Chapter 5
CHAPTER 5
MEREDITH
" I n bed with someone from work?" Sofia's eyes narrowed as she picked apart her pastry. "Who?"
"Some junior accountant. Susan or Shannon, I can't remember." I wrapped my hands around my coffee cup, letting the warmth seep into my palms. "Does it matter?"
"It matters because I'm going to ruin her life along with Logan's." She pulled out her phone, fingers flying over the screen. "What's his side piece's last name?"
"Sof, don't. Please." I reached across and lowered her phone. "I just want to forget it happened."
She studied me for a long moment. "Fine. But tell me how you ended up here. With him."
The way she said 'him' made me pause. "Gray sent him. My car's in the shop, and the rideshare apps weren't working."
"And of all people, he sent Leo?" She glanced around the pristine penthouse with a strange look. "Mr. Dangerous-And-Mysterious himself?"
"He was the closest, I guess."
"Mer, honey, I love you, but you can be really blind sometimes." Sofia leaned forward. "Leo Donati doesn't just invite anyone to his penthouse and order them to stay. I know you say he's like family, but even with family, I doubt he'd do that."
"What are you trying to say?"
She opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by my phone buzzing. Logan's name flashed on the screen.
"Ignore it," Sofia said sharply.
"I have been." I silenced the call, but my stomach knotted as my chest tightened. "He's been texting too. Saying it was a mistake, that he loves me."
"Bullshit." She grabbed my phone, quickly blocking Logan's number. "There. Now tell me about this morning. Why were you in his robe?"
Heat crept up my neck. "He let me borrow it after my shower. That's all."
"Uh-huh." Her tone was skeptical. "Gray said you had a nightmare too, Leo told him."
Right, word travelled fast.
I hesitated. Sofia knew about my childhood trauma, the gaps in my memory, the panic attacks. But did I tell her about the flashback? About how Leo had held me?
"I had a nightmare. A memory, actually." The words came slowly. "About my father."
Sofia's expression softened. "Oh, honey. Was it bad?"
"He was beating me." My voice cracked. "I remembered Leo and Gray coming in, stopping him."
"Leo was there?" Something flashed across her face. "What exactly do you remember?"
"Just fragments. Why?"
She shook her head. "Nothing. But Mer? Maybe there's a reason Gray sent Leo last night. Maybe there's a reason he wants you here."
"What do you mean?"
Sofia waved off my question, reaching for another pastry. "So what are you going to do about Logan? Have you thought about what you'll say when you see him?"
"I don't want to see him." The mere thought made my stomach churn. "There's nothing to say."
"Good. Because if you even think about forgiving him..." She left the threat hanging. "What about work? You know he'll try to corner you there."
I hadn't even thought about that. Logan and I worked in the same building, different companies but the same elevator bank. Same coffee shop in the lobby.
"I don't know." I pulled at a loose thread on the silk robe. "Maybe I can work from home for a bit."
"Or maybe it's time for that change you've been talking about." Sofia's eyes lit up. "Didn't that firm downtown offer you a position last month?"
"The salary wasn't as good."
"But the opportunities were better." She arched a perfectly manicured brow at me. "And it's in Leo's building."
I raised an eyebrow. "How do you know that?"
"Because my family does business with his," she said, that look flashing across her face, the one whenever Leo came up. She always said it was because she knew the kind of man he was, and didn't care much for him, but she never went any further when I asked. "Let's focus on your next steps. I can help you get all your stuff, and you can move in with me for now," she said with a firm nod of her head, like it was already decided. "Get you back on your feet, you can change jobs, it'll all be better."
"Gray said he's handling my stuff. I'm not sure how I feel about that though, we both know he's going to be livid with Logan."
"Understatement of the century," she snorted and shook her head. "He'll be lucky if he maintains the ability to walk."
I smiled softly, knowing my brother was as protective as they came. As was Leo, now that I'd remembered a few things. "Maybe I should tell him we'll handle it. I know you might say harsh things to him, but you won't do anything to land yourself behind bars."
"Ha! Don't be so sure of that, hon. I can pack a mean right hook when needed, and he deserves it," she barked out a laugh.
"On another note, there was a reason I didn't call you. I know you had your work thing this weekend. I didn't want to interfere with that. I thought you were presenting today?"
