Chapter 12
TWELVE
GINO
It’s officially been a week since Gabe went to Italy and sent back Mateo’s belongings, which have just arrived and are now sitting on my desk.
It’s already the end of June, and I don’t know how much longer this can go on for.
I stare at the box, not wanting to open it.
If I open it, it will feel more real.
With a sigh, I grab my pocket knife and cut through the seal. Everything stares back at me; I pull out the files and clothes. Then I see his phone. It’s dead, which is what I expected, but it’s also cracked, like it had been dropped.
Turning slightly, I plug it into the charger beside my desk and look back into the box.
A black velvet box catches my attention first. I lift it and flip the lid open, and his silver wedding band glistens under the light. It’s for the best that he took it off. The fewer people who know he’s married, the better.
His phone pings, tearing my gaze towards where it sits. On the lock screen sit messages from Vanessa.
Why is she texting him?
Reading the text, I realise exactly what it is: a message updating him on her pregnancy. It’s her way of coping. Alonso has mentioned that to preoccupy herself, she cooks Mateo’s favorite dishes and cleans his office regularly. She needs something to hold on to. A glimmer of hope.
I secure the phone in my desk drawer before grabbing the box and leaving my office, determined to give her something else to hold onto.
The entire walk, I think about how I am going to tell her this. Give her his ring.
As I approach the side door leading into the kitchen, I take a deep breath, wiping the sweat from my face. As I open the door, I see Vanessa cooking with Juliet, and the two of them are talking while Alonso is sitting at the bar on his phone.
He’s the first one to see me. He looks over, giving me a nod. Then he looks down at my hand and narrows his eyes
“Hey, Ness!” I call out.
She stops and looks over to me. “Hey, what’s wrong?” she replies nervously.
“Can I talk to you for a second?” She nods and walks closer.
“We can talk in Mateo’s office.” I follow her quietly.
Once we get to his office, I close the door behind us.
“Please don’t tell me he’s dead,” she says, tears already brimming in her eyes. Her long red hair is in a high ponytail and almost hits me in the face as she turns.
“He’s not.” I take a deep breath. “Gabe went to his hotel room; someone went through it but didn’t trash it or take anything, which is a good sign. He sent back the stuff that was there. His clothes, files, and this.”
I hand her the ring box. She opens it and stares at his ring.
“He’s smart; he knew if he wore it, they would know he was married, and they could come after you,” I say.
“Can I keep this?” she whispers, lowering herself onto the couch.
“Yeah, Ness, you can.” I sit next to her.
“He’s going to be so pissed, isn’t he?” She huffs out a laugh.
“About what?” I reply.
“All of this, me pregnant, you wanting to take down the world looking for him,” she says pointingly.
“First off, he is not going to be pissed that you’re pregnant; I know for a fact he wants kids with you,” I tell her honestly.
“Oh, did he tell you that?”
“More than once, unfortunately,” I mumble.
I think back to that conversation we had shortly after they were married.
He and I were out at dinner one night after closing a deal on our new office building.
I asked how Vanessa was, and he made a joke about how he wanted kids with her.
I very quickly reminded him that as her brother, I could’ve lived without the details.
“I think sometimes he forgets you’re my sister.”
She snorts. “He doesn’t; he sometimes doesn’t know how to balance being married to the younger sister of his best friend, who he thinks of as a brother.”
“I know he’s a tough guy, and we’ll find him, I promise.” I know I shouldn’t promise so recklessly, but it’s all I can give her right now.“Thank you for giving me this,” she says, her eyes not leaving the box. “Do you mind if I start coming over more to help look for him?”
“Of course, but I don’t want you to stress yourself,” I reply.
“I know, but I need to do something now that I’m not at the hospital,” she says.
She decided a month ago she was going to stop working at the hospital and stay home. At least until Mateo comes home.
“Okay, but the second it gets to be too much, you need to tell me.”
She agrees, and we leave the office, heading back to the kitchen.
As I hug my sister, I whisper, “If you need anything, call me or text me, okay.”
She nods.
“I love you.”
“I love you too,” she whispers back.
Once our conversation is over, I don’t want to stay too long, so I motion to Juliet for us to leave. We say our goodbyes and make our way out.
As we begin our journey outside, I grab the door, and she turns to me, flashing a soft smile.
Then I watch her walk past me, catching Vanessa watching us, and in that moment, I impulsively place a hand on Juliet’s lower back to guide her out.
Why, I don’t know. No one knows of our situation yet, but I can’t help but notice how perfectly it fits.
She shivers beneath me, and I suppress the smile creeping up on my lips.
Once the door closes, she moves out of my hold. “What are you doing?” she asks.
“Nothing,” I say.
I’m not telling her I really just needed to touch her.
She looks at me flatly. “Why did you rush over to Vanessa’s?” she asks.
“Mateo’s things from his hotel room came in, and his wedding ring was in there, so I gave it to her.”
“What? Does that mean…” She says with a glimpse of fear in her eyes.
“It doesn’t mean anything except that he didn’t wear it to the meeting with the Russos. I don’t think any of them know he’s married.”
She breathes, relieved. “What about his phone?”
“It’s in my office,” I reply.
“Do you want Drew to take a look at it?” she suggests.
“No. Vanessa’s been texting him, and I think it’s helping her stay sane, so we’re not going to touch his phone unless we think it’s absolutely necessary.”