Chapter 3
Sabrina
Being back in the familiar warmth of my dad’s apartment is slightly strange. It feels like walking back in time, being surrounded by memories that I’d never get to experience again. One thing about my dad, he is consistent. The place is tidy as ever, not a dust bunny to be found, but it still feels old and outdated, especially compared to the apartment I’d shared with Christopher. Then again, what was the old adage? All that glitters is not gold.
I shiver as I force myself not to think about Christopher. It’s harder that I would have guessed. Every time I close my eyes, I can see his face as he swung at me. He was nearly purple with anger, spit shooting from his mouth with every horrible thing he shouted at me. I press the heavy-duty ice pack from the hospital against my cheek and try to block out thoughts of him.
Dad is bustling in the kitchen, trying to be useful in some way while also giving Natalia and I the space to catch up. He’s always been like that, unobtrusive and out of the way. He isn’t neglectful or absent, he just seems to know that what I need is to talk to my best friend and not be overheard by my father. Truthfully, he wouldn’t want to hear any of this. He’d probably drive to my old apartment and handle Chris himself.
“You girls hungry?” my dad calls from the kitchen, his voice gruff but warm. “I’ve got some pasta I can whip up. Maybe some soup?”
Natalia turns her head toward him, smiling softly. “That sounds amazing, Mr. Monteleone,” she tells him sweetly. She’s always been a favorite of his. “Soup would probably better for Sabrina’s jaw, but I’m fine with anything.”
“You know you can call me Giorgio,” he corrects, the same way he always did, and I feel a faint smile tug at my lips despite everything. “And good idea! Anything else I can get you, Sabs? Maybe some ice cream?”
“That sounds amazing,” I answer truthfully, my stomach grumbling with hunger pangs. I’m supposed to eat with my pain meds anyway.
Natalia turns back to me, her phone buzzing faintly in her lap. She’s stayed mostly quiet since we got here, giving me space, but now she shifts, her expression careful.
“I hope it’s okay, but I called Max,” she says finally, her tone hesitant. “And he’s on his way here.”
I blink in surprise, turning to look at her. “You called Max?” My voice cracks slightly, though I can’t tell if it’s from the strain of speaking or the surge of emotions bubbling beneath the surface. “Max, as in your brother? Max, the person who has a black sedan following you at all times?”
“Max, as in the very sweet brother who used to babysit us when we were little,” she adds, her fondness for her brother very evident in her tone. “I seem to recall that you liked him a lot back then.”
I’m grateful for the ice pack hiding my blush as I try not to think about the massive crush I’d had on her brother growing up. It was totally inappropriate and weird looking back on it. He’s practically old enough to be our dad, for goodness’ sake. But he was so handsome and kind, so much more mature than the idiots we were friends with. He was like a superhero to me, and as I got older, a knight in shining armor.
“You need help,” Nat goes on earnestly, bringing me back to the present. “And Max will know what to do. He always does. Please don’t be mad.”
I let out a long breath, leaning back into the couch. “I’m not mad,” I say softly. “Just surprised, I guess. I haven’t seen Max since we graduated high school. It just feels weird to see him now when I’m in the middle of a crisis. I don’t want to be that girl who only contacts people when I need something.”
Natalia squeezes my hand lovingly. “That is not what you are!” she assures me. “You were in a tough situation. Besides, you’re basically family to us. Family doesn’t have to apologize for being MIA for a while.”
I smile tensely at her, though I don’t necessarily agree. The last time I’d seen Max DiStefano, he’d been in his late thirties, standing tall and composed at Natalia’s side during pictures. He offered to take Dad and I out to dinner to celebrate, but we’d opted for something quieter. Honestly, I think Dad was a little intimidated by him.
Even then, he’d exuded a quiet authority that made him seem larger than life. I didn’t really understand what Natalia’s family did when I was younger. I just knew that she was rich and her brother was from a previous marriage. It wasn’t until her dad died and I read about her family that I realized who they were. It didn’t change how I saw Natalia, of course. She would always be my best friend. But knowing that Max was now in charge of the “family business” made him all the more intimidating.
“I’m pretty sure Max thought I was the most annoying kid on the planet,” I admit sheepishly, avoiding the reason he thought that. I was a stupid girl with a schoolgirl crush who always wanted to be around him, and he was the much older man who always avoided me as best he could.
Natalia’s gaze softens as she reaches over to squeeze my hand again. “He’s different now,” she says. “When our dad died, it changed him. Put a lot on his shoulders. He got really protective. Over me, over the family. Sometimes it can be a lot.”
“A lot how?” I ask.
She smirks, a wry twist of her lips. “It’s nice to have someone looking out for you, but it’s a little less nice when you’ve got security following you everywhere you go,” she answers flippantly.
“That sounds kind of nice, actually,” I respond wistfully, wishing I’d had someone to protect me tonight.