Sofia's expression shifted, a mix of guilt and frustration crossing her face. "I told them I had a family emergency. You're more important than some stupid presentation. They weren't happy, but tough."
"Sof! That was a huge opportunity for you. The hospital board was going to be there."
"And they'll be there next time." She reached across the counter and squeezed my hand. "Besides, my father knows the chief of medicine. He already smoothed it over."
There it was again, that casual mention of her family's connections. Sofia rarely talked about her family's business dealings, but sometimes things slipped through. Like how they "knew people" or how doors mysteriously opened for her.
"You shouldn't have done that," I insisted. "I'm fine. Leo's been..." I trailed off, not sure how to describe what he'd been.
"Been what?" She leaned forward, eyes sparkling with interest. "Taking care of you? Holding you while you cry?"
Heat flooded my cheeks. "It's not like that."
"Then what's it like? Because the Leo Donati I know doesn't do comfort. He doesn't do emotional support. Hell, he barely does conversation unless it's business-related."
"You always said you didn't really know him on a personal level," I shot back, and she shrugged.
"Again, family business, big hotshots. I've heard enough about him from everyone," she said with a shrug. "He's a stone-cold man from what everyone says, even all the articles on him and his businesses."
"He's different with me," I said softly, then immediately regretted it when Sofia's eyes widened.
"Different how?"
"I don't know. Just... different. This morning when I had that nightmare, he knew exactly what to do. How to calm me down."
Sofia sat back, a strange expression crossing her face. "Mer, honey, have you ever wondered why that might be? Why he knows how to handle your panic attacks? Why Gray trusts him with you more than anyone else?"
"What are you trying to say?"
She opened her mouth, then seemed to think better of it. "Nothing. Just... maybe pay attention to how he acts around you. Really pay attention."
"You think we were closer? That I've forgotten a lot? Or blocked it out?"
"Maybe. Maybe think about why you feel so safe with him, even after all these years." She clicked her tongue as she pushed off the counter. "Now, I need to use the ladies' room. When I'm back, we're going to talk some more."
I nodded, watching her stride off down the hall, turning her words over in my mind. Why did I feel so safe with Leo? And why did everyone seem to know something I didn't?
I sipped my coffee, gazing out over the city. My mind was too full of fragmented memories, of strong arms holding me through panic attacks, of a teenage boy promising to always protect me.
Maybe Sofia was right. Maybe I needed to start paying attention.
"So tell me more about how you caught them," Sofia called as she emerged from the hallway, only to then slip into Leo's room. "Please tell me you punched him and slapped her," she called out.
I rose, knowing she was being her usual nosy self. "Not much to tell. I came home early to surprise him for date night."
"Surprise was on him, bastard." Sofia ran her fingers along the bookshelf in his room, examining the minimal decor on each shelf. "God, this place is so... pristine. Clean lines, expensive everything, and absolutely zero personality." She paused. "Oh, wait. What's this?"
She picked up a silver frame I hadn't noticed before, tucked away behind a lamp on the bookshelf. My breath caught as I recognized the photo – me at sixteen, sandwiched between Leo and Gray at our family's lake house. We were all smiling, a rare sight for Leo even then, but something was off about the photo.
"My father's been cut out," I said softly, moving closer. "That was the summer before... before his accident."
Sofia's fingers traced the edge where my father had been removed. You could just see his shoulder by my brother's. "That summer? You never talk about it."
"I don't remember much of it." I chewed my cheek uneasily, my chest tightening as I attempted to recall it. "I don't think good things happened."
"The accident was that fall, right?" Sofia's voice was careful, measured.
"Yeah. Car crash. A month after my birthday." I frowned, trying to grasp at memories that felt just out of reach. "At least, that's what Gray told me, and the reports say."
Sofia nodded, setting the photo back with deliberate care. "Must have been hard, losing both parents. I know you were only a baby when your mom passed. At least you have Gray, and me. I guess Leo too."
Before I could respond, my phone rang. Unknown number.
"Hello?"
"Ms. Cassaro? This is Detective Warren. We need to verify your whereabouts last night. Is there any chance we can speak with you? We can come to you."
