Page 36 of Wicked Truths
But then doubt creeps in, chilling the warmth he brings.Can I trust him?
My hand shakes as I scribble down my fears alongside my hopes.
A gentle tap on the door surprises me; usually, nobody bothers with knocking around here.
“Come in,” I call out, forcing a smile despite the knot tightening in my chest.
“Hi baby, can I talk to you?” Mom’s voice sounds softer than usual.
“Of course, Mom.” I close the diary and turn it over as she slips inside my room and perches on the edge of my bed.
I wait and watch as the air thickens with the tension she brought with her. Her shoulders are slumped, defeated, I expect.
“I’m leaving soon,” she says, her voice so quiet, like it hurts her throat to say the words.
My heart skips a beat. “How soon?”
“If you want to come with me, you can.”
Her eyes search mine for something that looks a lot like hope. But all I feel is a wave of confusion crashing over me.
This is what I want, I think. There’s something tantalizing about breaking free from this gilded cage. But atthe same time, it weighs heavily on my heart because this prison is the only place I feel safe.
“Have you taken his offer?” My voice trembles.
Her face darkens as she shrugs dismissively. “Not yet. He needs to offer me a lot more for putting up with him.”
I smile as her phone dings.
She glances at the screen. “My driver is here. Let me let him know I’ll be there in a couple of minutes.”
I wait for her to finish as I contemplate her and Dom. I thought they were in love once upon a time. Obviously, I was wrong. “What did Dom do to you?”
“It was all fake. But I can’t tell you anything else. I signed an NDA.”
“An NDA? Why?”
“Because the man doesn’t trust anyone.”
I nod. I get why he doesn’t. Mafia men aren’t exactly squeaky clean. “Let me get this semester finished before I leave,” I tell her. “Give me six months.”
“Then we’ll travel,” she tells me. “Where would you like to go?”
“Really? I’d like to travel to Europe.”
“Me too.” She smiles. “And I hear you’re going out with Milly tonight.” She nods like she is contemplating life. “You and Milly brought me a lot of joy.”
“And Lia.” She always forgets about our older sister.
“And Lia. But I need to leave now. The car is waiting for me.” She kisses my forehead before she stands and walks to the door.
My phone chimes with a message and I know who it’s from, so I don’t even look at the caller.
“I love you,” I tell her. “I’m looking forward to traveling. Can we go to Spain?”
She smiles as she opens the door. “Anywhere.” She stands with her hand on the doorframe. “Don’t let him change you.”
“Dom?”
