“Crazy? You better have been in jail or something. No, I take that back. You get to make one phone call when you’re in jail, and I have no missed calls.”
Yikes, she’s pissed. I don’t blame her. For so long, it was always just the two of us. We are closer to each other than most sisters. I’d be worried out of my mind if I couldn’t get a hold of her and then found out she missed an appointment or something. Truthfully, if not for Caroline, before now if I’d gone missing, no one would really notice. Not right away, anyway. It would take a few days and maybe a missing rent payment.
“Maybe I should start from the top,” I say, dropping back down on the bed and realizing how sore I am in some places. It’s a sweet kind of ache that I want more of.
“Maddie!” Caroline snaps into the phone, and I realize I zoned out again, thinking about my new husband.
“Okay, okay, so I’m married.”
“Married!” she screeches before I launch into everything that happened yesterday. “This is nuts. You’re nuts.” She keeps saying that over and over. I leave out a few parts of the story, not wanting to really freak her out. Mostly about Oscar and his rude behavior. No need to get into all that right now. She’s already worried, and I’m afraid that will push her over the edge.
“I might be, but I’m also happy.”
“Maddie.” She sighs. “You know I’m not totally shocked. You’ve always danced to your own beat and done things differently.”
I smile. I knew after she calmed down she’d come around a little bit. “So it’s kind of a job?”
“Don’t call it that,” I say defensively. We had sex. That would make me a prostitute.
“All right, sorry. I’m only trying to make sure I understand it all.”
“I’m happy and safe. That’s all that should matter.”
“Got yourself five kittens too.” She laughs.
“Which I need to go check on.”
“Okay, I need to get to rehearsal, but you bet your ass I’m calling tonight, and as soon as I get my first break I’m flying back there. I need to meet this man. I need to know you’re safe. And don’t go giving your heart away.”
I don’t tell her it’s too late. My heart already belongs to Renato. “We’ll FaceTime later. That sound like a good deal?” I suggest, wanting to do anything to help put her at ease. I want her to see that I’m okay and happy. I know she’s going to love Renato. It’s hard not to.
“I’d love that.”
“I love you.”
“Love you too,” she says before we end the call.
That actually went so much better than I thought it would. Feeling like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders, I go in search of my kittens and laptop. I need to at least check in with my clients so that I don’t leave anyone hanging. All my other stuff is in the bedroom, but I can’t find the laptop anywhere.
I exit the bedroom to find my husband. He’ll likely know where it is. I thought I’d grabbed it when I packed up yesterday.
I don’t make it far. When I reach the top of the stairs, fingers grip my hair as another hand comes down over my mouth, muffling my scream. I’m pulled back and into one of the random rooms.
“Hush, you little slut,” Zoey whispers into my ear before she releases her hold on me, shoving me across the room. I stumble, tripping over my own feet before falling to the floor. It knocks the wind out of me.
“I think it’s time we have a little chat,” Zoey says, shutting the door. The sound of the lock clicking into place echoes through the room.
17
Renato
“Shopping?”
Payton raises her brows at me.
“Yes. I want you to take her to whatever stores she likes and help her pick out clothes. You can get your nails done or whatever sort of things she likes to do. What do you think?”
Payton gives Gingero a big kiss on his little nose. “I’m happy to help. Antony never lets me get carried away, so it’ll be fun to watch Maddie live out her dreams with your credit card.”
“Good, then it’s settled. Whichever day she wants to go is fine with me. I just want her to feel as comfortable here as possible. Hell, if she wants different furniture or even wallpaper, that’s fine. I’ll take this place down to the studs and rebuild it if it would make her happy.”
Payton shakes her head, a smile on her face. “You are utterly smitten.”
“Is that a bad thing?” I don’t disagree. I am smitten.
“It’s the best thing in the world.” She sighs. “I remember when Antony swept me off my–”
A hard thump from upstairs catches our attention. A bad feeling creeps through me, and before I know it, I’m on my feet and rushing up the steps to Maddie. When I throw open our bedroom door, she’s gone.