Well, I need to skip past the X-rated version of our story.
“Then… I guess I realized he truly cared about me. About my safety. And that confused me. And slowly. I mean, really, really slowly. I stopped viewing him as so annoying and miserable. So, the hostage situation turned into a fairly normal relationship.” Ifeel my face glow. “He’s funny. I don’t think he even means to be half the time, but he makes me laugh. We’re both nerds.”
She snorts.
“Mom, that’s when you’re supposed to say, ‘You’re not a nerd, sweetheart’.”
She sarcastically mimics that statement, then I continue on. “But seriously, you know how I get competitive about things?”
“Really? I never noticed.”
I laugh. “Well, that’s not a problem with him. We played a game likeJengafor over twelve hours once. Then he took me to Greece…”
“Sofia?”
She snaps me out of my memories, and I can feel myself blushing thinking about that night on the boat.
“I believe it now. I needed to see that glow.”
I relax on the couch. “Really?”
She nods, but I can tell from her body language that we’re not done.
“Now, whenever you two fell in love, why on Earth didn’t you call us?”
There’s some hurt and worry in her voice, and that makes me feel so guilty.
I wring my hands nervously. “I was so confused about my feelings about everything, and I thought it would only complicate things, telling everyone about the change in dynamic. It was stupid, and I’m so sorry. If I had known about the package that was sent…” I trail off, not knowing how to explain myself better.
There was a bit of spite keeping me from reaching out to them—for always calling the shots. But I can sense that my temper has evened out since the last time I talked to her in person. Before, I would have started a fight or thrown her poor advice not to go on birth control in her face. There’s no point in any of that. I don’t have to win. I don’t have to be right. I just want everyone to be happy.
“Well, I still don’t trust him,” she says. “But I can tell you’re safe, so that’s all that matters.”
She gives me a quick hug, and then we make our way back out to the party. While I still feel guilty for all the pain I put them through, that conversation helped a lot. And really, just having everyone here makes me feel like my life is finally back on track. That all the nightmarish parts are over and I can finally start my new life.
Chapter 39
Alessandro
Alessandro,
I can’t say that I forgive you, but I understand you did what needed to be done. After all that happened, I worry that you think of me as nothing but a cold snake. I regret pointing a gun at you. Seeing Vincenzo on the ground like that so soon after he woke up shook me so much that I couldn’t think straight.
It’s true that I pitied you growing up, but you were my brother, and I loved you. And I still love you, even after everything that happened. But Marco confused me so much in childhood, and by the time I was old enough to realize that everything he said about you was a lie—I was already in love with Vincenzo. Which complicated things.
We were planning on running away together, then all of that changed on your wedding day. And everything shattered the day you shot him.
Despite all of that, I wanted to send this letter to you so that you can relax. I’m not looking for revenge. And I’m hoping that after time passes, we can reunite again. But that won’t be for a very, very, long time.
You don’t have to worry about me. I can take care of myself in ways you wouldn’t be able to imagine.
I wish you and Sofia the best.
—Elena
I stuff the note into my pocket after reading it for the hundredth time and lean against the balcony. She left me no way of contacting her, so this is all I get until she’s ready to face me again. I have so many questions that I can’t get the answers to, like, what does she mean by she can take care of herself in ways I couldn’t imagine? But I believe what she said about her not seeking revenge and that she loves me.
So, I can relax knowing those two things.
