Chapter 30
Aubergine?
Three doctors sat across from me in a meeting room.
The absurdly large conference table between us made it feel like we were worlds apart from where I was seated.
Several printouts and charts had been spread neatly across the polished surface in front of me. The doctors explained everything, even using layman terms, but I barely registered any of it.
“So, the plan is to wake him and see how he fares,” one of the doctors explained. “If it looks like he’s struggling, we may have to put him under again. Maybe even place him into a medically induced coma.”
I heard myself swallow. “But you’re hopeful it won’t come to that?” I asked.
One of the doctors nodded. “We’ll be keeping a close eye on him as he wakes up.”
“Can--can I be there?”
“After we’re comfortable with his condition, yes, of course.” The female doctor smiled warmly. “But let us do our jobs first. Sometimes having family around watching that can be... upsetting.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
The doctors gathered their paperwork and quietly left the room.
I stared down at the empty chair one of them had occupied. So...
Wait and see.
I settled into the same waiting room from yesterday and slipped my earbuds in.
Music filled the silence while I forced myself to work. Mindless Excel sheets. Pointless reports.
Anything to keep my hands busy. It didn’t work. My thoughts wandered back to Dad lying unconscious in that hospital bed.
The chemo had already knocked him on his ass. But this… I bit down hard enough to make my jaw ache and squeezed my eyes shut against the sting building behind them.
My phone vibrated.
NICOLA: Made it to work. Only got shot at once.
A long sigh escaped me as my eyes rolled.
But... I was smiling.
ME: I’ll tell them to aim better next time.
He immediately sent an angry faced emoji and I actually laughed aloud.
ME: Thanks for checking in.
I stared at the conversation for another second before typing again.
ME: They’re going to wake Dad up and see how he does.
His typing bubble appeared almost instantly.
NICOLA: Keep me updated. Just call if you need me. You’re not a bother.
Pro. He reads me so well.
Con. It’s kind of annoying.
My smile waned as my thumbs hovered over the keyboard.
ME: Are we together?
My stomach flipped. “Nope, nope.”
I immediately deleted it. Instead...
ME: Okay.
I stared at the single word, then sent it.
“...Wow.” I sighed. “I have a real gift with words.”
By four that afternoon, the same female doctor walked into the waiting room carrying a chart and took the seat beside me.
“Hi, Miss Martin.” She smiled. “So, good news. Your dad’s awake and alert. His vitals have all improved, and we’re comfortable saying he’s no longer in critical condition.”
My heart lurched.
“But...” She glanced down at the chart. “He is very weak right now. We need to make sure we don’t overstimulate him while he gains his strength back.”
She closed the folder. “We’ll keep monitoring him overnight with the medication he’s on and see how he’s doing tomorrow morning.”
She looked back up. “Do you have any questions?”
“Oh, um, I just...” My throat tightened.
“I just want to see him. I won’t stress him out.” A tear escaped before I could stop it. “Or anything.”
Her hand settled gently on my shoulder. “Go see him.”
I thanked her and wiped at my eyes as she left.
ME: They’re letting me go see him now.
I hit send, then drew in a slow breath before opening the door.
Early evening sunlight spilled across one side of Dad’s face, making his pallid skin look healthier than he really was.
He’d been propped upright. The breathing apparatus was gone. Just an IV, oxygen tubing beneath his nose, and a pulse monitor clipped to his finger.
“Dad?”
His head turned, his eyes were barely open. “Abby.” His voice was rough.
I was beside him before I even realized I’d moved.
“Hi...” Tears blurred my vision again. “Shit. Sorry. Um, hi. How are you feeling?”
“Fucking horrible.”
He reached toward me. I immediately took his hand. “Do you remember anything?”
“I remember feeling sick.” He closed his eyes. “I got up… and that’s about it.”
“You hit your head on the tub.” I smiled softly. “It looks like a murder scene in there. I promise it’ll get cleaned up before you come home.”
His fingers squeezed mine. “Don’t worry about that. Your mind always goes a mile a minute. It’s okay. I’m here. And I’m okay.”
I let those words settle for a moment, let them wash over me.
“Um… Can I get you anything? Water? Pudding? Are they letting you eat?”
