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“Charlotte, you can’t ask me to stay away from you after ten years of being worried sick. I’m your sister and I can’t do it. You shouldn’t be alone.”
“I was alone in Italy. I was all alone. I may have been in a house filled with servants and whatever but I was by myself. This will be different. I just…” Bringing my hand up to my temple I release a strained sigh.
She straightens up like she just thought of something. “It’susisn’t it. All of us, the family. Our lives and who we know. You want out.” She guesses right and it breaks my heart to nod my agreement.
“I love you all, but you don’t know what I went through. I went through so much I can’t even talk about it. It’s too hard and I just want to find the person I was supposed to be.”
“I see… so… Is this it then? After next week I won’t see you again?”
“No... It won’t be like that. I would never just disappear or not be in touch. I just need to do this. This part,” I explain.
“Is that… what happened with Gabe? You told him you couldn’t be with him?”
“Yeah. That’s what happened. I think I need to do this and it’s a necessity for me to move on.”
“Well … I’m here if you need me. I’m here and I understand. I don’t like it but I’m not about to not try to understand what you need to help you get past the past.” She dabs at the corner of her eyes and offers up a little smile.
“I appreciate that you understand.”
My phone buzzes in my purse, cutting off her next words. It must be the realtor confirming my appointment.
“I just have to check this message,” I tell her and reach for my phone.
I narrow my eyes when I look at the message preview. I don’t recognize the number as anyone I’ve ever contacted or who contacted me on this phone.
I open the message and start to read it and my breath hitches the minute I read the first few words.
Hope you liked your present Bellezza.
We need to celebrate properly.
Not the coffeehouse, somewhere nicer.
Keep your hair like that.
Tobias xx
I dropthe phone and look around frantically.
Jesus … God… no.
Tobias Antonella. It’s him. It’s him, but where?
How did he get my number?
Cordelia rushes around to pick up the phone and hand it to me.
“Charlotte are you okay?” she asks.
I shake my head and instantly start crying.
She looks at the phone and sees the message. “Who is this?”
I can’t answer.
I can’t tell her who it is for so many reasons.
I can’t say anything. I really doubt Antonio’s killer would like me doing so.
