Novel Straight 27

Caterina 

What day is it? 

That’s the first question that comes to mind when I open my eyes, but then it usually is. It’s bad enough when I take a nap in the middle of the afternoon and wake up without the slightest clue of what time or day it is. Adding painkillers to the mix makes it impossible to keep track of time. 

When I check my phone, the date reflects back at me like a neun sign Four days. It’s been four days since the car hit me. Four days of in and out of consciousness while random shows play on the big TV mounted on the wall across from the foot of the bed. 

Sometimes, I wake up, and it’s night, and Glanni is next to me. All it takes is a soft grunt or a sigh, and he’s beside me, asking if I’m okay, if I need anything, or if he can make me more comfortable. He can’t be sleeping well. I warned him last night that if he doesn’t start sleeping for real, he’ll end up in the hospital. 

Just thinking about waking up with a bright light shining in my eyes and the paramedics loading me onto a gumey turns my stomach. Nobody could tell me what happened or why I was hurting so much. When I asked for my purse, all they did was put a mask over my face and blow oxygen at me. It was like waking up to a nightmare. 

My heart races. I need to stop thinking about it. I’m sate now, and doubt anybody has been better taken care of than me. The past few days have shown me a side of Glanni I never knew existed. Gentle and attentive, trying to anticipate everything I need beforehand. He checks in on me a few times a day, even while he’s working, and otherwise hangs out here. 

He’s even watched a few classic romantic comedies with me. Glam Rossetti, the feared arms dealer, cracking up to an old Cary Grant movie. Nobody would believe it. I wouldn’t il I wasn’t curled up next to him at the time. 

He’s made all of this so much easier to live with 

It only makes me feel worse that 1 was in that part of town at all. Why was I even thinking of signing a lease to begin with? It’s hard to remember now that I know this side of him exists. 

Maybe this is a turning point. It would make all the pain worthwhile. The idea makes me smile, even as I fight to swing my legs over the side of the bed so I can use the bathroom. Moving around getting easier, but I’m still sore and stiff. One of the nurses, told me I’m lucky I didn’t break anything, and I know she’s right, but there’ve been moments when I was sure the x–rays were wrong, and had a broken leg or arm. No, it didn’t make sense, but who thinks clearly when they’re in pain? 

I 

Four days have made it easier to face myself in the mirror, too. I don’t flinch away from my reflection while washing my hands. The bruise on my cheekbone will turn an ugly shade of yellow and green before long, but I can cover that with makeup. The Scrapes, foo 

“You’re still perfect,” Gianni told me as I drifted off to sleep beside him the first night. I don’t know if he thought I could hear him or not, but I’ve heard those three whispered words in my headcountless times since then. He still thinks I’m perfect. 

Could this mean he has actual feelings for me? 

There’s no time to mull that over since my phone rings on the nightstand Stephanie has been checking in on me from the office, and I don’t want to miss the call if it’s her, especially when he’s covered for me since the accident 

It’s not Stephanie, but somebody I’ve been dying to talk to. “Buongiorno,” Ichirp on answering. “Wait. Are you still in Italy? I’ve lost track of your jet setting.” 

“Are you serious?” Tatiana blurts out with an edge in her voice. “You’re cracking jokes?” 

Oh, no. I sink to the bed while my heart continues plummeting until it’s down around my ankles. She must’ve found out about us 

why else would she sound so pissed? “I’m sorry,” I whisper overthe tears clogging my throat. 

“You got hit by a fucking car, and I had to wait four days to find out? Did you forget all about me?” 

‘s probably not cool that I’m so relieved. She’s only upset that she didn’t know about the 

She sounds genuinely hurt, so it’s p accident 

+25 BONUS 

“When were you going to call me?” I can almost see her standing front of me, arms folded, tapping a foot against the floor, and looking murderous 

“I’ve been so out of it. I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to keep it a secret anything “I stifle a groan while settling back against the pillows. 

“Are you okay? I mean, considering? 

“Considering, I’m fine. I got off pretty easy when you think about how much worse it could’ve been. 

“Please, don’t remind me. I just about died when Dad told me.! 

Even while I’m half doped up after my last pill that put me to sleep, there’s no escaping the guilt that lances through me. “He’s Laking great care of me,” I murmur, winding Here 1 ans, in his bed, and I have to pretend our relationship is totally innocent. 

