The house behind me is dark now. Ronan's hand is broken, and Bridget knows exactly what I think of her. And for the first time in a very long time, they understand there are consequences for putting their hands on Quinn.
Not because she's a Delaney, but because she's mine.
I get into the car and Marco starts the engine. It’s time to go home, where Quinn is waiting for me.
Chapter 19
Quinn
TWO WEEKS LATER
My cellphone buzzes on the library table. My entire body freezes at the sound. God, I have come to hate that sound. Most days I put it on silent because I can’t deal with the floods of incoming calls, messages, and voicemails.
I’ve had two weeks of bliss living in this home. I no longer have to worry about walking into a room and wondering what mood Daire’s in and whether or not I'm going to have hate spewed at me. Or if I’m going to have to brace for an argument.
Being here at the Mariano estate has brought a calm over me that I haven’t ever experienced. It’s so nice to wake up and be free of the drama and mood swings. Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty of arguments in this house. There’s so many people who have amazing personalities, they’re bound to clash, but nothing is vicious or vindictive and within minutes they’re back to normal.
Christ, who would have thought that it would be the Mariano’s who’d teach me what a normal family is?
The phone buzzes again. I glance down at it. It’s lying face down on the table beside my cup of tea. I don’t know if I should look at what is being sent or just ignore it. No matter what, the buzzing isn’t going to stop. It never does. Not since I got married.
I don’t know why, but since the wedding, Daire has become unhinged. It’s truly fucking frightening and I don’t know what to do about it.
It started while I was still in the hotel. The morning after our wedding, Lorenzo had gone outside, and my phone lit up with an unknown number. I was stupid and read it, unsure of who was messaging me or what it was about.
I read the first part and then deleted it.
Unknown Number: 9:43: He’ll never love you. You’ll never be wanted. You will always be second best.
I know it was Daire. She’s the only unhinged person I know and the messages read exactly like her. As soon as they come in, they get deleted.
I deleted it without reading the full thing, but she’s getting persistent. At first it was every few days, then it’s grown to every day, and now it’s multiple times every day, and I don’t respond. It’ll only cause more trouble, and I’m done with her. I don’t need to be dragged back into her toxicity.
I’ve been dealing with it the best way I know how, quietly deleting them. I haven’t told anyone about it. I know that's my worst habit, that I keep everything bottled up and don’t let anyone help. But the truth is, I don’t trust anyone to help me. When I was being belittled, beaten, and lied about by my parents, no one was there to help, so it’s hard for me to believe that someone will help me now.
Once again, my phone buzzes, my heart thrums against my chest, and I know that she’s not going to stop. The crazy bitch is working my last nerve. I look at the ceiling for a moment, take a deep breath and pick up the phone. I instantly regret it as I read each and every message.
Unknown number: 10:14: You ruined mam's life just by existing. She told me that herself. You know that, right? You've always known.
Unknown number: 10:15: Da would have been happier without you. We all would have been. You were never supposed to be here.
Unknown number: 10:17: You ruin everything just by being in it. You always have. Lorenzo will figure that out too, and then you'll have nowhere left to go.
I put the phone face down again, and I breathe through my nose and out through my mouth, counting through each of them. My hands are shaking and I try to slow my breathing.
Why is Daire such a bitch? That’s something that I’ve never understood. I don’t know what I did to her or my mam for them to hate me so much. I can’t wrap my head around the thought that someone can be so damn evil for no reason. She is loved dearly by both mam and da, so why is she a raging bitch?
I reach for the book that Valentina and I are buddy reading and open it to the page that I finished reading last night, but it’s not working. I read the page over and over again, but none of the words are sticking.
Damn it!
I put the book down and look at the window. I replay Daire’s message over and over again: You ruined mam's life just by existing.
She knew that would cut me deeply. I’ve always wanted Mam and Da to acknowledge that I exist, to love me just a fraction of how they love my siblings, and they never have. I doubt they ever will.
I’m glad that she’s not using Orla’s death against me anymore. I bet it’s because everyone knows that it was her fault. That she was the evil bitch that drove Orla to be so isolated and devastated that she had nowhere to turn, no one to ask for help.
Now she’s using Mam and Da against me, using their lack of love as a weapon.