“They are.” A tired smile tugged at his mouth. “I’ll eat later.”
He studied me for a second. “Tell me how you’re doing.”
I laughed a little. “Comparatively to you? I’m doing fantastic.”
“Yeah?” His gaze lowered to my chest. “Whose ring is that?”
Oh. I hadn’t even thought about how I’d answer that question.
“It’s...” I rubbed the back of my neck. “Just a ring.”
His eyes slowly lifted to mine again. “That’s a pretty shitty lie to tell your dad while he’s in a hospital bed.”
“Dad—”
He wheezed out a laugh. “I’m kidding. It’s your business. Not mine.”
“It’s Nicola’s," I blurted.
Dad blinked. I winced.
Didn’t I just promise the doctor I wasn’t going to stress him out? He looked between me and the ring.
“So, you two are serious?” That word made his face scrunch up. “Does Nicola know how to do... serious?”
That’s a great fucking question. “Time will tell.” I smiled weakly.
“Honey.” Dad’s expression softened. “I’m happy for you. All those years of pining for him finally paid off. Like a long-term investment.”
“Wow. When you put it like that, I sound like a creep.”
He chuckled, then his smile slowly faded. His thumb brushed over my hand.
“Be careful. I know I raised you in that world. And I’ve questioned that decision more than once. But… I never worried about him. He always looked after you. And he’s been good to us.”
“I’ll be careful.”
“Good.” He smiled again. “Because I can’t exactly stand up to a don if he breaks your heart.”
A nurse stepped into the room carrying medication. I stood and moved out of the way.
Settling into the chair in the corner, I pulled out my phone.
ME: He’s awake and talking.
Almost immediately, Nicola shot a message back.
NICOLA: That’s fucking great, Abs.
NICOLA: Are you staying there tonight?
ME: Until they kick me out after visiting hours.
I stared at the blinking cursor. My thumbs hovered over the keyboard.
ME: I wish you were here.
My chest tightened. I quickly deleted it.
Dad drifted back to sleep for a while.
I picked at a late lunch from the hospital cafeteria and, when he woke again, we watched some terrible game show on the tiny television mounted in the corner of the room.
I stayed until visiting hours ended. Around eight-twenty, one of the nurses gently reminded me I’d have to come back tomorrow.
I kissed Dad’s forehead. “I’ll be back. First thing in the morning.”
“What about work?” He looked alarmed.
I smiled to assure him. “I’m working remotely for a while. It’s all figured out.”
“Okay, well…” He closed his eyes again. “Tell Nicky I said hi.”
In the garage, I thanked Gio for staying with me all day and trudged inside. I made my way to the kitchen.
The first thing I noticed was a stack of foil containers in the refrigerator.
Each one had my name written neatly across the lid, instructions below it. I smiled. If Nicola and I ever got married– I was taking Rob with me in the divorce.
I was halfway upstairs with one of the containers when Thomas was bounding in the opposite direction.
“Hey!” He wrapped one arm around me in a hug that nearly lifted me off my feet. “Wanna come to the club?”
“Nope.” I laughed. “Did you ever figure out whether my kidnapping was worth it? Did Veronica see?”
“Oh, she saw.” His grin immediately faltered. “Not that I thought it was worth it, Abs. But, y’know. Not completely in vain.”
“That’s great. So, you’re still enemies?”
Thomas scratched the back of his head. “That’s getting harder to categorize.”
He brightened. “Anyway… I was hoping you’d come. I have a part- two figured out. We could pretend you’re my girlfriend.”
“Yeah, I’m going to stop you there, Tommy. See, that wouldn’t be believable.”
He frowned. “Why not?”
“Because everyone knows Moretti men are incapable of dating. It’s genetic.”
He snorted. “You and Nicky are dating, aren’t you?”
I opened my mouth. Closed it again. Thomas’s smile slowly disappeared.
“...Oh, Abby. Don’t tell me. You went through all that bullshit… and you still don’t know what you guys are?”
“It’s fucking complicated!” I threw my free hand into the air. “And I’d rather not be judged by someone who thought he could skateboard off the roof into the pool.”
His expression immediately darkened.
