29. Tuomo
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Tuomo
F or two days I was locked in that basement underneath the warehouse and for two days my brothers visited me, taking it in turns to convince me I should change my mind about her. They were begging me to ‘see reason.’ But what reason is there to convince me of.
I love her. She is incredible.
I don’t care what her mother did for a living or where she was born and what her blood line is. I love her and that is all that matters.
My stubborn commitment to her infuriates them but I won’t let go. If this is some kind of test of my love for her, I won’t fail it.
It is just past lunch time on the second day when Celso comes in carrying take outs and two beers.
He unlocks the holding cell and walks inside, sitting down on the floor near me.
“Dude, I don’t even want to talk about your girl.” He sighs, reaching into the bag and pulling out a burger and fries for himself - then handing me the bag.
It smells great. He hands me a beer. Ice cold.
I eye him suspiciously.
“What is this? Good cop bad cop?” I ask, wondering what games he is playing. “Some kind of manipulation?”
He shakes his head, his mouth full of burger.
After chewing his food, he shakes his head again. “No, man. I just don’t get what the fuss is about. Who the fuck cares who you fall in love with?” He shrugs, taking a swig from his beer. “They act like who we marry is so important. It’s not.”
I twist the cap off mine and take two long gulps. It’s ice cold and refreshing as it rushes down my throat.
Celso doesn’t speak much while we eat our burgers and drink our beers and after a while I believe him. This isn’t a tactic. He doesn’t give a shit about Nerissa and I being together. I know that the bigger picture is all about power — I should marry for power, to make the family stronger. My father probably has a wife picked out, the way he chose Leora for Mas.
“And dad? How has he been?”
“Ah fuck man, you pissed him off. He wants to kill you. If I was you, I would stay away from him for a while and give him a chance to calm down. You’re safer in here than anywhere he can see you.”
I snort a bitter laugh. “Like I have a choice. I’m locked in a fucking basement like an animal. Besides one of you three will piss him off soon enough, and he will forget I hit him.”
Celso nods his head from side to side, crumpling the empty burger packet and standing up.
“Maybe. Maybe I will be the idiot who pisses him off next.” He walks out of the cell, not looking back, but he says. “Maybe I was the idiot who forgot to lock the door.”
He walks up the basement stairs and disappears from sight.
I can’t believe it. Did he really just do that for me?
I leap to my feet and run for the door. I don’t know if this is a trick - for all I know Rufino might be waiting up there to slam his fist into my throat and take me down again - but I don’t care. I have to try. I need to see her.
I rush through the door and find no army waiting for me on the other side.
The warehouse is empty.
At the exit I see Celso has left my phone on the floor right in the middle of the doorway. He’s a fucking legend. I never knew he had it in him to stand up against our father, but he’s proven himself to be a loyal brother to me today.
I feel bad for all the times I ripped him off about having a different mom. We are half-brothers and he has treated me better than either of my actual brothers did.
I bend down and scoop my phone up off the ground.
It’s even charged.
I book an Uber and then run out onto the road to wait for it. I need to get home and get changed.
Then I am going to find her.
It’s almost five o’clock when I step out of my penthouse, showered, looking fresh and sharp, and ready to head over to a coffee somewhere in the city where her location is tracking.
I arrive and spot her sitting at a table near the window. I don’t get out of my car though. I am very curious about who she’s with and what she’s doing because over the two days that I’ve been locked up, she hasn’t messaged me.
Not once.
Not even to check that I’m ok.
I watch her interacting with Hayley.
Nerissa looks a little lost, her eyes are puffy as though she hasn’t been sleeping, or she’s been crying. She is smiling though and having a pleasant conversation with her friend so it’s confusing for me. I can’t tell if she is upset that I’m missing or not.
After a while they pay the bill and stand up, walking out together.
I climb out of my car and follow on foot.
They are laughing and joking about life and work and many things as they stroll through the city. I become more and more agitated with her.
It is disturbing to me she can be in such a good mood.
I could be dead for all she knows.
In fact, I could be locked up like an animal in a cell - and she doesn’t give a shit about me.
I have to hold myself back from walking over to her and grabbing her arm and shaking her. I want to scream at her for her lack of concern. I want to know why she doesn’t have a heart.
Was it all fake? Everything she said she felt about me - was it all a game to her?
She is so selfish to go on with her life like this after everything that happened.
I follow them to a market in a park. They buy cinnamon pancakes and browse the endless stalls of old things. She smiles, and chats - but when she turns in my direction, I can see how empty her eyes are.
Maybe the happiness is all an act to convince Hayley that everything is ok.
My impatience to find out is getting out of hand.
Hayley hugs Nerissa goodbye and they walk in opposite directions.
I count, staying calm and still until Hayley is too far away for me to see her.
Then I approach Nerissa, grabbing her and dragging her into a side street.
At first, she screams in fright and tries to spin away from me, but when I say her name, she gasps and turns to face me with wide, sad eyes.
“Tuomo?” She whispers. “Where have you been?”
“Where have you been, Nerissa? Having fun? Out partying? A nice day out with your friends?” I snarl.
I am so happy to see her, so happy to touch her, but I am infuriated because she doesn’t give a shit about me at all.
“It’s not like that and you know it.” She snaps back at me, yanking her arm away from my grip.
“Then why don’t you tell me what it is like, little bird.”
I glare down at her and she glares right back at me.
“You want to know what it’s like? It’s terrifying - having three men break into your apartment in the middle of the night and steal away the person you care about. It’s terrifying having one of those men threaten your life if you don’t stay away from his brother and it’s terrifying to have to walk around watching your back the entire time. Don’t you dare come here after ignoring me for two days and pretend like I am in the wrong?”
She’s furious.
I close my eyes for a second and take a deep breath.
“I’m sorry, Nerissa. You’re right. That wasn’t fair of me. I would have contacted you. In fact, I would have come to see you, but my brother’s locked me up and wouldn’t let me out. I escaped a few hours ago and then first thing I did was come find you.”
“They locked you up ?” she stammers in shock. “But you’re their brother?”
I shrug. “They don’t want us together.”
She takes a step away from me and I grab her around the waist and pull her back towards me. “I don’t care what they think, little bird. I want you. I want nothing but you. I am in love with you, Nerissa. Can’t you see that?”
She shakes her head, pushing her hands against my chest. Tears stream down her cheeks.
“Please, don’t say that.” She begs, trying to get away from me.
“Say what?”
“That you love me. Its better if you don’t say that. I can’t take much more of this.”
She is crying hard now, her cheeks are glowing red, and her face is scrunched up.
“But it’s true. I love you. Nothing else matters. Why aren’t you happy to hear that? Why don’t you tell me you love me too?”
“Stop it.” She shouts, distressed and still trying to push me away.
I let go of her and she takes a big step backwards. She wipes the back of her hands across her cheeks and smears the tears away.
“We can’t be together, Tuomo. Isn’t it obvious?”
No. No. This can’t be happening. After everything we’ve been through. This cannot be happening.
“We are together. And nothing in the world is strong enough to break us apart.” I snarl, stepping close to her again.
She sighs, shaking her head. “We aren’t together. And if we were - then I have to break up with you.”
Her words cut into me like a blade slicing straight into my heart. Slipping between my ribs and tearing through my flesh.