Chapter 24 #2
“What do I know?” She shrugs with a laugh.
“You’re really going to be a mom,” I add.
I’m still in shock. She’s pregnant. I’m going to be an aunt. Happiness interlaces with disbelief.
She tries to sit back down on her chair, but Dom whips out his hand.
“Where you think you’re going?” he asks, gently pulling her onto his lap as he takes his seat.
He nuzzles her neck as she leans into his embrace, kissing the top of his head.
“This is wonderful, Chiara,” Joelle adds.
A smile is on her face, but it carries a hint of sadness. I can only guess why.
She was robbed of the experience of being a mother. She never got to see her son grow up. Dante said he’s around eight now.
My uncles, my father…they’re all animals. How could they do this?
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised at what they’re all capable of after finding out they had Matteo killed. Who knows what else they’ve done?
“Congrats, brother!” Dante stands and steps over to Dom, clasping his shoulder.
“I’ve got dibs on the cool uncle,” Enzo adds as he also gets to his feet to congratulate his brother.
Then they both give Chiara a warm hug.
“I’m only like four weeks, guys,” Chiara explains as everyone sits back down. “I found out this morning when I took a test.”
“What made you take one?” I ask, completely curious.
“I don’t know. My sense of smell was really strong all day yesterday and I felt a little nauseous, so I asked Sonia to pick me up a test. I really didn’t think I was.”
Dom’s hand is on her jaw, cupping it, as he reverts her gaze to him.
“Sonia knew before me?” He lifts a curious brow.
“Kind of?” She grimaces. “I mean, I didn’t confirm it once I found out, but she was excited at the possibility.”
“I bet she was.” He chuckles as his hand drops.
We spend the next half hour or so talking, excited for the soon-to-be parents, before the ladies and I stand up and head to the loungers by the pool while the guys have their own time.
Chiara clutches her cup filled with seltzer water, her eyes drifting over to Joelle, who’s drinking her wine.
She’s sitting on a lounger beside Chiara, mind seemingly preoccupied as she stares into her glass.
“So how is being with Enzo?” I prod as I lean over, trying to break up the awkwardness.
“He’s not so bad.” Her lips tip upward as her face slants sideways.
“Is that right?” Chiara adds, wagging her brows. “So, have we forgotten about that MMA trainer from your gym? The one I never texted?”
“Who is that again?” Joelle laughs teasingly.
“Wow. I guess you really do like him,” Chiara says.
“Yeah, he’s pretty good to me, considering the start we had.” She momentarily glances down onto her lap. “We know each other from the club. I don’t know if you knew that. He was one of my customers.”
“No. I don’t remember him.” My cousin shakes her head. “You know how it was. I really didn’t associate with the men, unless it was with my fist.”
“She’s a badass,” Joelle says to me. “I’ve seen her in action, and let’s just say, I pitied the person at the end of her fist. One time, she broke this guy’s two front teeth when he tried to touch me.”
“Oh, damn. I remember that,” Chiara bursts with a laugh.
We continue drinking as they exchange stories from the club, while I soak it all up.
Finally, Chiara pulls in a sharp inhale. “Look, Joelle. I have to say this, so please let me get this out.”
The mood shifts, and Chiara, who’s sitting in the middle, swings her body toward Joelle.
“I’m sorry for what my family did to you and your son.
I’m sorry you didn’t feel like you could come to me for help.
It breaks my heart to know how badly you were suffering while I thought you were working there willingly.
” Her eyes surge with unshed tears as she clenches her jaw before continuing.
“You don’t have to forgive me, but I need you to know that I knew nothing about any of this. Neither of us did.”
Joelle sniffles, swiping under her eyes as she nods.
“I was afraid to tell you. Afraid to tell anyone, really, in case they…” Her chin trembles. “In case they killed my son.”
Her face falls into her palms as she quietly sobs into them.
“Oh, Joelle. I’m so sorry,” Chiara cries, gently gliding her hand up and down her back.
Standing up, I go to sit beside Joelle too, placing an arm around her and giving her the comfort she probably needs.
“He’s so beautiful.” Joelle sighs mournfully. “I’m so grateful he looks exactly like me and not his—”
Her face turns hard.
“Not his father?” Chiara finishes, eyeing her curiously.
She nods.
“Who’s his father, Joelle?” I ask.
A sinking feeling hits the pit of my stomach. Like when you know something dreadful is about to happen before it actually does.
Her hazy gaze tosses from Chiara to me.
A cold shudder breaks over both of my arms and my skin tingles.
She sucks in a breath, her features drowning in pain. “I never wanted to speak of this ugliness before, but I think it’s time. Anything to help find my son.”
“Time for what?” Enzo appears from behind us, the other guys with him. “What’s wrong, baby? Why are you crying?”
He walks over to her, clasping her cheek in his palm with his brows pinched.
“They asked me who Robby’s father is.” Her hand falls over his as she stares up at him, getting to her feet. “I think it’s time I tell you. All of you.”
Enzo only stares, unable to move, probably clutched in the same trepidation that’s coursing through me. She gives him a sad smile before edging his hand off of her, then turns her attention to everyone as he now lowers to where she sat.
“Enzo already knows some of this, but not everything.” She briefly darts her eyes to him, then scans each of our faces.
“When I was nineteen, I was traveling with some friends across the country. It was just the three of us in my Jeep. Elsie, Kayla, and I all went to high school together and decided to take time off from college, wanting to experience the world before becoming doctors. That was always our plan. I was going to be a pediatrician, Elsie wanted to be a heart surgeon, and Kayla’s dream was to become an oncologist.”
A trembling hand runs up to her mouth.
“We had no idea that two days into our adventure, we’d never see each other again.
” She walks over to Enzo, sitting on his lap while his large hand rests over her knee protectively.
“After getting dinner at one of the restaurants where this man, probably in his thirties, wouldn’t leave us alone, we hopped back on the road.
But once we were on a long stretch on an empty highway, the engine died.
We tried to call for help, but there was no reception.
We thought we’d be stranded there. We waited for what felt like an hour until we saw a single car. ”
She runs a hand past her face, dropping a sharp exhale.
“The three of us were so excited. We jumped onto the road, waving our hands, until the large, white SUV stopped. We thought we were finally safe. How wrong we were.” Her eyes brim with tears.
“The man who stepped out was none other than the one from the restaurant. I didn’t think anything of it at first, until two others stepped out with him. ”
Her breaths come faster now, and her knee shakes as she tries to find the rest of her words.
“Here,” Dom says, handing her a bottle of water.
Enzo grabs it and opens it for her before she drinks almost half the bottle.
“I…I’m sorry,” she stammers, her eyes glazed. “This is really hard to relive, even after all this time.”
“You don’t ever have to apologize to us.” Enzo wraps her in his arms, tucking her into his body.