I arch a brow. “So this is normal in the circles you run in?”
He shrugs. “Happens more than you’d think. Do you mind if we sit down?”
“Not at all.” I walk back into the living room, and he follows behind me. We sit down across from each other on the sofa.
“Before I examine you, Mr. De Luca requested that I let you make a phone call to a friend. Someone named Del?”
My heart leaps inside my chest. I haven’t forgotten Nero’s promise, but I’d expected him to let me call her only under his supervision. “Yes. Can I call her now?”
He nods. “I have instructions I must read to you first, and then you must promise you will follow them.”
I bite on the inside of my mouth. More rules, more conditions. Is everything in my life going to come with fine print now? “Go ahead.”
“You will tell her that you’ve eloped and decided to relocate to New York with Mr. De Luca. You will make no mention of the other circumstances that precipitated this move. You will also make no mention of any distress you may currently feel or allude to any foul play.”
“And if I’m honest?”
Doc looks down at the piece of paper in his hand. “530 Hampshire Street, Unit 308. She lives with a roommate and a gray Siamese cat.”
A sense of dread settles over me at the implied threat. “Okay. I agree to the terms.”
“Good. I’ll call her right now.” He hands me the phone as it rings.
I try to keep my composure, but the sound of Del’s voice over the speaker makes me choke up. “Del,” I croak.
“Oh my God, I’ve been trying to reach you for days! I was getting worried! What happened?”
“A lot,” I blubber. Doc hands me a tissue. I crush it in my fist and dab it under my eyes. “I’m sorry. It’s been…crazy. I should have called earlier.”
“Why are you crying? What’s going on?”
Biting down on my lip, I force myself to suck in a deep breath. I need to put a pin in my emotions, or Del’s not going to believe a word I say. She knows I’m not a crier.
“I eloped.”
“Youwhat?”
“Rowan and I are married.”
There’s a pause so long that I check to see if the call’s still connected. “Del?”
“Yeah, I’m here. I just… I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were going to do that.”
The obvious hurt in her tone makes me wince. “I’m sorry, Del. It happened very quickly. We got a bit swept up, I guess.”
“Are you back home now?”
“No. We actually decided to move to New York.”
Del makes a strangled gasp. “New York?”
“I know it’s unexpected. I was just ready for a change, and you know I’ve been trying to get out of Darkwater for ages. An opportunity came up, and Rowan took it.”
“I don’t understand. How? Just…how?What about his business? What about your house?”
Your guess is as good as mine.I tug on the neck of my T-shirt, feeling my skin turn clammy. Bullshitting her feels awful. “We’re still trying to figure all that out.”
“Umm…okay. So you just up and left literally everything behind?”
