7.Alin
Alin
I spent the next few days alone, filling my time with books, movies, shopping, and a newfound interest in painting thanks to a small art shop.
Opening YouTube, I search for tips on using the oil paints I’ve bought.
Cora always said you can find anything on YouTube, and she was right.
Thousands of videos appear instantly, guiding me through the process.
My initial paintings show promise and I’m excited, but inevitably, my thoughts drift to Luca.
“Get a grip already!” I scold myself, shaking him from my mind. I head to the kitchen sink to clean my paintbrushes when a message notification on my phone interrupts me. Leaving the brushes in the sink, I hurry to check it, eager to share my new hobby with Cora.
To my surprise, the message is from an unknown number:
Cinderella, now I am curious. Almost twenty years without any record of your life. Cora’s friend back from the dead?
5:48 PM
A long minute passes before I realize the message is from Luca.
How did he get my number, and how the hell does he know about me?
There’s a reason Cora warned me about him, and if he’s Mariano’s brother, she’s probably right. They don’t seem like normal people, and I decide to muster all my strength and avoid responding to the message. Instead, I call Cora.
She answers immediately after one ring as if she has been sitting by the phone waiting for my call.
“Cora, you warned me against Luca but then gave him my number?” I blame her.
She sounds surprised by my tone. “I didn’t give him anything,” she gasps.
“Alin, no—I told you to stay away from him like the plague. I wouldn’t give him your number, but I won’t lie to you; they’re powerful people.
Money buys everything these days. Finding your information wouldn’t be a problem for them.
” She adds, as if she foresaw Luca’s moves and wasn’t even surprised.
“What does he want from me?” I ask impatiently.
“Most likely, he just wants sex with the woman who didn’t melt into his arms the moment she saw him,” she sighs, sounding exasperated, as if it’s not the first time this has happened. I feel a pang in my heart.
“I gather you have experience…” I say, trying to extract information.
“Not with Luca, but definitely with Mariano. They might be different in character, but they’re still brothers. They think exactly alike,” she answers. Instead of asking for details, I felt an inexplicable sense of relief that she doesn’t have first hand knowledge, wash over me.
“When are you coming back? I feel like boredom is slowly killing me,” I reply after a long silence.
She laughs.
“Alin, you need to meet more people. You’re holed up in the house as if you’re punishing yourself,” she says and quickly adds, “Not much longer, I might be back soon, but it’s not certain yet. The aquarium is waiting for us, don’t worry.” We quickly say our goodbyes and hang up the call.
I’m not sure how I feel about the fun day at the aquarium Cora planned for us. I can sense sea creatures, and I know I won’t get positive vibes from them there.
Maybe one day, if I’m not careful enough, I’ll end up on display in an aquarium myself. The thought makes me shudder, and I decide to ignore Cora’s comment and continue with my cherished solitude. This life is preferable to the one my parents planned for me in the depths of the ocean.
I glance again at the message Luca sent me, realizing that ignoring it is definitely be the best idea. I might want sex, but I am not ready for the tsunami that would wash away my life here, and Cora confirmed it—Luca is definitely the tsunami that would do it if I let him.