands innocently. "Come sta la nostra eroica Dottoressa Russo? Sta ancora salvando vite con un copione scritto da un ventenne con una laurea in sceneggiatura?"
("How is our heroic Dr. Russo? Still saving lives with a script written by some twenty-year-old with a film degree?")
Carina rolled her eyes as she finally poured espresso into two cups. "Molto divertente."
("Very funny.")
"Davvero, raccontami. Dev’esserci qualcosa che ti piace di quel lavoro."
("No, really, tell me. There has to be something you like about that job.")
Carina hesitated for half a second. Then, as if on cue, a small grin started tugging at her lips. Just enough for Andrea to catch it.
Andrea narrowed his eyes. "Aspetta... che cos’è quel sorriso?"
("Wait… what is that smile about?")
Carina quickly turned away, pretending to focus on the espresso. "Quale sorriso?"
Andrea sat up, pointing at her. "Quel sorriso. Lo conosco. È il sorriso ‘sto pensando a qualcuno’."
("That smile. I know it. It’s the ‘I’m thinking about someone’ smile.")
Carina bit her lip, shaking her head. "Non è vero."
("It is not.")
Andrea grinned. "Oh, è assolutamente vero. Chi è?"
("Oh, it absolutely is. Who is it?")
Carina turned back around, crossing her arms over her chest. "Si chiama Maya Bishop."
("Her name is Maya Bishop.")
Andrea frowned for a moment, then realization dawned on him. "Aspetta, Maya…? Maya Bishop? L'ex comparsa che non ricordava mai le battute?"
("The extra who kept forgetting her line?")
Carina’s smiled. "Adesso ha più battute."
("She has more lines now.")
Andrea burst out laughing. "Oh mio Dio. Ti piace."
("Oh my God. You like her.")
Carina lifted her chin, playing it cool. "Mi piace lavorare con lei."
("I like working with her.")
Andrea shook his head. "No, no, no, non provare a fare la professionale con me. Ti piace. Lo vedo nella tua faccia."
("No, no, no, don’t try to sound professional with me. You like her. I can see it all over your face.")
Carina sighed dramatically, stirring her espresso even though it didn’t need stirring. "Va bene, sì. Mi piace. È brava, è talentuosa... ed è anche molto.... carina."
("Fine, yes. I like her. She’s good, she’s talented… and she’s also very... cute.")
Andrea smirked. "Carina DeLuca, che prende una cotta per un’attrice? Questa è nuova."
("Carina DeLuca, getting a crush on an actress? This is new.")
Carina threw a biscotto at him, which he barely dodged. "Non è una cotta."
("It’s not a crush.")
Andrea laughed. "Certo, e io non sono tuo fratello."
("Sure, and I’m not your brother.")
Carina rolled her eyes, but her smile didn’t fade.
Andrea leaned his elbows on the table, watching her with amusement. "Quindi, com’è successo? Com’e lavorare con lei?"
("So, how did it happen? What`s it like working with her?")
Carina sighed, but there was a warmth in her voice. "All’inizio pensavo che fosse solo un’altra attrice bella e inutile, onestamente."
("At first, I thought she was just another pretty, useless actress, honestly.")
Andrea snorted. "Romantico."
Carina smiled wistfully. "Ma poi... era seria. Si impegnava. E guardarla recitare? È brava, Andrea. Davvero brava."
("But then… she was serious. She worked hard. And watching her act? She’s good, Andrea. Really good.")
Andrea watched her for a moment before shaking his head with a grin. "Wow. Mia sorella ha davvero una cotta per un’attrice."
("Wow. My sister really has a crush on an actress.")
Carina sighed, shaking her head, but she couldn’t stop the little smile that crept back onto her lips. "Sei impossibile."
("You’re impossible.")
Andrea leaned back, smirking. "Oh no, ti sto solo preparando. Perché se questo va da qualche parte, dovrai sopportare gli scherzi per il resto della tua vita."
("Oh no, I’m just preparing you. Because if this goes anywhere, you’ll have to deal with my teasing for the rest of your life.")
Carina rolled her eyes but didn’t argue.
---------------------
Andrea’s grin widened the moment Carina hesitated. He had been her brother long enough to recognize the exact second she regretted saying something. He leaned forward, resting his chin in his hand like he was settling in for a great story.
"Aspetta, aspetta, aspetta." He held up a hand. "Maya è già stata qui? Nella tua casa?"
("Wait, wait, wait." He held up a hand. "Maya has already been here? In your house?")
Carina instantly regretted opening her mouth. "Non è niente di che." She waved him off.
("It’s nothing.")
Andrea gasped dramatically. "Oh mio Dio, hai già dormito con lei?"
("Oh my God, you already slept with her?")
