She sniffed, playing on his sympathies. She didn’t care about him, or anyone. She only cared about herself.
I turned my attention to him. “This is none of your business. Get the fuck out of here.”
He went to take a step toward me, but I reached behind my back and pulled apistolaon him. Nazzareno kept one in all his cars, and I took it with me, even if I had to transport it below the plane.
He held his hands up, retreating inside the bar, probably going to grab all his buddies. I wasn’t going to stay that long.
She was already standing straight when I turned back to her.
“My sister doesn’t need anything from you, and even if she did, she wouldn’t be getting it from you. I came here without anyone knowing. I wanted to see where you’d gone. What you’d done with your life.” I laughed, sarcastic. “Seems like you traded in a good life for a beater. Have a nice rest of it. Hopefully no one drugs you when you’re old and have no one by your side to take care of your fading ass.”
I went to walk off, and she grabbed my arm. I flung it out of her hold.
“You got money?” she asked.
“You got happiness?” I asked.
That was what this was about, right?Herfreedom.Herhappiness.
She didn’t say anything, and I said, “Thought so.” I got in my car and pulled off, leaving her in the dust. She wasn’t even worth my ghost. I’d create a new plan and go in an entirely separate direction.
Because despite all my bravado, that fucking hurt. It killed a small part of me that still wanted and needed a mother. The one person who was supposed to protect Lucila and me at all costs.
After leaving my heart behind in Italy, I felt so empty.
Maybe I shouldn’t have confronted her then.
Maybe I should have waited until I was in a better state of mind.
It hit me on the ride to wherever these winding roads were taking me that I’d never be in a better state of mind again.
I turned on the radio, trying to concentrate on something else, but “Glory of Love” was playing, and it brought back memories ofThe Karate Kid. The movie and the song smashed into me, and tears rolled down my cheek as fast the tires moved beneath me.
My phone rang. Only Lucila had my number. I dried my tears on my shirt and tried to make my voice sound normal as I answered.
“What’s wrong?” she rushed out.
“Nothing.” I sighed, then I backtracked. I was tired of hiding my pain from a sister who loved me and would always be there for me. “Notnothing. I’m…” I took a deep breath and cried it out.
“What are you doing, Ava?”
“Driving.”
“Pull over.”
I did at the next gas station because I didn’t want my sister to worry. I’d given her plenty to worry about over the years, and I didn’t want to be that person anymore. I didn’t want to be just like Janis Nicole Hickey, the woman I left behind in the dust.
“Okay.” Her voice was soothing after I’d told her I was in park. “Are your doors locked?”
I made sure they were, smiling a bit at her mom-in-charge attitude.
“Okay,” she repeated. “Talk to me, Ava.”
“I’m dying without him, Luci. How am I going to survive this?”
“I don’t know,” she whispered. “But you will.”
“Did I do the right thing by leaving?”
