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Home. “Yeah.”
“Keep me posted, brother. You run into trouble, call.”
The moment I disconnect the call, I dialed Sukie’s number. Her phone rings multiple times before going to voicemail. Adrenaline rushes through my veins. I call her again.
“Come on, baby. Answer the damn phone.” I turn my bike in the direction of Sukie’s house.
Sukie finally answers, sniffling. “What?”
“Sukie, baby.” Even though she’s clearly upset, relief washes over me at the sound of her voice. “Sukie, baby. Calm down and explain what the hell is goin’ on.” I try like hell to keep my emotions from making themselves known in my tone.
Through choked sobs, Sukie utters, “Why don’t you ask your wife?” The line goes dead.
Confusion grips me, then anger quickly takes its place. My father is behind this.Bianca.It has to be her. She is another pawn in this twisted game. I put my phone away and grip the handlebars until my knuckles turn white. Memories of betrayal flood my mind. The pain I have tried so hard to bury resurfaces with vengeance.
“Goddamnit!” I roar, twisting the throttle and speeding faster down the road.
I do my best to shove my feelings aside because, this time, it isn’t about me. I look past the turmoil I’m feeling and focus on Sukie. Getting to her and making things right is my only concern.
I finally arrive at her house and see Sukie’s car parked in the driveway. I leap from my bike and rush to the front door, drenched from head to toe. I pound on her door with urgency, and it swings open.
“She’s not in the house.” Sukie’s mom’s face is etched with concern. “What happened?” she asks.
“A misunderstanding. Where is she?”
Alice eyes me for a second. “The lake.”
Of course.I turn and bolt from the porch, jogging toward the narrow path in the trees behind Sukie’s house. I follow the trail until it reveals where Sukie goes when she needs to escape. I spot her standing there, rain-soaked, looking out at the water.
“Sukie.” I turn her to face me, and she doesn’t resist. Suddenly the rain stops, but you wouldn’t know it by the tears falling down her cheeks as she looks up at me with wide eyes filled with hurt.
“Fuck, baby. I am so fuckin’ sorry.” My gut knots at seeing her breaking, and it’s all my fault.
“I… I trusted you,” she stammers between sobs.
“It’s not what you think.”
“Not what I think? A woman proclaiming to be your wife walked into my store, spewing vile words at me.”
“She is not my wife anymore.” Anger surges through my veins. I step away and take a deep breath. “She means nothing to me. Bianca is my past. You are my future.”
“So, you are not married?” Sukie glances around. The look in her eyes tells me she’s getting ready to bolt. “What is going on, Luca?”
I gently cup her face, wiping her tears with tender strokes.
“I’m not married,” I whisper hoarsely, my voice barely audible as it breaks through the lump of emotion in my throat. “I never wanted you to find out this way.”
She looks up at me with eyes filled with vulnerability, studying me. “She’s the one, isn’t she?” she says softly but firmly. “The one who hurt you.”
I swallow hard, not expecting her words to impact me as they do.
“Talk to me, Luca. Please. Help it all make sense. Why is this woman here now?”
The wind howls through the trees, and Sukie shivers. I take her into my arms, lifting her off the ground.
“Luca.” Her teeth chatter because her clothes, like mine, are soaked from the rain.
“I’m takin’ you home where it’s warm. Then we talk.”