Carina’s eyes went wide. "Cosa?! No! Ma sei impazzito?"
("What?! No! Are you insane?")
Andrea raised an eyebrow, amused. "Beh, scusa, ma se inviti una bellissima attrice a casa tua e lei rimane la notte, è logico pensarlo."
("Well, excuse me, but if you invite a beautiful actress to your house and she stays the night, it’s a logical assumption.")
Carina groaned, pressing her fingers to her temples. "Non è successo niente."
("Nothing happened.")
Andrea crossed his arms, skeptical. "Davvero?"
("Really?")
Carina exhaled sharply. "Abbiamo solo mangiato lasagna, bevuto un po’ di vino e le ho detto che poteva restare la notte, dopo che mi ha supplicato."
("We just ate lasagna, drank some wine, and I told her she could stay the night, after she begged
The room went silent.
Andrea stared at her. Carina stared back.
Then it hit her.
Her stomach dropped as her own words replayed in her head. Lasagna. Wine. Staying the night.
Oh no. Oh no no no.
Her hands flew up as she shook her head frantically. "Aspetta, aspetta! Non era un appuntamento!"
("Wait, wait! It wasn’t a date!")
Andrea slowly leaned back in his chair, smug as ever. "Davvero?" His smirk was downright evil.
("Really?")
Carina opened her mouth, then closed it, then opened it again. "No! Cioè, sì, ma no! Ho solo… volevo essere gentile!"
("No! I mean, yes, but no! I just… I was just being nice!")
Andrea tapped his chin, pretending to think. "Mh-hm. Capisco. Una bellissima donna viene a casa tua, cibo fatto in casa, buon vino, dorme qui... sì, no, assolutamente nessuna vibrazione da appuntamento lì."
("Mh-hm. I see. A beautiful woman comes over, homemade food, good wine, stays the night… yeah, no, absolutely zero date vibes there.")
Carina pointed a finger at him. "Smettila!"
("Stop it!")
Andrea burst out laughing, leaning against the table. "Non posso credere che non te ne sia accorta finché non l’hai detto ad alta voce!"
("I can’t believe you didn’t realize it until you said it out loud!")
Carina groaned, covering her face with both hands. "Oh mio Dio, è stato un dannato appuntamento."
("Oh my God, it was a damn date.")
Andrea clapped his hands. "Sì! Finalmente lo ammetti!"
("Yes! You finally admit it!")
Carina pulled her hands away, her face flushed. "Non l’ho fatto apposta!"
("I didn’t do it on purpose!")
Andrea was having the time of his life. "Quindi le piaci."
("So, she likes you.")
Carina blinked. "Cosa? No. Non lo so. Forse?" She exhaled. "Voglio dire, mi guarda in un certo modo, ma potrebbe essere solo perché sono molto brava a recitare!"
("What? No. I don’t know. Maybe? I mean, she looks at me a certain way, but it could just be because I’m very good at acting!")
Andrea gave her a look. "Carina. Sul serio."
("Carina. Seriously.")
Carina crossed her arms, pacing now. "Non sto dicendo che non mi interessa! È solo che… lei probabilmente è solo carina con tutti—"
("I’m not saying I’m not interested! It’s just that… she’s probably just nice to everyone—")
Andrea cut her off. "No, no, no. Ti guarda in un certo modo e ha accettato il tuo invito a restare a dormire? Carina, questa donna ti vuole."
("No, no, no. She looks at you a certain way and accepted your offer to stay the night? Carina, this woman wants you.")
Carina’s brain short-circuited. "Ma—"
Andrea held up a hand. "Accetta la verità, sorella. Sei nel bel mezzo di una storia d’amore da medical drama."
("Accept the truth, sister. You are in the middle of a medical drama love story.")
Carina groaned, flopping onto the sofa next to Andrea and covering her face. Her brother just laughed, shaking his head.
"Oh mio Dio. Sei proprio spacciata."
("Oh my God. You are so screwed.")
Carina exhaled sharply, running a hand through her hair. "No, no, no. Non posso innamorarmi di nuovo."
("No, no, no. I can't fall in love again.")
Andrea’s smirk faded slightly. "Carina…"
She shook her head. "Non è una cosa seria. Maya probabilmente vuole solo… sai…" She made a vague gesture with her hands. "Sesso con l’italiana esotica. È quello che fanno le americane, no?"
("It's not a serious thing. Maya probably just wants… you know…" She made a vague gesture with her hands. "Sex with the exotic Italian. That’s what American women do, right?")
Andrea frowned. "Davvero credi a questa stronzata?"
("Do you really believe that bullshit?")
Carina gave a small, nervous shrug, avoiding his eyes.
Andrea studied her for a moment, then his expression darkened slightly. "Questo ha qualcosa a che fare con Arizona?"
