Gently, she reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “Don’t blame yourself because you fell in love, Layla.”
I bit my bottom lip, and my heart cracked in two. For months, Dante had been my world. He was the sun in my life, our love the air I breathed. He was everything…until I opened my father’s letter, discovering the truth about the man I had given my heart.
“Talk to him first, Layla. Maybe there’s a reasonable explanation for all this.”
“And so what if there is? So what if he has a hundred different reasons for keeping this part of his life a secret from me? It doesn’t change anything. His family is selling drugs on the streets, living off dirty money. And if half of what Dad is saying in his letter is true, then I—weare no longer safe here. It’s not just about me and him anymore, Kate.” I glanced at the bedside table. “It’s about so much more than just us now.”
Silence surrounded us, and I knew just by looking at her that Kate understood. There was no need for her to say anything. The decision had been made for us.
The familiar sound of the engine of his Audi as he parked in front of the house made me aware of the time.
“Shit. It’s him. He’s here.” I took Kate’s hands in mine. “He can’t know, Kate. Promise me you will never tell him. Promise me!”
Eyes that mirrored my own blinked with unshed tears. It fucking broke my heart to know I had caused my sister so much trouble.
“I promise,” she whispered, and I pulled her in for a hug.
“Thank you.”
She pulled back, wiping her cheeks with the back of her hand. “What do I tell him?”
I grabbed a pen and a piece of paper and started writing. Short and sweet, just like our time together had been.
“Here.” I handed her the envelope. “Give him this. You don’t have to say anything. Everything that needs to be said is in here.”
Her hand shook as she took the envelope from me. “When I come back, you won’t be here anymore…will you?”
Dear God, it killed me. It killed me that I had to do this to her. But I thanked the heavens that my father’s letter got to me in time, before I had a chance to tell Dante my secret.
I shook my head, and Kate whimpered softly before pulling me in for a hug.
“Where will you go?”
I wrapped my arms around her. “Dad gave me a name of someone who can help me.”
She leaned back to look at me. “Who?”
“Don’t, Kate. The less you know, the better.”
She sucked in her bottom lip and closed her eyes for a second. “I don’t like this, Layla. I don’t trust any of this.”
“I know. But I have no other option. If Dante’s family is half as bad as they seem, I have to make sure we’re not a part of it.”
Footsteps came from the front porch, my heart and stomach both fighting for a way up my throat. “He’s here. Please, Kate.”
“Dear God, why is this happening? How will I know you’re safe?”
“I don’t know. I’ll try to figure something out. Right now, I just need to get out of there before he finds me. Kate, if I see him, if I look into his eyes, I won’t be strong enough to leave. I love him too much.”
“Then stay,” she pleaded. “Stay. Talk to him.”
“No.” I stepped back. “I can’t. I can’t risk it. Loving Dante is no longer an option for me.”
More footsteps.
“Kate, please!”
“Okay.” She stepped up to me and placed a kiss on my forehead. “I love you, Layla.”