AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“So you’re going to continue staying here then, Mom?” I asked her, wondering if they were going to get back together or if they were just friends.
“For now,” she said. “My therapist said I should take it slowly. And, well, Antonio’s been good enough to help your father out.” She looked nervous.
“I know you don’t like him, but it’s fine,” I said, shaking my head. “He deserves to help you out. He has money, and as far as I’m concerned, he should have been giving it all to you because of what his father did and…”
“He’s not a bad guy,” my mom said softly. “He’s not his father.”
“No, he’s not his father, but he’s still not a good guy.”
“I know how you feel about him,” she said. “Everything’s not black-and-white, Callie. Life isn’t all sunshine and rainbows.”
“Trust me, I know, Mom.” I rolled my eyes, and she smiled slightly.
“You and Elisabetta, you’ve got the world to see. You’ve got a million loves to find, and I’ll be here every step of the way. Each heartbreak, each joy, when you get married, when you have kids, I’ll be here for you. No matter what decisions you make or whatever you do, I’ll always be here for you.”
“And so will I,” my dad said. “And I’ll try not to be too protective and overbearing, and I promise you, I won’t lie again. I’m so embarrassed and ashamed of the man that I was. I…”
“It’s okay, Dad,” I said. “You don’t have to keep apologizing. I know that you regret everything. It’s just weird knowing that most of my life was a lie, and I’m still trying to process that. I don’t hate you. I just… I’m not ready for us to have the relationship we had before.”
“I get that,” he said, “and I’ll be here for you when you are ready.”
“Thanks.”
Elisabetta looked around the room and smiled. “It’s so weird being here. Sorry,” she said, “I know I should be grateful, but…”
“But what?” I asked her.
“It’s weird being in a regular family home.”
“Because you’re used to the Marchesis.” I laughed. “I mean, they were rich, and it was just a different lifestyle, with them being in the Mafia and all.”
“Yeah, I suppose so. Antonio’s not a bad guy, you know?” she said.
“I know.” I nodded.
“I just wanted to reiterate that. I know he’s been texting you and calling you, and, well, you’re not going to look weak or stupid if you decide to text him back.”
I stared at her for a couple of seconds, my heart racing. “I would just feel like an idiot,” I said, shrugging. “Burn me once, shame on you. Burn me twice, shame on me. Burn me three times, shit, dig a hole and bury me in it.”
“I don’t think he would burn you a third time,” she said softly. “I mean, not on purpose.”
“Maybe,” I said. “I don’t know.” My phone beeped, I looked down, and there was another text from Antonio. He sent me three texts a day. One every morning, as soon as he woke up, with a selfie of him. Each morning text said the same thing: “Just woke up and thinking of you. Wish you were here. Hope you have the best day.” I never responded. Then, during the day, he’d send me different texts. Sometimes pictures of food or places he was, just telling me he wished I was there. And in the evening, before he went to bed, he’d send me a photo of himself blowing a kiss, telling me good night, and hoping that I had sweet dreams. I hadn’t responded to any of them. I told myself I should block him. He deserved to be blocked. He was an asshole. He was a jerk. He was the worst sort of man. And yet I couldn’t. I loved reading his texts.
I stared at the latest message that had come through. It was a photo taken at a bookstore of a stack of romance books. “Still believe in true love?” he asked. I couldn’t stop myself from laughing as I shut out the text. I looked up, and I could see my father, mother, and Elisabetta all staring at me, a question on their faces. “Nothing,” I said quickly.
“Was it from him?” Elisabetta asked.
I shook my head. “Maybe.”
“You ever going to give him another chance?” she asked.
“Maybe,” I said. I looked down at my phone again and then sent him a response. “No, I think romance books should be thrown in the trash.” I sent the text quickly and leaned back.
He pinged me back immediately. “Can I see you?” I closed the phone. I wasn’t ready for that yet. I did want to see him. I wanted to figure out if he was doing okay, but I knew that if I was in his presence again, I wasn’t sure what I would feel.
38
Antonio
