Page 127 of Someone Exactly Like Me (Wounded Hearts 1)
I grab my phone and call her. It goes to voice mail. I call Marco. It goes to voice mail.
“Fuck! They’re not answering their phones.” I continue pacing as my mind races. “I have to get to her. I have to explain. It’s not what she saw.” Stopping, I turn to Angelina. “Who else do you know who has a boat?” I ask, my words frantic.
“Only our neighbors down the street, but they’ve taken theirs back to Naples for the weekend.”
“I can’t believe this is happening,” I husk. “I can’t just sit here doing nothing.”
“I don’t think you have a choice. You will have to wait until Marco returns. By then, how will you find her?”
“I don’t know, but I have to try. Maybe he’ll know where she is. I can’t let her leave like this.”
Going to my room, I get my laptop and bring it back to the kitchen island. I quickly open it and check to see what flights are going out.
“She can’t leave today. There are no flights. I have a chance to catch her.”
“What will you say if you find her?”
My thoughts are scrambled. “I — I don’t know. I’ll tell her the truth.”
“I think you broke her heart.” Her tone is gentle. “She may not be ready to hear what you have to say after what she saw.”
I drop my head. My heart is a hundred-pound weight in my chest.
Marco walks in the house and I stand from the stool at the kitchen island. He slams a folded piece of paper onto the island. “You fucking asshole,” he blasts. “Angelina told me that yesterday and last night, you two were behaving like a couple who were head over heels for each other. What the fuck happened?”
“We were. We are.” My words stumble out of my mouth as adrenaline races through my veins. “We had the best day, cuddling and watching movies. Laughing together. We even made love —”
“Fucking wait,” he cuts me off, holding up his hand. “So, let me get this straight. You finally make love to her and the next day you fucking kiss Gigi, of all people?”
“No! I didn’t kiss Gigi!” I roar.
“Bro, I fucking saw you with my own eyes!” he shouts.
“It wasn’t like that. She took off her dress and sat in my lap and fucking kissed me. I threw her off me as soon as she did it.”
“How’d she even get that far?”
“It — it happened so fast.” My brain rushes through the motions of what happened, making me dizzy and furious.
“Well, all Destiny saw was you kissing your long-time childhood friend, which I believe you said is exactly what happened with her ex-fiancé.”
“Cazzo!” I thunder, thrusting my hands into my hair.
“Please tell me you aren’t this much of a dick. What the fuck is wrong with you? Do you even care about this woman?”
“Yes, I care about her! I love her.” As the words leave my mouth, my knees weaken and I drop back down onto the stool. I break out in tiny electric zaps all over my body, stunned by the words that just flew out of me.
Marco, stops talking as his body jolts back. His eyes widen and his eyebrows raise. He shakes his head, calming his voice. “Then bro, you better fucking figure out how to fix this. She’s special. Don’t lose her.” Laughing, he steps toward me, pats me on the shoulder, and squeezes it. “My little brother is finally in love. I never thought I’d hear those words roll off your tongue.” He laughs again. “Read the letter, bro. And go get your girl.” He taps the folded piece of paper, puts the boat keys on the counter, and walks away.
“Wait. Where is she?”
He turns back toward me and shakes his head. “I don’t know. I dropped her off at Naples. She didn’t tell me her plans and I didn’t ask. I doubt she had a plan.”
She left, without saying goodbye, leaving behind a letter. Though I understand why she left and what she thinks she saw, this feels like Ana all over again.
Slowly, I open the letter, terrified to read it.
Nicco,