("Does this have something to do with Arizona?")
Carina stiffened, her jaw tightening. "Non voglio parlare di lei."
("I don’t want to talk about her.")
Andrea nodded slowly. "Già. Perché ogni volta che qualcuno la nomina, sembri sul punto di scappare via."
("Yeah. Because every time someone brings her up, you look like you’re about to run away.")
Carina let out a frustrated sigh and crossed her arms. "Non è così semplice."
("It’s not that simple.")
Andrea leaned forward, his voice softer but firm. "Lo so. Ma ora non devi lasciare che il passato ti impedisca di avere qualcosa di bello."
("I know. But now you don’t have to let the past stop you from having something good.")
Carina let out a dry laugh. "Oh sì, certo. Perché Maya Bishop è sicuramente l’amore della mia vita."
("Oh yeah, sure. Because Maya Bishop is definitely the love of my life.")
Andrea smirked. "Beh, non lo so. Non posso giudicare se non so nemmeno che aspetto ha."
("Well, I don’t know. I can’t judge if I don’t even know what she looks like.")
Carina rolled her eyes but pulled out her phone anyway. "Va bene, eccola." She scrolled for a second before showing him a picture of Maya.
("Fine, here she is.")
Andrea barely glanced at the screen before bursting into laughter.
Carina frowned. "What?"
Andrea grinned. "Nulla. Solo che ovviamente qualcuno che non ha una cotta per qualcuno non ha assolutamente una foto pronta da mostrare, giusto?"
("Nothing. Just that obviously, someone who doesn't have a crush on someone definitely doesn't have a picture of them ready to show, right?")
Carina yanked the phone back. "Stupido."
But Andrea had already gotten a good look, and suddenly, his eyes widened. He leaned forward, staring at her like she’d just confessed to a crime.
Carina raised an eyebrow. "Cosa?"
Andrea blinked, then slowly grinned. "Carina… ti rendi conto che Maya assomiglia esattamente ad Arizona, vero?"
("Carina… you do realize that Maya looks exactly like Arizona, right?")
Carina froze.
"Cosa?"
Andrea grabbed her phone back and held up Maya’s picture. "Bionda. Occhi azzurri. Cristo, Carina. Hai un tipo!"
("Blonde. Blue eyes. Jesus, Carina. You have a type!")
Carina snatched the phone away. "Non è vero!"
Andrea laughed. "È assolutamente vero! Hai un debole per le bionde americane con occhi azzurri. È scientificamente provato."
("It’s absolutely true! You have a weakness for American blondes with blue eyes. It’s scientifically proven.")
Carina groaned, rubbing her hands over her face. "Uccidimi."
("Kill me.")
Andrea just shook his head, grinning. "No! Devi essere vivo per il giorno in cui ammetterai che sei cotta di Maya Bishop."
("No! You have to be alive for the day you finally admit you’re head over heels for Maya Bishop.")
--------------
The next morning, Carina regretted every life choice that had led her to this moment.
Andrea was walking beside her, radiating smug energy, as they approached the studio lot. "Quindi, sei emozionata?" he asked, biting back a grin.
("So, are you excited?")
Carina shot him a glare. "Emozionata di cosa?"
("Excited for what?")
Andrea gestured dramatically. "Di vedere la tua bionda dagli occhi azzurri."
("To see your blue-eyed blonde.")
Carina groaned. "Ti odio."
("I hate you.")
Andrea clutched his chest. "Oh, che tragedia. Ma smettila, non vengo solo per Maya. Voglio vedere com’è la vita su un set televisivo."
("Oh, what a tragedy. But come on, I’m not just here for Maya. I want to see what life is like on a TV set.")
Carina scoffed. "Non hai mai mostrato interesse prima."
("You’ve never shown interest before.")
Andrea smirked. "Già. Ma prima non c’era Maya Bishop."
("Yeah. But before, Maya Bishop wasn’t here.")
Carina exhaled loudly, stopping in front of the studio doors. She turned to him with a blank expression. "Ti soffocherò con un cuscino nel sonno."
("I am going to smother you with a pillow in your sleep.")
Andrea grinned. "Spero almeno sia un cuscino italiano di alta qualità."
("I hope at least it’s a high-quality Italian pillow.")
Carina opened her mouth to yell at him—
And that’s exactly when Maya Bishop skipped by, looking positively radiant and carrying a coffee in one hand.
"Good morning, Carina!" Maya chirped, her smile wide and bright.
Carina turned into a statue.
Andrea, on the other hand, lit up like a child on Christmas morning.
"Oh mio Dio." Andrea said, barely able to contain his amusement. "Sta saltellando. È così felice di vederti che sta letteralmente saltellando."
