"You've been strange all evening," Chloe says. "What's going on, Gracie?"
I want to tell them what my fears are, but I can't. Dante can still hear every word I'm saying. I don’t want to look like a fool.
But my sisters are staring at me expectantly. I need to give them something.
"Every time I'm happy, I'm seized by this fear," I say. "That it could all go away so fast. All it would take is for her to return."
Both of my sisters turn somber.
This is something that binds us together. Nobody else understands the hold our mother has over us—even though we're all adults now.
But we have to remain optimistic. We have to believe that there will be a day when we won't have to live in constant fear.
"I should probably go back to Dante now," I say.
Saying goodbye takes an hour. My sisters make me promise to call them every day. We make plans to meet tomorrow as well. I also have to persuade them that I'm fine walking back to the hotel.
I kiss my sleeping nephew on the cheek and hug my sisters goodbye.
It's nearly midnight by the time I step out into the night. The rain from earlier this evening still lingers in the air, leaving everything washed clean. The pavement glistens beneath the streetlights. The whole world seems to shimmer.
My heart is full from having spent the day with my family, but it beats differently.
Dante hasn't said one word.
I'm still thinking about him when an icy chill passes down my spine.
I'm being watched.
34
GRACE
Iquicken my strides, hoping to reach the hotel faster.
Maybe this wasn’t a great idea. This part of Paris felt very safe, but maybe things are different after midnight.
The hairs on the back of my neck rise. Every cell inside me is alert. I fight the urge to turn around and make eye contact with whoever is behind me.
I pass by closing restaurants and crowds of people. The feeling of being watched fades a little.
Maybe it was just in my head.
My intuition is screaming at me to speak with Dante, but I don't want to be the first one to break this silence. It's been so long since he said anything that my ego has gotten in the way now. I don't want to be the one to initiate anything.
But I still feel betrayed.
He made me think that he felt the same way about me. It was the way he looked at me. It's his fault that I fell for him.
Tears spring to my eyes. Just as I'm about to wipe them away, a hand clasps over my mouth.
"Do what I say, and you won't be hurt," a man growls from behind me.
I can barely see anything through the haze of my tears. Everything is a blur as I'm dragged toward a dark alley. There are no lights here. It's just shadows and sin.
He pushes me against a wall and brings a knife to my throat. Moonlight reflects off the metal as my heart starts pounding in my chest.
Fear seizes me, turning me immobile.
