Amore? I wished I could have been loved by anyone without signing their death certificate. I wished I could have enjoyed hearing it from him, from anyone. I wished I’d been allowed to ever say it back. “I was. Very much.”
“I’m fine, Lina. Don’t worry about me. How are you doing, bella?”
“Leo, listen. You need to stop. We can’t be together. I can’t…marry you.”
“I know you still have school. We’ll wait until graduation—”
“Leo, you’re not listening!” I glanced heavenward. “You can’t break off your engagement for me. I can’t marry youever. I can’t be with you in any way.”
There was a long pause. “Did Dad tell you to say this?”
“Yes, but I’m saying it, too. I’d have never said yes, Leo. I just can’t and you know why.”
Another pause. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have proposed last night. I did it all wrong.”
“Yes.” I nodded, assuring Tino. “Thank you for understanding. Now, you need to get back to your fiancé and honor your word. It’s the right thing to do. I’m sure she’s amazing, and unlike me, she can actually make you happy.”
“Lina…can you tell Dad I’m not coming home?”
I blinked. “Okay. So you’re going back to San Francisco? To Claudia?”
Tino narrowed his eyes at me and mouthed for me to open the speaker. I did as he asked, anticipating the answer.
“No,” Leo said. “There’s something I have to do, had to do before I proposed to you. I’m not coming home until I do it. It’s the only way you’ll give me a chance.”
My heart dropped on the floor. “Leo, what the hell are you saying?”
“I won’t rest until I findhimand bringhisfucking head to you.”
Chapter33
Tino
“How could you not stop him?”
I stopped counting how many times Angel had asked me that question. She’d been killing herself with worry for no reason at all.
There was no way for me to put her out of her misery other than telling her the truth. Leo was chasing a ghost.
The only person who should worry was me. The only danger here was Leo finding out the truth and telling Lina.
I was the one who killed her father.
I was the psycho stalker creep.
I was the monster that terrified her.
“You don’t care about the safety of my son more than I do, Angelina.” I gave her the same reply every time.
“It’s been months. I’m dying every minute since this shit started. Every time my phone rings, my heart stops. Every call Leo makes to tell me he hasn’t foundhimyet but won’t come home until he does drives me crazy. You don’t understand how I feel. I’m losing my mind.”
I hated to see her like this, but any intervention on my side could make me lose her forever. I couldn’t lose her. I couldn’t lose Leo either.Iwas losing my mind.
My arms opened for her. I hadn’t touched her while she was awake since that moment I almost kissed her. She’d been so distant. She barely talked to me about anything but Leo. He’d taken up all her mind with his conniving move.
She stepped back, rejecting me. She never rejected me before. It stung like a slap on the face. “Why haven’t you foundhim? Didn’t you say you’d findhimin weeks? It’s been months.”
I sighed and dropped my arms. “You want to know why I’m not concerned about Leo chasing that piece of shit? Why I haven’t foundhim?”
