Two
A wet nose nudges my hand as I stand in the middle of my walk-in closet, debating my outfit choice. With Junior’s permission and a babysitter in tow, I'm meeting Lottie for coffee today before she and Greyson head back to Richmond Hills. Junior was a bit too quick to agree, I’m sure solely so I’d be out of earshot for a meeting he’s holding in the house this afternoon. Regardless, I'm happy about the escape.
My fingers scratch behind Nori’s ear when I feel him nudge my hand for a second time. “What’s up, buddy?” I say to my Doberman as I crouch next to him. The puppy eyes he gives me lead me to believe he doesn’t want me to leave. “I promise I won’t be gone for long,” I tell my possessive protector. At ease with my words, he turns around and heads to his bed in my room.
Nori is one of my favorite gifts I’ve ever received. I remember when Micah brought him over with a big bow on his neck the week of my wedding. My brother claimed that since he could no longer be my guard dog, I needed one of my own .
It was love at first sight for us both, and he rarely leaves my side. He’s such a sweet boy and takes well to most people, except Junior. It secretly fills me with pride every time I hear Nori’s low growl, the one he reserves for the man he deems as a threat.
I turn my attention back to the closet full of overpriced clothes, all courtesy of Junior. It was a failed attempt to win my affection, especially once I found out one of his assistants , aka mistresses, had hand-selected them for me. Fuck you very much.
He quickly learned I’d much rather sit in a room full of fabrics and a sewing machine than a closet adorned in designer threads when I converted a room of the house into a design studio. It’s a space now equipped with everything I need to stay holed up for hours on end. I may not have much freedom in my current situation, but I live for my weekly trips to the fabric stores, getting lost amongst the varying textures and patterns. Occasionally, Junior allows me to go see a show on Broadway. But those are now few and far between.
The sound of Nori’s low growl alerts me to Junior’s presence. It was his idea to have separate spaces. I, of course, was not the slightest bit disappointed with the suggestion.
“Joey will be going with you today. He has some business to attend to near the café,” he says from behind me.
“Whatever,” I say, swallowing my sigh, disappointed. I much prefer my new guard, Luca. Joey is insufferable, and Junior knows how much I despise him. He does things like this on purpose, ensuring I never have a moment of peace.
“And be home by five. I have business to tend to at Sinners, and you will accompany me. ”
“That’s not happening. Take one of your girlfriends with you.” I scoff, and then turn my focus on my clothing rack. If there is one thing that sends Giovanni Santini Jr. over the edge, it’s being ignored or dismissed. There is no way in Hell I'm going to that place. It's practically a drug den with no rules or morals.
In an instant, I'm spun around and pushed against my closet wall.
“I'm so sick of your fucking disrespect,” he spits as his fingers firmly grip my jaw. My eyes shoot daggers at him, but I remain calm. Junior feeds off the reactions he receives, and I refuse to give him anything.
I snap my fingers, calling on Nori like he was trained to do. I spot him over Junior’s shoulder as he slinks into my closet, his growl intensifying with every step. Nori, now by my side, is waiting for my command. Junior knows it too. His hand slips away from my face, and he backs up a step, venom still dripping from his expression.
Peering down at Nori, he curls his lip in disgust. Nori remains diligent at my side, ready to attack with a simple command.
“Fucking cunt,” he seethes, then storms out of my room, slamming the door behind him. Only after I'm sure he’s gone do I release my breath, placing my hand on top of Nori’s head, informing him the threat is gone. But he doesn’t move, probably sensing my unease. Even if I’m more pissed than panicked, my heart races and my body trembles every time Junior puts his hands on me.
Nori diffuses most of the situations that arise at home, but Junior is a calculated piece of shit and has gotten much better at cornering me when Nori is preoccupied. Giving Junior the ability to exert his control over me, my life, and my body .
At first, I was worried Junior would have Nori killed or taken from me if I used him to protect me, but I quickly realized he valued my brother, his Capo’s, loyalty more than anything. And if the dog he gave me suddenly turned up missing…that wouldn’t bode well for him. I wish my brother’s loyalty impacted the way he treats me, but he made it very clear the second I open my mouth about anything that happens inside these walls, the lives of my loved ones would be at risk…including Lottie’s.
The minute her innocent name came out of his stupid mafioso mouth, I knew mine would remain closed.