“Well, this settles it” 

“Settles what?” 

“I’m coming home right away, Obviously, somebody needs to keep an eye on you, and Dad is too busy working all the time.” 

If somebody told me a few months ago that I would ever dread the dea of my best friend coming home after weeks apart, I’d tell them they were crazy. This is Tatiana, I miss her. Having ber gone all this time has been like missing a part of myself Of course, I want her to come home. 

But 

“Um…” 

Her familiar laughter only adds to the discomfort. “What? You don’t want to see me? Did you find another best friend? Because I’ll cut that bitch” 

“Put the knife away,” Imurmur, chewing my lip until it hurts. What’s better, telling her now or waiting until she gets home? It’s not like I’ll be able to hide it from her. I could never hide anything from her, she’s too observant and knows me too well. 

“You know, if this goes on much longer, I’m going to feel insulted, she warns in a deceptively light tone of voice that I know conceals imitation. I know her too well, too. 

“I have something to tell you.” Oh, god, I’m actually doing this. Bot it has to be done. She has to know. I don’t want to drop the bomb on her after she’s arrived, and that’s probably because I’m a foward. I don’t think I could stand the look on her face when 

she finds out about us. 

I’m sorry I couldn’t be a better friend. 

She sighs loudly while I struggle to find the right words. “Does it have anything to do with you sleeping with my dad?” 

Ibarely tighten my grip on the phone in time to keep from dropping it. I’m imagining this, right? This is some kind of side effect from the painkillers. 

“Sorry, did I kill you? Are you still with me?” 

I don’t know what to say. She doesn’t sound outraged. More like she thinks this is funny. I hope that’s a good sign. “You already knew? 

“Yeah,” she continues with an exasperated sigh. “Listen, it’s not my favorite thing in the world, but it is what it is. And yes, Dad knows I know,” 

There I go again, almost dropping the damn phone. “How long has he known?” 

*Only a few days.” I guess it slipped his mind. Not like I haven’t given him other things to worry about since the accident, but still. He could have at least thought to mention it. One less thing to me to feel terrible about. 

“I’m sorry. I really am. You’re not mad at me, are you?” 

+25 BONUS 

“I’ve known for years you had a cmish on him.” She laughs at my gesp “Please. He’d walk into the room, and your face wedd 

bright red, and you’d start looking anywhere but at him. That’s crush And I mean, I guess I can’t blame you, even if it’s little weird But I’m not mad. I want you to be happy.” 

She puses, and it’s a heavy sort of panse. “Are you happy?” 

Am I? She deserves an honest answer, not something I fire off without thinking. It isn’t easy admitting to myself how rocky things have been, but I believe things are going to get better. Becieve at the heart of all of this is one fact I can’t get around or talk myself out of—he’s what I want. Tcan’t get him out of my soul and don’t want to So there just has to be a way for everything to work out and for us to be happy without all these roadblocks and problems. 

“I think I will be,” I decide. “I mean, honestly, worrying about how you would take it was a lot of the reason I was nervous and questioning myself. Now that I have you out of the way, yeah, I think there’s a lot more room to be happy.” 

“Now that you have me out of the way,” she mutters. “Boy, you have a way with words.” 

“You know what I mean. I couldn’t let myself be happy because I was so worried about what it might do to us.” 

“I get it, and you have nothing to worry about from me just don’t ask me to take sides if you guys get into a fight. I don’t have it in me to get into that drama. ” 

“Understood.” 

still coming home. I’ll have Dad arrange for the jet, and I’ll let you know, so you’re not, you know, humping each other when I get there. 

“And I’m the one who has a way with words?” It’s so nice to laugh with her for the first time in weeks. I feel a weight lifting off my heart. 

A soft knock at the door gets my attention a moment before Ganniappears. His brows draw together, but I shake my head with a smile to ease his mind. 

“I better let you go so you can rest,” she says. “I’ll see you soon. Love you 

“Love you, too.” And once the call is over, I rest my head against the mountain of pillows at my back and release a deep breath. With it goes all the guilt and worries that have weighed me down for weeks 

“Everything all right? I figured she would call you right away once told her.” Gianni sits beside me on the bed and takes the hand resting at my side. I love the way his calloused fingers feel against my skin. 

