“Stop talking!” I snapped, gripping onto my side as I pushed myself off the couch. He grabbed onto me. “Let go!”
“You need a moment.”
“I need to go to her.”
“Not like this!” he hollered, and I bent over in pain, but not from the side, no, this one hurt in places I didn’t think could hurt.
My mind.
My soul.
My…my heart.
“I didn’t know.” How didn’t I know? I always knew! “Ugh…”
Squeezing his shoulder, I bit my cheek closed and stood straighter.
“Go to Carofiglio’s.” I sneered through clenched teeth. “Giovanni will know how to draw him out.”
“Let’s go.” He turned, putting my arm over his shoulder.
Slowly, we walked one by one up the stairs.
Neither of us speaking.
Neither of us needing to.
The moment I saw her lying on her side, there was nothing left to talk about. On the bed, I rolled over onto my good side and pulled her closer to me, resting my head on hers.
“I’ll get it done,” he said, closing the door even though he didn’t have to. The moment he put on that suit he’d already done what he need to do.
Gripping on firmer, I kissed the back of her head.
“He’ll pay for this,” I whispered to her. “I swear it.”
“Good,” she whispered back, placing her hand over mine, squeezing. I hadn’t realized she was awake.
“Are y—”
“Don’t,” she whispered, leaning against me. “Not now or ever. None of this ever happened.”
IVY
I didn’t know how long we both lay there holding on to each other, neither of us sleeping. Just lying in the darkness together.
“Ethan.”
“Yes.”
“I…I…lov—”
“Don’t.”
“No…I—”
“Don’t say it today,” he whispered into my ear. “The day none of this ever happened.”
And so we kept silent.