Glancing at my reflection, I take note of the woman who stands before me with red impressions left on her skin. Her eyes no longer sparkle with excitement and joy. Her face no longer adorns a genuine smile.
She looks bitter.
She looks mad.
She looks like she’s about to burn it all down.
Lottie waves me down from across the coffee shop as soon as I walk through the doors. Her brunette hair swishes behind her with her enthusiastic movements. Subconsciously, my hand goes to my face to cover my marks, but I know they’ll go unnoticed; I have enough makeup on to ensure that. When I'm close enough, she lunges for me and pulls me close. Her hug settles my inner turmoil from earlier.
“I miss you so frickin’ much. How are you holding up? How’s your mom?” As she places a kiss on my cheek, I close my eyes, relishing the fact that my bestie is here with me. God, how I've missed her.
“We’re doing alright, thanks for asking,” I reply, blinking rapidly to hold back the tears threatening to fall. I harbored so much resentment toward my father, and now that he’s gone, I'd love nothing more than to feel one of his big hugs once again. To hear his voice and boisterous laugh. He was such a smart man, which is partly why I’m skeptical about his death, and also because I don't trust a word that comes out of Junior’s mouth.
I wish I could tell her everything, tell her how miserable I am… How much I need to escape. But I can't. I’d never want to say or do anything that could potentially bring harm to her. Instead, I plaster on a fake smile and try to enjoy the brief reprieve.
Settling into our booth, I appreciate that Lottie has already ordered our coffees. Looking at my best friend, I can't help but notice how she’s glowing in tandem with the amazing ring on her finger. Her aura is such a stark contrast to mine.
“You’re going to make a gorgeous bride, Tig,” I gush, using our childhood nicknames for each other. She’s the Tig to my Bitty. This is the first time I’ve seen her in person since she got engaged a few weeks ago, and I can’t stop imagining her and how beautiful she’ll be.
“Oh, stop it.” She blushes and waves me off.
“I'm serious. I cannot wait to watch you walk down that aisle.”
“Can you believe it’s actually happening?” A dreamy smile takes over her face.
“Of course I can believe it. You and Greyson make the perfect couple. You two were meant to be,” I say truthfully. She and Greyson were written in the stars.
My mind flits to four summers ago, when my best friend and I both fell fast and hard for two North Carolina boys, who just so happened to be cousins. It was the best summer of my life, one I will never forget, no matter how badly those memories hurt.
“Are you ready for the engagement party? Any last-minute things we need to do?” I ask.
“I think we’re all set, honestly. I’m so happy you’re coming to North Carolina.”
“Anything for you, babe. Just can't wait to be with everyone and visit Nori Beach again.” Grabbing her hands in mine, I squeeze. I try my best to hide my trepidation. Junior hasn't exactly approved my trip just yet. But I'm staying positive, manifesting it, because Lord knows I need it. It’s been too long since I had a break from everything. My soul is in need of some serious recharging, and being surrounded by loved ones is exactly what the doctor prescribed.
Nori Beach has always been my safe space, though I haven’t been back since Trent left. Missing him consumed me, and I knew visiting the place where we fell in love would only make it that much worse. I also couldn’t bear the thought of visiting with Junior; his presence would only warp such a special place to me. I was beyond thrilled when I realized this party lines up during the exact time that Junior typically goes to Italy to handle “business” for a few weeks in November. The first year we were married, he made me go with him, since it was over Thanksgiving. Then, the year after, he said I could remain home…and this year, it wasn’t even a topic of conversation. He just assumed I’d stay home again. More than fine by me.
A small ache forms in my chest at the idea of who will be missing when I arrive on the sandy shores.
Lottie must recognize the look on my face because she squeezes my hand back, and a silence falls across our table as our minds wander. Trent remains that unspoken topic that looms over us whenever we’re together. From past chats with Lottie, I know that she and Greyson both feel the sting of Trent’s abandonment as well. Not only did he cut me off, but most of the communication with his family as well. He left his brother Trevor to relay most messages, and even those are like pulling teeth, giving us the bare minimum. Through him, we learned that Trent went to Europe to study abroad, taking classes year-round so he could finish his undergrad. He remains tight-lipped on any other information about Trent, something that is probably for the best, yet I still resent it. I'm ashamed to admit this, but knowing he’s distanced himself from his family as well lessens the blow just a bit.
