AllFreeNovel
Share Us
There is nothing more I want to think about now other than taking a quick shower before hitting the airport. But even as the chilly water cascades down my body, I see her moving beneath me. I hear her soft sighs of pleasure and imagine her fingers reaching into my ear. It's never going to end.
Maybe I can find myself a mistress in Seattle to eliminate every memory of Ella Miller. I always get what I want, but since I can't have her, it's best to forget her.
***
See that girl right there? The one with her heels in her hands, dragging her big black luggage behind her and clutching a bag to her sides? Well, looks like Cinderella meets her doom in the heart of New York City.
This is me, in all my glamour, making my way down the road. I jump past a trash can, dog poop, and even a can of beer. A bystander might ask why. To haul my form in front of a Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ (magnificent!) with my hands shooting up in the air as the horns blare. “Stop. I need a ride, please.” I am panting frantically and am hardly sane. My heartbeat throbs in my ears as adrenaline surges like the rush of the wind pushing me into the car preventing me from maintaining my stance. I see that the passenger was hoping to veer me away, but I would not allow it.
It’s no wonder that after two hours of standing in the sun for a ride to take me back to my apartment, I find myself in total exhaustion upon my return. This wouldn’t have happened if my boss hadn’t insisted that I meet her in a local restaurant at 10 o’clock in the morning before heading to my apartment first. It’s time to say my final goodbyes and catch a bus to meet her before rushing into the streets to take off this huge load I carried. And it's not just my luggage that needs a load off. The pain in my heart needs to go away, too.
***
Antonio Deluca. Yes, we were both crazy enough to have our wild adventure the other day, but then he vanished the next morning, leaving only his business card on the bed. I should’ve known better. This type of treatment towards women is what exactly I wanted to avoid. But I fell for him that night and I can only blame him in order to keep my sanity. I finally came to terms that he is just a mega-rich, rude, charming heartbreaker.
“I am not overthinking this, am I, Grace?” I had asked her on a phone call before leaving Italy. She was silent for a while but thought I was indeed overthinking it.
“He probably has good intentions, Ella. Did you mention anything about needing a job to him?”
“Oh, come on, Grace. He left no notes on it!” Memories from the previous night's jolly flash through my mind as I teeter on the edge of consciousness, and I felt my cheeks flush. I couldn’t help it. I breathed in the sheets to savor the moment and bask in the memory before opening my eyes.
I'm not sure what I expected to see, but it most certainly was not the half-made bed that I saw. He must have so desperately wanted to disappear quickly without giving me a chance to stop him. I softly jumped off from the bed and then noticed a card placed face down on his side of the bed. I picked it up and saw his name and office address. A business number, too. He left me hisfuckingbusiness card.What an ass!I dumped the card in the trash can and wobbled into the bathroom to shower.
Shortly after, I had my things packed in my bag, and was ready to leave. I walked to the door and slowly turned the knob. Not that I planned to contact Antonio, but what if…? I looked for justifiable reasons why I might need to keep the business card, and I couldn't find any. Even though I felt stupid, I walked back to the trash can and dug out the card anyway.
***
My apartment is a mess. It is in the same state I left it in, before the trip to Italy. Cleaning is the last thing on my mind. I have barely slumped into my couch when my home phone rings. Who could be calling at my home address at this time of the day? Wondering, I walk over to pick it up. From the other end of the line, I can hear the frantic voice of my brother, Jeremy. He’stalking so fast. I can barely understand anything. He’s probably got himself in trouble again. That's the only time he gets so anxious on the phone. “What is this about, Jeremy?” I groan.
“Josh. Josh. Josh. It’s Josh,” he keeps repeating his twin brother’s name.
I sit myself straight on the couch and tell him, “Slow down, what is wrong with Josh?” My heart hammers in my veins. I hate hospitals. I hate the scent of antiseptics and the sight of blood.
"He got hit by a car. He, he’s losing a lot of bl… blood.Shit.” Jeremy’s sentences are disjointed so I struggle to put his words together, but with the mention of blood, I feel nauseous.
“Relax. Where are you?" I try to keep a calm tone.
"I’m at the police station. The car… the guy who hit us tried to make…”
“Us?” I cut in.
“No, no. I am fine. Jeremy was right behind me. I got away with some scratches, but he took most of the hit.”
“What do you need right now, Jeremy? Where is mum?” I ask.
“Hospital. She’s with Jeremy,” Josh says slowly. “I should head back there now. I should be with her.”
I pinch myself back to reality to listen to him speak again.
"They need about eight thousand for his surgery. They said his condition is non-life threatening. That he will be okay. But we need the money to pay for the hospital bills."
"WHAT! Jeremy, that's so much money. Where am I supposed to get that kind of money? "
There's a crackle on the line, and I hear someone talking near Josh. I assume his time is up. Jeremy continues, "... Please,Sis, I’ll do what I can, but we really need your help…" Then the line goes dead.
I replace the receiver and slump back on the couch and take deep breaths. Being agitated won't solve any problems, and I just need to calm down and think of ways to fix this mess. There is no way I am going to sit here and watch my brother lie in a hospital bed without any help. I dismiss the thought of calling my mother. She probably doesn't know what to do either. It’s better not to worry her, or I will have even more medical bills to pay.
For a moment, I'm thankful I have something else to occupy my mind. I don't have time to think about Antonio disappearing the way he did. But my relief is only short-lived when I realize I have no way of paying the hospital bills on top of other accounts that I need to settle. Once again, thoughts of Antonio invade my mind, only this time it is about the conversation where he offered me a job. I keep replaying the scene repeatedly in my head, and a little voice keeps telling me that it's my only way out. Try as I might silence it, the voice is persistent.
