Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 27066 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 135(@200wpm)___ 108(@250wpm)___ 90(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27066 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 135(@200wpm)___ 108(@250wpm)___ 90(@300wpm)
“Yes,” I say, getting it from my coat pocket and handing it to her. I watch as she bends over and picks her robe up off of the floor and puts it on. “What are you going to say?”
“I don’t know, but I am going to put on the performance of my life, just like you want.”
“You should know that they might think you’re dead?”
“What?”
“They think you’re dead. The blood in the alley from your stitches.”
“Shit. I got them wet.”
“The doctor will fix them tomorrow.”
She plasters on a big smile and dials the phone, putting it on speakerphone.
“Hello?” Her mother’s sad voice fills the line.
“Hello, Mama,” she says. The phone is silent for a good minute. “Mama? Did I lose you?”
“Matty?” she whispers.
“Yes, Mama.” Then the woman bursts into tears. Shit, I did this. Matilde is glaring at me like she wants to kill me right now. Fuck. Perhaps I could have gone about this in a better way, but it would have taken too long.
“Matilde?” a man’s voice asks, coming on the line.
“Hi, Daddy.”
“Are you okay? Where are you? Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine, I promise. I’m in Boston.”
“What the fuck are you doing in Boston?” Dad shouts.
“There’s no need to yell at her,” I shout right back. Matilde turns to me, eyes wide, shaking her head.
“Who the fuck is that?” he asks, and I pray that she tells him the truth.
“It’s my husband.”
“Your what?” her mom asks, between sniffles.
“My husband.”
“I know for a fucking fact you don’t have a husband Matilde Emerson Vitali. No man has presented himself to me and asked for your hand.”
“Well, about that… I couldn’t help it. He asked, and said yes,” she says, surprising me.
“Are you pregnant, Matty?” her mom whispers.
“No, Mama. I mean I guess I could be, but that’s not the reason we got married. I promise.”
“Who is this man?” her father asks coldly.
“You actually know him.”
“It had better not be Ryan Ventaglimia. He’s gone missing and Tesoro will kill you,” her mom chimes in.
“It’s definitely not Ryan. It’s Dorian O’Shaughnessy.”
“From dinner the other day?” her mom asks.
“Yes.”
“You just met him.”
“I know… so the Vitali love at first sight thing happened and the O'Shaughnessy's have the same kind of thing. It was unstoppable.”
“My baby is married?”
“Yes, Mama.”
“Did you at least get married in the Church?”
“Yes we did. Father Flanagan was great,” she says.
“And you are happy?” her father asks.
“Of course I’m happy, Daddy.”
“We’ve been worried sick, Matty. You’ve been gone for almost four days. You couldn’t have found the time to call before now?”
“I’m sorry. I was busy and I lost my phone somewhere.”
“I have it here. You left it work. We thought you were murdered.”
“I’m sorry about that. I should have called. I just got swept up. What happened to Ryan?” I hate that she sounds so concerned for the man.
“We don’t know. We thought it might be related to you. He went missing after he started looking into your disappearance. The video footage from the club around the time you went missing was also wiped from storage.”
“What did you do?” she asks, after muting the phone call.
“I didn’t fucking do anything. Who is this man to you?”
“He’s a friend.” I force myself to calm the fuck down.
“Nothing more?”
“Of course not. Isn’t my blood still on your cock? There are no other men, Jesus. So fucking jealous.” She huffs out an exasperated breath before unmuting the call. “I didn’t disappear in any kind of way. I cut my leg in the alley before I decided to go for it with Dorian.”
“Are you coming back home?” her mom asks. “No, Mama. My place is with my husband now. You understand don’t you?”
“Of course, Matty. When will we see you again?”
“Um… Can you come in a few days to visit? I want you to meet the rest of Dorian’s family. They are amazing.”
“We can do that. Do you need anything? Money?” her dad asks.
“I do, Daddy. Um… my phone, clothes, and my Kindle off of my nightstand but um… don’t go in the nightstand,” she says biting her bottom lip. That makes me smile. My girl has a sex toy in there.
“We won’t honey, I promise.” her mom says, laughing.
“Why not?” her dad asks.
“Women’s troubles,” Matilde and her mom say at the same time.
“Enough said,” her dad says gruffly. I laugh softly.
“So come on Wednesday? I’ll make dinner for everyone. Bring Theresa too please.”
“Why?” her mom asks.
“I want her to meet someone.”
“Okay. I’ll get her to come. I love you and I’m really fucking glad you’re not dead. Can we reach you on this number?”
“I love you guys too and I’m glad I’m not dead either. You can reach me here, it’s Dorian’s number.”
“Okay. You’re sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine, Daddy. I promise. I’m happy.”
“Okay, we’ll see you soon.”
“See you soon.”
They end the call, and she hands it back to me.