“Shit, you’re serious.” She twirled a strand of hair around her finger. “Do you want me to come?”
“Girl. I love you, but I want to do this on my own.”
Vanessa nodded, widening her eyes. “No, I get it, I just worry about you…”
The sound of my phone ringing interrupted her, and she waved at me to get it.
“Hello?”
“Hi, is this Mrs Lila Rossi?” a woman asked, the background noise almost taking over her voice.
Not for much longer, I thought before answering, “Yes?”
“I’m calling from the hospital,” she said, and my heart dropped. “It’s about your husband, Victor Rossi? You’re his emergency contact.”
Suddenly, everything stopped. I couldn’t hear anything because of the ringing in my ears. If anything had happened to Victor, I wouldn’t be able to breathe.
“Is he okay?” I whispered, as Vanessa snapped her head to me.
Fear seized me as the woman continued. “He’s fine, just a few cuts and bruises. He’s been in a car accident.”
“Jesus Christ,” I murmured, closing my eyes. “But he’s alright?”
“Yes, he was arrested under suspicion of driving under the influence, I’m afraid.”
Air whooshed from my lungs. That wasn’t like Victor at all. Drinking and driving? My heart sank. “Thank you for letting me know.”
“Of course.”
I ended the call and stared into the alarmed eyes of my best friend, his sister.
“What, Lila? Tell me!” Vanessa demanded, her voice trembling.
We all loved himsomuch.
“Victor has been in a car accident,” I explained as her face drained of colour. “But he’s okay. He’s been arrested for suspicions of drunk driving.”
Vanessa gasped, her eyes filling with tears. “That stupid bastard! I need to call my mom.”
I nodded as she called her mother, my mind numb.
He was okay. But he very easily could’ve not been, and that terrified me.
I needed to see him—and put an end to this—before he hurt himself or someone else.
18
VICTOR
Enzo gave me a ride home from the station. I felt like a guilty teenager as he grilled me about how much I was drinking—and what the fuck had possessed me to drive with a whiskey bottle in hand.
I mean, he’s not wrong, is he?
Heartbreak makes you do stupid fucking things.
What’s worse, his sister was coming to visit with her fiancé and their new baby, so I was moving in with mymother.
Of all people.
