“Liana,” I say, sliding off the barstool and walking over to her, “I didn’t want to wake you.”
She attempts to give me a small smile, but it’s weak. “It’s okay. I heard you guys talking, so I figured I’d join you.”
I move to the side and gesture to the seats at the island.
“Hey, Gio,” Liana says. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
Gio leans over the counter and extends his hand out to her. She gives it a squeeze. “You’re family now, Liana. We stick together through everything. No matter what.”
That seems to put a broader smile on her face, but it’s still not the smile I’ve gotten used to seeing. Sure, maybe that’s fucking selfish of me to say when she just found out her mom is still alive, but I just wish everything was fucking perfect for her. To shield her from any pain the world could bring her.
Gio goes back to leaning against the counter, then folds his arms across his chest.
“So you guys think my mom has been living this other life because of amnesia?”
“Were you close with your parents, Liana?” Gio asks.
She nods. “Very. I’m an only child, so I was kind of the center of their worlds.”
“And did you feel like their marriage was pretty … good?” he asks.
She nods again.
“I know it’s pretty fucking farfetched, but if you were close with your mom, can you see her faking her own death and marrying some other guy while leaving you alone in the states? Especially after your aunt and uncle passed away.”
Liana is silent for a moment. Gio has a point. This is a wild fucking theory, but it seems like it’s the only thing that makes sense.
She runs her hands through her hair. “This is all very overwhelming,” she mutters.
“We can take a break, Liana,” I say, not wanting her to overdo it since she’s still in a delicate state of mind.
She shakes her head. “No, we need to figure out what to do.”
“I think the important question is, what do youwantto do?” I say. “Whatever you want, we’ll back you up and make sure it happens, but the choice is yours.”
Liana’s silent for a moment, staring at a random spot on the counter while she thinks. When she lifts her head, she says, “Ineed to speak to her. None of this makes any sense, and if I can just talk to her, maybe I can get some answers.”
“We need to come up with a plan,” I say. “I know this is going to suck, but we need to lay low for a few days, Liana. My parents and Ignazio don’t know that we’ve seen your mom yet, but I’m sure they’re on edge. If we can catch them off guard, I think that would be better.”
She gives me a few small nods.
“I’ll text Dad and let him know we’re heading back to New York. Maybe if they think we’re gone, then it’ll lower their walls.”
“What do you want us to do?” Gio asks.
“Continue to listen in on their conversations. Find a way for us to contact her without it being at their home.”
“Got it,” Gio says with a nod.
I look over at Liana, whose rounded shoulders and dropped gaze make her look so damn defeated. Placing my hand on her thigh, she looks over at me. “I promise we will figure out what’s going on. We will get the answers you deserve.”
One way or another.
47
LIANA
The past few days have been so eye opening for me. The way Massi has shown up and just let me cry on his shoulder. Yell at him about how mad I am that my mom was taken away from me. Endure the array of emotions I have, still not understanding what’s going on.