My stomach dropped. "Um, okay. Can I ask what this is about?" I stared at Sofia, who had one eyebrow arched questioningly.
"I can explain when I speak to you. Can I have your current whereabouts, we'll come round in the next several hours."
"Right. I'm at 1220 North State Parkway, the penthouse. Can you tell me anything?" My stomach flipped and knotted as Sof watched me quietly.
"We'll be around to ask some questions." The line went dead.
"What was that about?" Sofia asked as soon as I lowered the phone. "Giving out Leo's address might not be smart."
"Police. They want to know where I was last night." My hands started shaking as I moved to sit on the edge of the bed. "Sof, what's going on?"
I glanced at my phone, wondering if I should tell Leo I'd just invited the cops to his place.
I should've asked him first, or offered to go to the station. Sof could've driven me.
Sofia pursed her eyes as she pulled out her phone, appearing to text someone. "I'm sure it's nothing to worry about." She slipped her phone away with a too-bright smile. "Now, want to know what else I brought besides clothes?"
I blinked at her sudden change of subject. "What?"
"Come with me." She pulled me off the bed as my mind whirled, trying to figure out why they'd be calling me. Gray was out of town, so it wasn't like he would've gone and visited Logan.
"Sof—"
"Hang on."
She rummaged through one of the bags out by the kitchen, pulling out face masks and nail polish. "We're going to pamper ourselves while watching trashy TV. Doctor's orders."
"The police are coming?—"
"And they'll ask their questions, and everything will be fine." She steered me toward the couch. "Now, cucumber or charcoal mask?"
I stared at her, this woman who'd dropped everything to be here, who seemed unfazed by police involvement, who waved it all off like she knew something I didn't.
"Sofia, what aren't you telling me?"
She paused, face masks in hand. For a moment, something like unease crossed her features. Then her smile was back.
"I'm telling you that your best friend is here, and we're going to make ourselves beautiful while watching Real Housewives." She waggled the masks. "So. Cucumber or charcoal?"
"Sofia, seriously, why would the police be calling?" I pulled my phone out, scrolling through the messages from Logan. They'd been constant after I'd left – pleading, apologizing, demanding. But they'd stopped abruptly last night while I was in the bath.
There'd only been that one call today, the one Sofia had blocked.
An uneasy feeling settled in my stomach. "The messages from Logan stopped last night. Around nine, I think."
Sofia continued arranging face masks on the coffee table. "Maybe he finally got the hint."
"Logan doesn't take hints. He's persistent, controlling." I chewed my lip. "You don't think he reported me for something, do you?"
"Why would he report you? You didn't do anything. He's the fucker who decided to stick his sausage in some trash."
"Maybe..." I hesitated, the knot in my stomach growing. "Maybe he's trying to get a restraining order against Gray? But then why contact me?" My brother had always been protective, and Logan knew it. "Or maybe something happened to him?" Why else would a detective be contacting me? My mouth went dry at the thought.
Leo's knuckles.
My breath caught as a chill swept over me. Surely he hadn't…
Sofia's hands stilled for a moment before she continued organizing her impromptu spa day. "Mer, honey, you're overthinking. Just wait until they come, for now, we're going to focus on what we can do, which is to make you feel better."
She had a point, but something still felt off. The timing of the police call, the sudden silence from Logan, the way Sofia seemed completely unbothered by any of it.
"I guess," I said slowly. "But?—"
"No buts." She pressed a face mask into my hands. "The police will come, ask their questions, and leave. Until then, we're going to pamper ourselves because you, my dear, look like you need it. Did you get any sleep last night?"
"A little." I stared at the mask in my hands. "Cucumber or charcoal?"
"Charcoal. You need that deep cleanse energy right now." She was already opening packages. "Plus, I brought wine. We can have one glass for now, need you sober when the cops rock up. Don't worry, everything will be okay."
I let her fuss over me, applying the cool mask to my face, but my mind kept circling back to those stopped messages. To the police call. To the way Sofia kept checking her phone.
Something was happening, something I didn't understand. But as Sofia chatted about the show she'd stuck on and painted my nails a deep burgundy, I decided maybe ignorance was bliss. At least for now.
"There," Sofia said, finishing my last nail. "Perfect. Now, another episode?"