“You didn’t tell me she knew about us 

He looks almost sheepish, which I didn’t know was possible. Not for him. “It slipped my mind. I had other things to worry about, like your health. How are you feeling?” 

“Better, now that I know I didn’t lose my best friend ” 

“You have no idea how glad that makes me ” 

But he doesn’t sound so glad. In fact, his voice is heavy, almost like he’s in palli 

“What’s wrong?” I turn my hand over so I can wind my fingers through his. He looks worried, with deep lines etched across his forehead and over the bridge of his pose 

The corners of his mouth tug downward. “You should get some test. We’ll talk about it later.” 

His dismissal only makes me sit up. “Here’s one thing you need to know about me. There is no chance of me getting any rest after hearing you say that. Besides, I’ve been resting for days 

H 

It was supposed to be a joke to make him laugh, or at least smile. But all he does is grimace, and his worry lines deepen. “I’ve been wrestling with myself, deciding whether to tell you.” 

“Tell me what? Did something terrible happen? I already know Tama’s okay because I talked to her.” I can’t imagine what 

else it might be. 

+25 BONUS 

“I’m telling you this because I know the way you think, and I know you would hate to find out after the fact.” 

Is it my imagination, or is it suddenly colder in here? That must be where the goosebumps are coming from. “Find out what?” And why am so full of dread now? You don’t start off a story the way he just did unless there’s something ugly coming, 

“It has to do with the accident.” 

I 

Vup, there it is. The pit in my stomach right an schedule. Now I wish had never asked if there was something wrong 

But I’m not achild. And I can’t rim away from what happened. 

“I can handle it. Whatever it is! 

He doesn’t look convinced. His frown only deepens before he hears a sigh. “I had Roger reach out to the businesses on that block in case any of them had security cameras pointed toward the street. A few of them do, and they let him look at the footage. He was able to get a clear look at the plate on one of the cameras 

“Did he… see the accident?” I don’t know why the thought makestry heart pound. It’s unnerving knowing there is footage of the coming close to being killed, but a twisted part of me wants to see it. Because I survived. 

“No,” he murmurs, but the way he averts his eyes makes me wonder if he’s telling the truth. “That’s not the point, anyway. We found the name the vehicle is registered under.” 

He stares down at our clasped hands, and something in my head clicks into place. “It wasn’t an accident, was it?” 

Right away, his head snaps up, his eyes widening. “What makes you say that?” 

“Because the way you’re making it sound. It’s a name you recognised, or one I would recognize. Right? And if it’s somebody I know, that means it wasn’t an accident. They deliberately hit me. It’s okay,” I insist when he grimaces. “I can handle it. Because you’re here with me. And I’m sate.” 

With his free hand, he reaches out and cups my cheek. I lean into his touch. It’s my salvation. I couldn’t handle any of this without him. “You’re night. It was someone you know! 

Which tells me it could only have been one person. The only person from my life, besides his daughter, whose name he’s tamiliar with. Even though I want to turn away from the idea, it makes too much sense. 

“Tell me,” I whisper, bracing myself 

“It was Luciano. I’m sorry. I 

I really am.” 

I close my eyes, forcing myself to accept. “Are you going to kill him?” 

His grip on my hand tightens “What makes you ask that?” 

“Let’s skip the pretending.” I say it with as much affection as I can, so I don’t hurt his feelings. “I know that’s what you want to 

do because I know you.” 

“You want to hear the truth?” I open my eyes and nod slowly, even though I dread hearing it come from his lips. “All that’s been in my head since we got the confirmation is the different ways I could extend his life as long as possible while making him wish Twould take mercy and kill him quickly.” 

He leans in, staring intensely. Looking into my soul, it seems. “But that wouldn’t be fair to you. You’re the person he hit, which means you get to decide.” 

I can’t believe I’m hearing this. “You want me to decide if you kill him? 

“You’re the only one with the right to make that decision.” 

I wish I could believe he was joking, but I know better. 

A man’s life is in my hands–when he could have ended my life eally. When he has already robbed me of five years. 

“There’s one more thing,” he murmurs. “From the footage, it looks like he sped up halfway down the block 

Yes, he did. I remember now how the engine revved like he was picking up speed 

It was deliberate, Luciano deliberately hit me. He tried to kill me. 

But is that worth a death sentence?