Page 102 of Beneath the Shadows

“Why?”

I’d rather not ask for anything or be in his debt, but I have no choice. “I need to call Rosie,” I say, my voice rough. “I left without telling her anything. She deserves to hear from me that I’m gone.”

Antonio doesn’t respond right away. His face is set in that controlled, unreadable mask he wears so well.

“I can’t let you do that without conditions,” he finally says. “You can call, but it stays on speaker. I need to hear everything that’s said. And after you’re done, I’m destroying the phone.”

I want to tell him to go to hell, to shove his terms back in his face. But if I push too hard, he’ll take the only chance I have to say goodbye.

“Of course. Can’t trust me to make a simple phone call without an audience, can you?” My words are sharp, meant to cut, but it’s a pathetic defense, and we both know it.

His eyes lock on mine, but his expression doesn’t change. “It’s not about trust, Alessia. It’s about making sure you don’t do something reckless.”

“Reckless,” I echo, shaking my head. “Right.” I hesitate, staring down at the phone in my lap. “Fine. I won’t be saying anything that puts you in danger. You’re too paranoid.”

“Don’t push me,” he warns.

I nod, biting back the urge to say something in reply. Instead, I take a deep breath, and he hands me my phone from the center console, its weight suddenly heavier in my hands.

Without looking at him again, I dial Rosie’s number, my fingers trembling. I put the call on speaker and wait. It rings once, then twice, before her familiar voice fills the silence.

“Hello, sugar.” Rosie’s voice is bright and cheerful. “What’s up, honey?”

I take a shaky breath, trying to steady myself. “Rosie,” I start, but my voice cracks despite my efforts to keep it steady. “I… I had to leave.”

There’s a pause on the other end. When she speaks again, her tone is laced with concern. “Leave? What do you mean? Is everything okay?”

I swallow hard, fighting back the tears threatening to spill over again. “I got a call. My mother’s gravely ill. I’m on my way back home.”

“Oh no.” Her concern deepens, and I picture the worry etched on her face. “Are you sure it’s safe? I mean, with your husband and everything.”

I squeeze my eyes shut, willing myself to stay strong. “It’ll be fine. I had to go.”

“When will you be back?” Her voice is small, hesitant, as though she already knows what I’m about to say.

I glance at Antonio. He’s looking straight ahead but I know he’s listening closely. My chest aches, and I swallow over the lump in my throat. “I won’t be coming back. I’m so sorry.”

The silence that follows is deafening. For a moment, I think she’s hung up, but then I hear her take a shaky breath. “I don’t know what to say.”

“I want to thank you,” I manage, my voice catching on a sob. “For everything. You made it feel like home.”

“Are you sure there’s nothing I can do?” she asks, her voice filled with desperation.

“No,” I whisper. “There’s nothing you can do. But I’ll never forget you, Rosie. I promise.”

We say our goodbyes, and when the line finally goes dead, the weight of it crushes me. My heart aches with the finality of it all. Everything I’ve built, every friendship, every piece of happiness—it’s all slipping through my fingers.

Silence stretches as I sit there, staring at the phone in my lap. Beside me, Antonio shifts slightly, but he says nothing. His presence is a constant reminder of the life I’m being dragged back into, a life I’ve tried so hard to escape.

“Thank you,” I say quietly, not looking at him.

He nods, his voice low. “You did what you needed to do.”

The passing landscape blurs as tears burn the back of my eyes. Speaking to Rosie did nothing to ease the ache inside me. If anything, it’s only made it worse.

My life in Magnolia Springs is over. It slipped through my fingers like it was never mine to keep. With each passing mile, I’m being dragged back into a world I hate.

A world with no escape.

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