25. Liana
LIANA
Beth arrives at the hotel and knocks on the door within the hour, and I startle, having been just staring into space.
I can’t help but hate myself for saying such harsh things to Dario. He hurt me, and maybe he killed my father, but I can’t stand the look I saw on his face before his expression shuttered again.
I start to sniffle before I can even get to the door and by the time I open it, I’m full-on sobbing.
Beth cradles me to her chest, humming a soft tune as she leads me over to the chair, sitting me down. She crouches in front of me.
“Hard night?”
I nod, sniffling. I don’t even ask any questions. Now that she’s here, it’s obvious to me that whatever is going on with her and Dario, she can’t be the aggressor. She’s so good to me, and she would never be disloyal to her family.
Despite how much she dislikes Dario, she’s always been loyal. To me and to her family.
“What did he do?”
There’s a dark tone in her voice and I frown, shake my head.
“It’s more... he suspects you of trying to kill him. Isn’t that crazy?”
Beth blinks, her expression blank until she barks out a laugh. “Me, kill Dario? That is crazy. I mean, I can’t say I haven’t fantasized about it once or twice.”
I laugh back, but it sounds almost hysterical. I hadn’t just fantasized about it. I nearly did it.
Beth is a little stiff when I hug her, but she relaxes after a few minutes.
“Anyway, I told him it’s over.”
She smiles. “Finally. You’re getting it annulled?”
“I guess so. That’s the way to do it, isn’t it?” I feel suddenly unsure.
Beth nods. “It’s the only way. You have to protect yourself. Protect Sonny.”
I nod. Sonny is getting too close to Dario, and I hated the way his face dropped when Dario frightened him. I’d made this decision out of survival, but now, I realize that making that decision might have harmed Sonny more than helped him.
“You must be exhausted,” Beth says, brushing my hair back from my face. “Why don’t you lie down for a while? I’ll stay up, keep an eye out.”
“You will?”
“Of course I will. I’ll keep you both safe.”
Her voice is a bit flat, unaffected, but I don’t pay much attention. I am exhausted, after all.
It’s been a long night. I hug her once more and curl up in bed, settling under the covers.
I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.
But I’m up again in my dreams just as quickly as I fall asleep.
I stand, but it’s not the hotel room. It’s not even Dario’s house. It’s the penthouse, where he first took me. I walk down the hall, realizing slowly that I’m naked.
It doesn’t embarrass me, though. It’s just the way dreams work sometimes. I keep walking but the door at the end of the hall gets further and further away.
“Dario?” I call out, hesitantly, and then the door opens. A figure, lanky like Dario, comes out but is covered in shadow.
I run toward the shadowy figure nonetheless, but it’s a losing battle. The figure gets further and further away.
And then, I can’t run at all. My chest hurts. I can’t breathe.
I wake up, gasping for air and sitting bolt upright.
Beth startles from her seat, having clearly dozed off.
“Fuck, are you okay?” she asks, yawning and rubbing her eyes.
I breathe in deeply, feeling like I can’t get enough oxygen.
“I’m okay. Just... had a bad dream.”
“About your father?”
Beth knows I have bad dreams about my father sometimes, about finding him dead.
I shake my head. “No. About... Dario.”
She scoffs. “Forget him.”
I bite my lip but try to do as she says.
Beth gets a phone call and she sits straight up before standing and walking out the hotel balcony doors. She snaps something that gets swallowed by the wind outside, and then walks back in.
“We gotta go now, Liana,” she says quickly, gathering up the small bag she brought in with her. I’d thought it was just a purse, but it’s slightly bigger, maybe a laptop bag?
I blink at her, feeling half asleep. “Go? Go where?”
“Just listen to me and no one will get hurt.”
I blink again, wondering if I’m still asleep.
“What do you mean, get hurt? Beth, you’re scaring me.”
“Scaring you?” She laughs, it’s high pitched and a little eerie. “You’re the one making these crazy decisions, Beth. Moving in with Dario. Marrying him?”
“Maybe I haven’t made the best decisions lately but—”
“But nothing, Liana. I have to keep you and Sonny safe, don’t I?”
Something’s wrong with her. Either that, or I’m really still asleep and dreaming all of this. Beth doesn’t act this way.
We always talk everything through.
It’s going to be fine, isn’t it?
I just... I just have to listen to Beth.
“Where are we going?” I ask in a small voice.
“Somewhere safe. He’s following you, you know. He has something in your car or in your purse—I don’t know, we’ll figure it out, though. You can buy new things when we get to where we’re going.”
“Which is where, Beth?”
“This will all be eaiser if you get some rest, Liana.”
I swallow hard as she pulls something out of her bag and walks toward me. I can’t quite see it. She’s keeping it behind her back.
“I’m not tired.” I don’t mean to be stubborn but I’m not. I’ve never felt so awake in my whole life.
“Just a little nap, honey,” she croons, stepping closer. I try to scramble across the bed, to shield Sonny. It’s too late. Beth grabs my arm and sticks a needle into it.
“What did you—” I start, and then words stop making sense. I mumble something incoherent, feeling like I’m far away, outside my body. I slowly slip into darkness.
“Just a little nap,” Beth says, and it’s the last words I hear for a long time.