Page 229 of Marcello

Because I was terrified this time might be the last.

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Aweek before Halloween, everything came crashing down.

I was lying in bed watching a movie – The Witch with Anya Taylor-Joy, part of a horror-themed movie marathon – when I heard my phone buzz under the mattress.

I froze.

What the hell?!

I’d told Romeo never to call me. I was too afraid one of the servants might hear the phone ring, find it, and narc me out to my father.

The call went to voicemail, and I talked myself down off the ledge.

It was probably just spam or something.

I went back to the movie –

When the phone started buzzing again.

What the FUCK?!

I paused the movie and pulled the phone out from under the mattress. Sure enough, it was Romeo. I wasn’t dumb enough to program in his name – just in case my father ever got ahold of the phone – but I recognized his number.

I was so pissed off that I didn’t even bother with pleasantries.

“I told you never to call me!” I whispered angrily.

“It’s an emergency.”

He sounded stressed.

Romeo never sounded stressed.

“What’s wrong?”

“Something’s come up. I need to see you immediately.”

Jesus Christ – he broke the one rule I gave him just because he got lonely?!

“No!” I snapped.

He sounded confused. “What do you mean, ‘no’?”

I wanted to yell, Because I have to tell Eugenio in time so he can schedule it with Esmeralda, then she has to come out here with a taxi – there’s a lot of moving parts, dude, and I can’t make it all happen at the drop of a hat!

Instead, I said, “I can’t just leave whenever you want and – ”

“Run away with me.”

My eyes bugged out.

Oh shit…

He’s serious!

“…what?!”