“I told you.” He leaned in. “It was the wind. It threw off my trajectory.”
I patted his forearm with a grin. “Have a good night, Thomas. I’m going to demolish this pot roast. Then I’m going to bed.”
Tobacco and cedar filled my senses. A pair of warm lips brushed against my neck before a familiar body slipped in behind me. I shivered with pleasure as my eyes blinked open into darkness.
Well. That was one way to wake up.
I leaned back against him and squeezed the hand resting around my waist.
“Hi,” I whispered.
“Hi.” He pressed another kiss beneath my ear. “I’m really glad he’s awake.”
“Me too.” I rolled over to face him as my eyes adjusted to the dark. Nicky had dressed down into nothing but his briefs.
Focus, Abby.
“Hey... I’ve been thinking.” I hesitated. “I want to start cleaning again.”
Even in the dim light, I could see his expression didn’t change.
“No.”
My head jerked back in surprise. “...No?”
“No. You aren’t cleaning.”
“Nicky, I need the money for Dad—”
“You don’t have to worry about alimony anymore.”
I let that sit in the room for a moment as my brain stuttered and tried to restart.
“...What?”
“Pierce doesn’t need your money anymore.” He sounded satisfied with himself. “You should make enough with your finance job to cover your expenses and your father’s, right?"
I shot upright as my pulse climbed. “I... need you to rewind. What do you mean Pierce doesn’t need my money anymore?”
Nicola sat up slowly. “I had a small conversation with him.”
“When was this?”
“Last week.”
It suddenly struck me I hadn’t heard from Pierce since I’d been at the estate.
I scrambled for the bedside lamp and switched it on. Warm light flooded the room.
“Nicola...” I pressed both hands over my face. “Oh, God. Tell me you didn’t.”
“This wasn’t like Richie Gallo,” he said quickly, shifting onto his knees. “Aubergine, look at me. I didn’t hurt him.”
I lowered my hands and stared at him questioningly.
He hesitated. “Okay. Full transparency. I slapped him once.” He held a finger up. “But he deserved that one—”
“I can’t fucking believe you.” I climbed out of bed, gawking at the walls while my mind unraveled. “You looked me in the eyes and promised you’d stay out of it.”
“But, I solved your problem.”
“You kidnapped my ex-husband."
Nicola made a ’tch’ sound. “Oh, come on. He got one slap. Some people pay for that.”
“You lied to me.”
“No, I protected you.”
I spun back to him. “That wasn’t your fucking decision to make!”
“Even if he didn’t need the money, he was gonna look for every little reason to stay in your life.”
“Oh my God.” I looked around the room again. “I knew it. I knew things were too good. The other shoe had to drop at some point. I’m Diane Keaton.”
“Abs.” He slowly climbed off the bed. “I tried to give you money. I tried to give you my lawyers. I had no other way.”
“You don’t get to decide to ruin people’s lives for me.” My voice cracked. “I... I know there’s a part of you that just can’t help it, Nicola.”
I wiped angrily at my face. “I thought maybe I could love both sides of you equally. But I don’t. I’m scared shitless of Don Moretti. Because he’s violent and because he doesn’t follow through on promises.”
Nicola looked away.
“You remember what you said at the hospital yesterday? About feeling like you had to do something? It was exactly that, Aubergine. I couldn’t think. I just...” His jaw flexed. “Needed to fix it. I needed to do something.”
My fingers reached behind my neck and Nicola’s eyes followed the movement.
“Abs... Wait.”
‘Wear it outside your clothes. I like it.’
Those stupid words danced around in my ears all day. My hands trembled as I unclasped the chain.
The ring slipped through my fingers. It fell to the hardwood floor with a soft metallic clink.
My chest tightened as I bent to pick up my purse.
“What are you doing?” he breathed.
“I’m going home to my apartment. If I stay here, I’m going to forgive you. I’m going to sweep it under the rug with everything else. And if I forgive you tonight, you’ll think this was okay.”
I pointed at him.
“And don’t you dare follow me or send Gio. I’ll take my chances with the Ferraros.” I threw open the bedroom door. “At least I knew where I stood with Lorenzo.”
I passed through the door and didn’t look back.