The wound his absence left is sliced open every time I hear his name, and the pain I feel flows through my body like an ache that never seems to subside. It kills me that he cut me off without another word, especially when I assumed our time apart was only temporary. What else did I expect him to do, though? For a while, I was naively hopeful that fate would bring us back together the way we spoke of. But as the months went by without him, I realized there was never a happy ending written for us.
Her eyes dart over my shoulder as I take a sip of my latte, and I know who she’s looking at… my guard. My forever shadow.
“Who will be joining you in North Carolina?” she asks, her gaze returning to me.
“Junior is leaving for Italy next month, so I’m really hoping he just lets Micah accompany me. My new guard Luca wouldn’t be so bad either. Micah vetted him, so maybe I could ask that he can request Luca to accompany us.”
I'm hoping that Micah joining me as a guest gives me the green light to attend the engagement party. Junior usually lets me off my leash just enough to keep up appearances, as long as I have a guard with me. If he isolated me completely from everyone and everything I loved, it would certainly raise questions and concerns, especially from Micah.
She quirks her eyebrow at the addition of a new name.
“He’s quite nice, actually. Not a complete asshole like the rest of them.” I smile.
“Oh, well, that’s good to hear.” She chuckles, and then continues. “It will be so nice spending time with Micah. Nana Rexwood is beyond excited to see you all. She even mentioned celebrating Thanksgiving early while everyone's in town visiting.”
It's been a long time since the three of us have spent time together. Once Micah was old enough and got more involved with the Santini family, our time together grew few and far between.
“Will that be too much for her? I know she already cooks for basically all of Richmond Hills,” I ask, laughing lightly. That woman is a machine and will do anything to get the people she loves together, even if it means staying up all night cooking and cleaning.
“She wouldn’t have it any other way. You should have seen her face when I told her we were having the engagement party catered. So, our compromise was her cooking Thanksgiving for us with Trent’s mom. It's going to be so nice to have everyone there.”
I try my best not to wince at the pain from just hearing the sound of his name out loud.
“It really will be a great time,” I say, trying my best to maintain my smile for her. She studies me for a minute, her assessing eyes making me shift in my seat .
“How are you really doing? You can talk to me, you know.” Her tone is so soft, and the way she’s looking at me makes it clear I’m not totally fooling her with the fake smiles.
Even so, my answer is immediate and the same for everyone asking this question. “I'm doing okay. Keeping busy.” I'm hoping she’ll accept my half-ass blanket statement and not dig further. If she does, it’ll only make me feel worse, more distant. Because no matter how much I want to be honest with my best friend, she can’t know the truth.
She eyes me for a moment more, then takes a big sip of her coffee.
“So, I'm not sure how to tell you this, but I think you need to know...” she starts, and I quirk my eyebrow to encourage her to continue.
“Trentisback,” she blurts out in one breath, and I swear, time stands still. My heart stutters, my breath gets locked in my throat, every muscle in my body tenses.
Back? What does she mean, back? Like, in New York?
Despair immediately replaces the rush of anticipation from hearing her news.
“How long has he been back?” My question causes her to flinch.
Her facial expression already reveals what I feared.
“Since the beginning of August…but I only found out a few weeks ago. You had a lot going on, and I didn’t want to throw more onto your plate at the time.” Wincing, she bites her lip, and I wait for her to say more. “I'm telling you because you're my best friend and you deserve to know. I also didn’t want you to be surprised if he shows up at the engagement party.”
Holy shit. I might see him .
I take a steadying breath to control my emotions. Trent is here, in New York, and has been for over two months…
“Thank you for telling me,” I say quietly, almost on an exhale. My mind is too busy to think of anything else to say.
Her eyes go wide at the same time as Joey’s horrid cologne fills my senses.
“Time to go, princess. Boss is asking for you,” he says.
I turn back to my friend, giving her my best effort of a reassuring smile. “I love you, babe. Can’t wait for next month.”
She stands and wraps me in one of her stellar hugs once more, whispering in my ear, “I'm here if you ever need me. No matter what.”
“No matter what,” I whisper back, chest aching as I break free from her hold.
As we walk to the waiting blacked-out Mercedes at the curb, I feel that familiar tingle at the nape of my neck. I shake my shoulders slightly, brushing off the feeling of hope.
Trent has been in New York for almost two months and has made no attempt to contact me.