("Oh my God." Andrea said, barely able to contain his amusement. "She’s skipping. She’s so happy to see you that she is literally skipping.")
Carina blinked rapidly, her mouth opening and closing like a fish.
Maya stopped mid-skip, tilting her head at them. "Everything okay?"
Andrea elbowed Carina, who was still frozen. "Sì, sì! We were just talking about you." He gave her a wolfish grin.
Carina immediately turned to glare daggers at her brother. "I’m going to kill him. I’m doing it right now."
Maya laughed, looking between them. "Oh, you must be Andrea!" She reached out her hand, and Andrea took it with a grin.
"And you muste be Maya." Andrea responded, shaking her hand. "Listen, can I just say that Carina talks about you a lot?"
Carina nearly strangled him on the spot.
Maya, ever so intrigued, raised an eyebrow. "Oh really?" she asked, smiling at Carina.
Carina’s face was about to combust. "Don`t listen to him. È un idiota."
Andrea threw an arm over Carina’s shoulder, ignoring her death glare. "She even has a picture of you saved on her phone.")
Maya’s smile grew. "Oh, does she?"
Carina groaned. "Andrea, ti odio così tanto in questo momento."
("Andrea, I hate you so much right now.")
Andrea patted her head like she was a child. "Ti voglio bene anche io, sorella."
("Love you too, sister.")
Then he turned to Maya with a conspiratorial glint in his eyes. "You know, Maya, Carina tries to act all sophisticated and intimidating but let me tell you a story that might make you see her differently.")
Carina’s head snapped toward him. "Andrea, don’t you dare."
Andrea ignored her completely, his grin widening. "When we were kids, Carina was obsessed with these sappy love stories—you know, the ones with princes, castles, all that mushy stuff."
Maya’s eyebrows shot up in interest, her lips twitching as she glanced at Carina, who looked like she wanted the earth to swallow her whole.
"Andrea." Carina’s voice was low, dangerous.
Andrea carried on, completely unfazed. "One day, she decided she wanted to find her 'true love' and organized a wedding in our backyard. She dressed our dog in a tiny veil and insisted he be the officiant."
Maya actually snorted into her coffee.
Andrea leaned in, lowering his voice dramatically. "And the best part? She picked one of our neighbors to be the groom—a nine-year-old boy who had absolutely no idea what was going on. She threw an old bedsheet over him like it was a prince’s cape."
Maya turned to Carina, eyes twinkling with amusement. "Wow, Carina, such a romantic even as a kid, huh?")
Carina crossed her arms tightly over her chest, looking everywhere except at Maya. Her usual confidence had completely vanished, replaced by an uncharacteristic nervousness.
"Andrea," she hissed. "Spero che ti cada un rene oggi stesso."
("I hope your kidney fails today.")
Andrea just patted her shoulder. "E io spero che Maya venga a prenderti per una cena romantica molto presto. Oh, aspetta… è già successo!"
("And I hope Maya takes you out on a romantic date very soon. Oh wait… that already happened!")
Carina groaned, burying her face in her hands.
Andrea, sensing that Carina was on the edge of total embarrassment, couldn’t resist one more story. He leaned in closer to Maya, his voice conspiratorial. "Wait, I have to tell you another one. Carina, when she was little, already took her career as a future doctor very seriously."
Carina, who was trying desperately to avoid eye contact, turned sharply toward him. "Non fare nemmeno un passo in quella direzione, Andrea."
("Don’t you dare go there, Andrea.")
But Andrea was already off, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "Oh, sto solo dicendo la verità! One day, she decided she wanted to become a surgeon, so she took our dog and decided to perform a… how should I put this… surgery."
Carina’s face turned crimson. "Andrea, ti prego, basta."
Maya looked at Andrea, utterly intrigued. "Wait, she performed surgery on a dog?"
Andrea nodded seriously. "Yeah, and the best part is, she didn’t stop there. She used a toy surgery kit—ti ricordi, Carina? The one with the plastic scalpel?—and cut just like she was doing a real operation. But the problem was, she didn’t realize the dog couldn’t handle all that 'treatment.'"
Maya looked between them, her eyes wide, before bursting into laughter. "Oh my God, Carina, you were really a little doctor in the making!"
Carina, hands now covering her face entirely, groaned again. "Non posso credere che stiamo parlando di questo. The dog was fine, okay? He never forgave me for that ‘surgery,’ but he was fine."
Andrea leaned back, absolutely delighted with himself. "Oh, non preoccuparti. Max forgave you... let’s just say he needed some therapy afterwards."
Maya wiped a tear from her eye, still chuckling. "So, no dog surgeries today, right?"
Carina shot her a nervous smile. "I really hope not."
Andrea winked. "Non dire mai mai, sorella."
("Don’t ever say never, sister.")
Carina just glared at him.