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“Have you been drinking?” I asked as I turned away from everyone. I could feel Antonio’s eyes on me.
“Yes I have. You usually get shitfaced when you lose something that was important to you.”
I swallowed hard. “What . . . what did you lose?”
The silence on the other end of the line had my hand coming up to my neck. It felt like I couldn’t breathe. A strange feeling moved over me and I had the urge to rush back to Colorado Springs and tell Nic everything. Tell him everything I should have told him from the beginning.
“Nic? What did you lose?”
“I think you already know the answer. I need to go, Scarlett’s waiting for me. Goodbye, Gabi.”
A sharp intake of air filled the silence. My eyes widened in shock as I let his words rattle around in my head.
“W-what? Nic . . . wait. What is happening?”
When the line went dead, it felt like my whole world stopped.
Scarlett’s waiting for me.
This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be happening.
My phone dropped to the floor, and I wrapped my arms around my waist and started rocking as I called out his name.
Antonio was by my side pulling me to him. Asking me over and over what was happening. I couldn’t think straight to even form words in my head.
He left me. He waited until I left and then he went to her.
Unless . . .
TWO DAYS LATER
“Gabi, please stop with this. The guy is in Colorado Springs. I already had an FBI agent check. I showed you the picture he took yesterday.”
The picture.
It was of Nic and Cole sitting at a table with a few other guys at a restaurant. Antonio had found out the girl in the picture was a Scarlett Hansen. Nic’s old and what I was guessing current, fuck buddy. Her and her father owned the place. It had to be the place he told me where they went and ate.
“What if that was him, Antonio, and he saw me run into your arms? He’d have had plenty of time to get back to the states.”
“Or what if he is just like all the other asshole men out there and was using you for sex, Gabi. You slept with him, didn’t you? Isn’t that why you let your guard down?”
Anger raced through my veins. “I didn’t let my guard down! I told you I didn’t know they were going to take a picture of me and post it in the paper!”
He frowned. “You pulled out of the state competition, right?”
“Of course I did,” I bit back.
“Still. Of all the people to date, a damn cop. What if he tried to pull you up or do a background check?”
I flopped onto the sofa and laughed. “Seriously? Paranoid much?”
His eyes lifted to mine. “It’s my job to be paranoid.”
Picking up my phone, I checked it again for any voicemails or texts.
Nothing.
I stood and started to pace. I refused to believe that Nic would use me. When he looked into my eyes and told me he loved me, I believed him.
Antonio’s phone beeped. He opened up a message and frowned.
“What? What is it?”
“Does this make it more clear?”
Walking up to him, I snatched the phone out of his hand and stared at the picture. It was Nic and another woman hugging. I couldn’t see her face, but it looked like it could have been Scarlett. The last bit of hope I was clinging onto fell right alongside my tears. I never thought I’d let someone hurt me again. This was ten times worse than with Dante. I never loved him. Nic I loved with my whole heart and soul.
“I need to get out for a bit.”
“And go where?”
“A walk. I need air. I’ll be back later.”
Antonio stood. “I’ll come with you.”
Shaking my head, I wiped my tears. “I need to be alone, Antonio. Please just leave me alone.”
I wasn’t sure how long I walked the streets of Padua. Lanzo walked a few feet behind me, but I knew he was there. I appreciated him leaving me alone. If I even tried to speak right now I was positive I’d end up a blubbering fool.
Coming up to the river, I leaned against the fence and looked out over it. A young couple walked hand-in-hand up the sidewalk. He whispered something in her ear and she blushed. A sharp pain hit me in the chest and I had to force myself not to start crying.
“Nic,” I whispered.
My phone buzzed and I looked to see it was Charity.
“Hello?”
“Hey, how is it going over there in Italy?”
With a sigh, I replied, “It could be better. How are things at home?”
“Okay.”
“Just okay? How are things at the bakery?”
“They are okay,” she said with a small sigh.
I needed happy news. Not bad.
“What happened?”
“Max broke the mixer. He needs you to come back right away.”
