He doesn’t get to finish whatever it was he was going to say because my left hand takes on a life of its own and lands a slap across his cheek so hard it leaves a mark.
I’m glad he doesn’t look surprised or phased.If anything, he looks like he knows he deserves the slap.He looks like he deserves the next one I give him too.
“Bastard,” I snap and back away from him.
Tears are streaming down my cheeks and I don’t even care that I have even more attention on me than I already did.
You don’t just slap one of the D’Agostino brothers in public and it goes unnoticed.I don’t care though. I’m sick of being hurt.
“Candace, please,” he says, but I hold up my hand to stop him from talking.
“No, just no… leave me alone.”
I turn and rush away, away from him and the eyes that follow me through the door.
* * *
I open the door to my apartment when the bell rings and step aside for Massimo and Tristan to enter.They both look down at me like two concerned brothers.I predicted their visit, and can only guess people must have told them what happened earlier.
Not feeling like I could continue with the work I had scheduled; I went home after my encounter with Dominic.
“Are you okay?” Massimo asks.
“I’m fine,” I reply. He might believe that answer more if my voice wasn’t so heavy with emotion.
“You don’t look fine, Candace,” Tristan states.
“I’m okay. Why shouldn’t I be?Dominic’s home and that’s good news.You don’t have to worry anymore.”
They both exchange worried glances.
Massimo slips his arm around me and ushers me to the living room.“Come sit, let’s talk.”
“There’s nothing to talk about.”
“But there is.”
He sits me down on the soft leather three-seater and sits next to me.Tristan lowers into the armchair opposite us and leans forward, resting his elbows on to his knees.
“Candace, we can both see you aren’t okay.We knew you wouldn’t be, that’s why we came to check on you,” Tristan says.
“We didn’t know what was best.I contemplated telling you but Dominic said he was going to see you, so he waited until you got back from coffee with Jacques,” Massimo explains.
I wonder if Dominic saw me talking to Jacques.Chances are he did. What did he think?It was obvious I was flirting, and it wouldn’t have looked like anything other than what I was doing.
Why do I care though if Dominic saw us?It doesn’t matter. My thoughts switch to what Massimo said as I process his words.When did he know Dominic was back?
Protective as they are of me, they’re also secretive.There’s always a line neither of us cross.It allows us to switch between that employee and employer relationship regardless of the work I’m doing.
I know my place. I’m respectful of my place and the way they both look after me, but I think on this occasion I’m going to step over the line.The situation calls for it.
“When did you know? You sound like you knew he was back, Massimo.Did you know he was coming back?” The words fall mindlessly from my lips.
“No. We knew a couple of hours before you.He was in my office when we got in this morning.That’s what happened. I promise you, neither of us knew when he was coming back or anything like that until today.”
“If either of us knew, we would have definitely told you,” Tristan intones.
I stare back at him, remembering that last conversation I had with him about Dominic.It was just after Dominic left and we found our notes.I was still in the hospital and Tristan came to look for me.I think it was my words of wisdom that set him straight because I knew no one would have been able to find Dominic until he was ready to be found.I told Tristan what my note said.I’ll never forget how shocked he seemed when I told him I planned to do exactly as instructed and not wait.I wonder if he knew how hard it was going to be for me, or that I would fail miserably.