AllFreeNovel
Share Us
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“THE PIZZA’S HERE.”I turn toward my mom’s voice when she enters the hotel room.
It’s been less than two hours since she picked me up and while seeing her face has been the one bright spot in a world otherwise shrouded in darkness, it hasn’t been enough to ease the hole that’s slowly growing inside my chest.
Despite having showered and changed into some clean, dry clothes that she brought for me, I still feel chilled, like the cold air and rain that I walked through for hours seeped into my very bones and try as I may, I can’t seem to shake it.
I don’t really remember when she got to the gas station. The manager was kind enough to allow me to hide out in the back office while I waited for her. It took her what felt like forever. Then again, it really wasn’t that long considering she had to not only find a flight here, but she had to endure two layovers during her trip.
I was so exhausted I nodded off at some point and when I opened my eyes, there she was. It still feels like a dream and I have to resist the urge to pinch myself to prove that this is real. That I’m here, with my mom, safe in an airport hotel room where we will stay until our flight back to Pennsylvania in the morning.
“I’m not hungry.” I pull the comforter up to my chin and snuggle deeper into the bed.
“Mila, you have to eat.” She crosses the room, depositing the pizza and two bottles of soda onto the nightstand that sits between the two queen sized beds.
She gingerly takes a seat on the edge of my bed, her hand coming out to brush a stray chunk of hair away from my face.
I know she’s right. I need food. I need fuel. I’m so weak it’s nearly impossible to move. But the thought of eating makes my stomach churn violently.
“I can’t imagine what you’ve been through these past few weeks, but you’re here now. You’re safe. And that’s all that matters.”
“I can’t stop seeing his face.” I fight back the tears that well in my eyes. “My father.”
Her expression dips in understanding.
We haven’t spoken much. When she first arrived, I was so overwhelmed with emotion that I couldn’t think clearly enough to form words, let alone try to explain where I had been and what I had been through. She understood and has yet to pressure me into telling her anything. The one and only thing I confirmed was that my father was dead and that I’d watched him die.
My throat goes dry at the thought of my father’s lifeless body, slumped forward in that chair. I still can’t believe it actually happened. That Mateo not only killed my father, but that he did so right in front of me.
I’m still so angry.
But if I’m being honest, a lot of my anger stems from what Mateo said to my father before he put a bullet between his eyes.
That everything we had been through together was nothing more than a lie.
I didn’t know something could hurt as bad as it did when I realized I had played right into his hands. Not only that, but I had actually fallen in love with that vile monster.
Yet, even knowing what he did, even knowing that none of it was ever real for him, it doesn’t change the fact that it was real for me. That my feelings were real. That they’re still real. As much as I wish I could shut them off, I can’t. You can’t just stop loving someone. That’s not how the heart works.
“I never got the chance to know him.” I peer up at my mom, tears blurring my vision.
“I know,” she soothes, running her fingers through the ends of my hair. “And as sorry as I am that you had to witness what you did, I’m honestly glad you’ll never know him.” Her words have me scooting upright in the bed, both appalled and curious as to why she would say something like that to me. “Normally, I would never speak ill of the dead, but your father, he wasn’t a good man, Mila.”
“Is that why you lied to me? Why you kept the truth from me for so many years?”
“Yes and no.” She blows out a soft breath.
“My mom loved him, didn’t she? He couldn’t have been all bad.”
“Your mother did love him, very much. And he loved her. But it wasn’t a healthy relationship, Mila. He was cruel and controlling. I tried to convince her to leave so many times but she was terrified if she tried, he’d come after her, and you.”
“But I don’t understand, why did she love him if he was horrible? Why did she marry him?”
“Because she was blinded by his looks, his charm, and his undeniable power. He was exciting and unlike any man she had ever known. Your mom always skirted on the edge of danger. She thrived in that type of environment. And for the most part, she loved it. But after she had you, things started to change. She had someone more important than herself to think about. But then the fire happened... and well, I’m assuming you know what happened next.”
“Do you know how I survived?”
“One of your father’s men got you out. I don’t know who. The information I was given was so limited. They only told me what they felt like I needed to know. I still don’t know the whole story. All I know is one day I had a sister and the next I didn’t. Two days later two men showed up on my doorstep with you. They told me to pack my essentials and they carted us away. I left everything behind. My job, my car, my apartment, my friends, my entire life. Gone, just like that. One day I was living one life and the next, I was quite literally a completely different person.”