Natalia laughs, a sound both light and exasperated. “It’s nice until you’re on a date, and the guy realizes the two suits at the bar are there to keep an eye on you,” she teases. “It’s not exactly conducive to romance. The last guy I went out with nearly shit his pants when he saw my security detail. Needless to say, I didn’t get a second date.”
I can picture it vividly, and the image makes me laugh. It feels good, the brief moment of levity. But the humor doesn’t last long. My thoughts drift back to Christopher, to the life I’ve been living until just hours ago. The life I’d barely escaped. Natalia’s eyes are on me, her expression shifting too. She can sense the change in me, she’s always been able to. But she doesn’t force me to say anything. She gives me the space until I’m ready to share.
“Chris wasn’t like this in the beginning,” I finally say, my voice barely above a whisper. “When we met, he was…” I trail off, picturing him as a handsome college freshman playing Frisbee on the quad. “God, he was everything I thought I wanted. Charming, attentive, so thoughtful.”
“You guys met in class, right?” she asks patiently when I trail off, lost in thought. “You did a project or something, if I remember correctly. You called me after class to tell me about him. I’d never heard you so excited over a guy before.”
My heart lurches as I remember that time, and she’s absolutely right. I’d never connected with anyone on such a deep level before. It was exciting and electrifying. A flirtatious project soon turned into a pretty intense relationship.
“He was so good to me for a long time,” I tell her earnestly, tears once again prickling at my eyes as I think about how much he changed. “He was my whole world. He was so kind and compassionate. He seemed to really care about me and my dreams. When he proposed, I felt like the luckiest girl in the world.”
She nods, her own eyes filling with tears. How did we get here? The charming, sweet boy who seemed too shy to ask me out became a monster. It was too overwhelming to comprehend. My stomach lurches and I suddenly don’t feel very hungry for the soup my dad is heating up.
“I didn’t even realize how insidious it was until recently,” I confess, feeling too ashamed to even look at Nat. “He made me feel like I didn’t need anyone else, and I didn’t see how he was isolating me. Little by little, my other friendships faded. I stopped calling people back. Stopped going out unless it was with him. And by the time I noticed, it was too late. I didn’t have anyone else to rely on.”
Natalia’s hand tightens around mine, her support silent but unwavering. “You always have me,” she whispers. “You know that right?”
I simply nod and swipe at my eyes.
“It wasn’t until we moved in together after college that things really started to change,” I continue. “He’d get upset over small things I didn’t even realize would bother him. The way I dressed, the people I talked to. He’d make comments, subtle at first, like he was just looking out for me. But then he started getting angry. Controlling.”
I swallow hard, my throat tight.
“He wanted me to quit my job,” I force out, and hear Nat’s small gasp of anger. “He said he’d take care of me, that I didn’t need to work. But my job is the only thing that’s felt like mine. My own little piece of the world. I couldn’t give that up. I wouldn’t give it up for anything.”
“And you shouldn’t,” she agrees.
“When I pushed back, that’s when it got worse. The yelling, the name-calling, the way he’d throw things. He pushed or grabbed me a few times, but he was always so apologetic afterward. I knew it was getting bad, but I was in denial. And then, last night…” my voice breaks, and I have to take a deep breath before I can go on. “Last night, he hit me so hard that I thought he might actually kill me.”
Tears blur my vision, but I blink them away, refusing to let them fall.
“That’s when I knew I had to leave. I couldn’t stay. Not for another minute.”
Natalia’s expression is a mixture of anger and sadness, her jaw tight as she fights to keep her emotions in check.
“I’m so sorry, Sabrina,” she says softly. “You didn’t deserve any of that. I hope you know that. I know you’re in such a vulnerable state right now, but I hope you can see that his actions were reprehensible.”
“I just don’t know what I’m going to do now,” I admit, voicing one of my biggest fears. “The city’s so expensive, and I don’t think I can afford to live on my own. I might have to stay with my dad for a while, at least until I figure things out.”
“You could stay with me,” Natalia offers immediately. “You know I’d love to have you.”
I smile, touched by her generosity, but shake my head. “Thank you, Nat,” I tell her. “Really. But I think I need to be here for now.”
From the kitchen, my dad appears with two steaming bowls, one my soup and the other Nat’s pasta. He sets them down on the table loudly.
“Eat,” he says gruffly, but his eyes are soft. “You need your strength.”
Natalia doesn’t push.
“Just promise me you’ll ask if you need anything. Anything at all. You’re not alone in this, Sabrina. You’ve got me, and you’ve got Max. We’ve got your back.”
The idea of Max having my back is almost laughable. He’d always been so distant, so untouchable. But then again, if anyone could handle a situation like this, it’s Max DiStefano.
I’m just not sure how I felt about being on his radar.