“Carly? Are you awake?”
“Come on in, Risa. I could use the company.”
She entered carrying a small tray with plates on it and my stomach chose that moment to remind me I’d thrown up my breakfast earlier.
“Oh, God, that smells so good. What is it?”
“Some pasta dish that I was told to bring up to you. I decided I needed my own plate.”
The grin she gave me made me laugh and I groaned. “Don’t make me laugh. It hurts.”
We dug into our lunch and for the first few minutes, the only sounds in the room were from us eating. “Risa? I need to tell you something but I need you to promise not to be mad at me first.”
I watched as she put her fork down and frowned at me.
“What’s going on, Carly? I won’t be mad, just tell me what has you so troubled. I know you, girl. I can see it in your eyes.”
I set my plate aside, took a drink of the sweet tea she’d brought me, and took a deep breath. “I wasn’t completely honest about how this happened.” I motioned to my face.
“Not completely honest, how?”
I sighed softly. “I was kidnapped, that part was true. But...it wasn’t my stalker. It was someone else. He was, I don’t know, paid to do it? I’m not sure on the particulars there. But...” I reached up and carefully removed one side of the bandage covering the left side of my face. “He did this, all of this, with a knife.”
“Oh. My. God. Carly. Jesus. Why did he do such a sadistic thing? I mean, how can one person do something like that to another?”
“The person who hired him was jealous of me. I’ve been asking myself the same thing. Let me know if you figure it out, because I sure as hell can’t.”
“Are you…how did you…fuck. How did you get away?”
“Am I okay? I’m still alive, so I guess so. But it’s going to leave permanent scars. That was the point. Gio found me. I’m still not sure how, I haven’t really asked. I’m not sure I want to know.”
“Why would you think I’d be mad at you?”
“Because I lied? You want to know the worst part about all of this? I have to lie to Eli. I can’t tell him what really happened. I have to lie to my little boy because some psychobitch was jealous I had Gio and she wanted him.”
I knew the second Risa figured it out. Her eyes widened and she stared at me.
“Chablis did this? I’ma fuck that bitch up when I get my hands on her.”
“You can’t. She’s gone. She won’t be coming back. Ever. Trust me when I say she paid for what she did.”
“Good. What do you say I help you downstairs? Did you know Gio has an entertainment room with this massive television set? I swear it’s almost a mini-theater screen it’s so big. We can watch movies and when Eli comes back, we can let him pick some out, too.”
“That sounds like a great idea to me. I’m already sick of this bedroom. At least the bed is comfortable, but if I have to stare at these same four walls any longer I might snap.”
With Risa’s aid, I was soon making myself comfortable in one of the recliners in the entertainment room. If I had to live the life of an invalid for a while, at least I’d have a big TV to watch.
