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I huff. “Yeah, but she’s crazy.”
“Fair point,” Vivian says.
“My crazy,” he growls. They start kissing. I stand and excuse myself before I vomit. Between their constant moments of physical affection and my shame, my stomach can’t take much more.
When I leave, I walk around the house and decide to take the perimeter. That’s when I found my father doing his own round. “Hey, Son. Good morning.”
“Hey, Dad.” My voice sags and gives away my temperament. We shake hands and then he pulls me in for a hug.
“Day one of marriage not as good as you expected?”
“It’s fine.”
The cool breeze whips past us as if to slap me in the face for even letting that slip. “It’s fine? That’s not good.”
“What do you want me to say? That we’re madly in love and that this wasn’t just a rushed job to get at Moreno and a big motherfucking mistake?”
He looks upward and then turns his attention back at me. That’s when I see a swarm of birds pass by us. “Calm down, Son. Let’s walk.”
Chapter Ten
Patricia
Last night was magical. Given everything that happened, I hadn’t expected to make love and yet, Gio had introduced me to such passion and desire that my body was alive in ways I’ve only dreamed about, a hope for a future that seemed out of my grasp.
I open my eyes to the sound of birds nearby, so I stretch and find the spot next to me is empty. The alarm clock says it’s already eight, so I guess he’s an early riser. Stretching some more, I roll and find that I’m sore in so many parts of my body.
Suddenly, I have to use the ladies’ room. Hopping out of the bed, I find his shirt on the floor and slip it on, sneaking into the bathroom. Once I’m done, I open the windows to get some fresh air. The smile on my face won’t go away; I feel like Cinderella, and the prince has swept her off to this castle and married her.
Sitting on the bench next to the window, I stare into the distance outside when I hear Gio’s voice. Word by word, the pursuits of the night before and this morning’s happiness crumbles. The hope for the future evaporates. The warmth I felt moments earlier has disappeared, and I feel cold. Closing the window, I lose his shirt and head into the shower.
My stomach turns, but I stave off the need to become sick. Still, I have to wash him off of me. Once I’m clean, I hear a knock at the door. With a towel wrapped around me, I answer the door and it’s one of the guards. “Mrs. Barone, Mrs. Conti had these clothes brought up for you.”
“Thank you.” I can’t take them without losing my towel. “You can leave them right there.” I tilt my head to the floor by the door.
“Yes, of course, ma’am. You’re welcome.” His eyes linger a little too long.
“You can leave now.”
“Get the fuck out of here before I kill you,” Gio snarls. He grabs the bags and comes through the door, slamming it shut. “What the fuck are you doing answering the door in only a towel? Have you lost your fucking mind?”
“What the fuck do you care? I’m just a tool for your war. Besides, I didn’t have any clothes.” He stops coming toward me. His mouth opens and closes several times like he’s going to say something, but he doesn’t because he can’t refute what I have to say.
“Just get fucking dressed and don’t ever do that shit again.” I roll my eyes and grab the bags from him with a whole lot of disrespect. He married a Moreno; he’s going to get a Moreno.
“Whatever you say, Mr. Barone.” I head into the bathroom before he can say something else and before I can shed a tear in front of him. Why did he have to look so good? I open the bag and notice a cell phone inside. Vivian gave me a cell phone? Wow, I’m liking her more and more by the second. I set it on the counter and pull out the clothes, finding a couple of cute outfits before selecting a pair of leggings with a crop top and a nice zip-up hoodie to match, which I leave open.
Everything fits perfectly, and I look like I stepped out of a fashion magazine. It’s not something I’d ever get to wear at home. Normally I wear dresses every day, looking ever the princess I’m forced to be.
“Are you almost done in there?”
“What’s the rush?”
“You need to eat.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“Don’t lie to me, Patricia.” I’m not. I’ve lost my appetite along with his pet name for me. “You have two more minutes, or I’m going to open the damn door myself.”
