“What news?”
She stared up at the twin gorgeous men before her and gave a wicked smirk. “I’ll fix her up on a blind date. With someone hot.”
Michael’s face darkened. “Absolutely not. My baby sister is not experienced with dating.”
“That’s exactly why this will be perfect for her. See ya.” She added to the insult by raising herself on tiptoes and placing a kiss on his lips. The tiny zing between them distracted her for an instant but she ignored it. “Let’s not argue on our honeymoon, love, when we can concentrate on other fun activities.” She gave Max a wink, then strolled away, making sure to swing her hips as she felt his gaze on her rear.
Maggie held back a laugh. Damn, some of this was fun. Challenging his wit and bullheaded ways gave her some benefit. She made her way upstairs and searched for Carina’s room. Let Michael stew with that disturbing idea for a bit. She’d confess later she didn’t even know a suitable boy to set Carina up with. Unfortunately, her mouth got her in trouble again and she still needed to try to speak with Carina. She certainly had no experience with female advice. What could she possibly say to make her feel better?
Maggie sighed as she stopped behind a closed door and heard muffled sobs. Her palms were sweaty so she rubbed them on her skirt. Ridiculous. If Carina didn’t want to talk to her, she’d just hang here upstairs for a bit so Michael would believe they’d shared a conversation. She raised her hand and tapped on the door.
“Carina? It’s Maggie. Do you want to talk for a bit, or do you want me to go away?” Yep, she was a coward. A good advisor would demand she open the door for a talk. A few beats of silence passed. Relief caved through her so she turned to go. “Okay, I understand, I’ll just—”
The door swung open.
Ah, crap.
“Why doesn’t anyone understand I’m a grown-up?” the girl burst out.
Maggie paused in the doorway, tempted to run, but Carina stepped back and made room for her so she walked in.
“Because your older brother will never accept it,” Maggie said easily. She took in the pink walls, fluffy stuffed animals, and lots of lace. Yuck. Something told her Carina kept the room like this to please others and not herself. The canopy bed looked soft and inviting, but held a quilt of various butterflies that made it seem childish.
Definitely a young twenty-three. Maggie doubted she’d ever dated, especially with Michael in charge. She stopped at the back of the room where a few stairs led down to a separate space that looked as if it could have been a playroom at one time. This area had a different feel to it, with blank canvases, paint, and an array of artists’ tools. Various watercolors in vivid colors drew her attention, and clay models of embracing lovers lined the shelves. Hm, interesting. This seemed more of a fit for Carina than the main area.
“I hate my life.” Misery etched every feature of her face. She flopped on her bed as more tears leaked from her eyes. “No one understands or lets me make my own decisions. I’m not a baby anymore, but my life is already mapped out for me.”
Maggie mentally berated herself for getting into this mess with a girl she barely knew and a situation she couldn’t fix. “Um, how so?”
Carina gulped. “I’m only allowed to date boys my family approves of. Not that any boys have ever asked me out. I’m ugly and fat.”
Maggie let out an exasperated sigh. “That’s stupid. Your body is naturally curvy. You have breasts. Have you seen your sisters? They may be rail thin, but their boobs are flat as pancakes.”
The girl’s eyes widened in shock, and then an actual laugh escaped her lips. “Maybe. But boys like thin. And my hair looks like I stuck a finger in a socket. My lips look puffy and swollen and stupid.” More tears and another gulp. “And Michael says I have to help Julietta at La Dolce Famiglia, but he never asked me what I want! I wanted to go away to college but he made me study at the university. Now I have to get my MBA and then do a long internship. Why can’t I go to America and work for him? Nothing’s fair!”
Maggie shook her head. Geez, the dramatics in this family were off the charts. She sat gingerly on the bed and let Carina cry it out. She searched desperately for all the right things a mom or Alexa or Michael would say. Ah, the hell with it. At this point, Maggie figured she couldn’t make it much worse.
“Okay, babe, sit up.”
The girl swiped at her cheeks and obeyed. Those lips she hated pursed, and Maggie bet one day Max would be seeing a whole new persona of Michael’s baby sister. But not now. Not yet. Carina needed some time to find herself and be comfortable in her own skin.
“I’m sure you’ve heard this before, but life sucks.”
Another faint smile. At least she humored the girl.
“Look, I know we don’t know each other well, but let me tell you what I see. Max is smoking hot and you’re crazy about him.”
Carina’s mouth fell open. Her skin flushed bright red. “N-n-no, I don’t—”
Maggie waved her hand in the air in dismissal. “I don’t blame you. The problem is you recently passed legal drinking age. You’re practically jailbait to a thirty-year-old man.”
“What’s that?”
“Hm, never mind. I mean, you’re too young for him to see you as a woman yet. That may change, but instead of spending the next few years not living and waiting for him to notice you, you need to get out and live a little. Find out who you are. Then everyone will see you as your own person.”
She looked so bleak and hopeless, Maggie’s heart tore. God, she remembered how it felt, how confusing life was. But Carina had people to guide her, people who loved her, and Maggie hoped it made the difference. “How do I do that? Look at me. I’m a mess.”
“Do you like studying business in college?”
“I don’t mind. I’m very good with numbers—one
of the few things I can do well.” Her chin tilted up
stubbornly. “But it would be nice if someone asked my opinion.”