Page 5 of Beguiled and Broken

I popped my head around the corner and raised a hand. “Hey guys, come on in!”

They waved and made their way in. Dev barely got her shoes off before saying, bring me the snookums!”

I laughed and yelled to little Angelo, “You hear that kid? You’re a snookums now.”

Angelo responded by spitting up on Lex’s shoulder. We all had a good laugh and made our way to the kitchen. Everyone was seated around the table when I realized that was all Bianca needed. Time with our closest friends to feel normal again. She looked so happy, laughing at Carter’s jokes, and Lex’s impressions of the rude girl at the grocery store. I smiled and looked around the kitchen. I heard the doorbell ring and Devina hopped up this time.

“I’ll grab it. You guys stay put. That’s probably Cole.”

They walked back in the kitchen and Cole said hi to everyone and walked over and hugged Bianca. He looked over at Lex who was holding Angelo.

“She’s never giving him up, huh?” We all laughed. “Congratulations you guys. This is great. Our family is growing.”

Our family was growing. Those guys really were family. I never knew it would be like that moving out here but it felt just like family back home.

*

The night had gone well when Bianca spoke up, “I’m gonna go put him to sleep.”

I stood, “Here. Let me do it babe. Stay here with everyone. I got him.” She looked like she wanted to cry. I reached in, kissed her, and took Angelo upstairs.

He was already starting to drift to sleep on the way up the steps. I sat in the rocker with him, rocking back and forth until he had finally fallen asleep. Placing him in his crib, I turned on the white noise machine and let it lull him the rest of the way to dreamland. It’s amazing how those things work. Something about sounding like he’s still in the womb. I don’t know about that, but whatever worked for him, I would do it.

I almost made it to the kitchen when I heard the phone ring. It feels like we might be the only ones left alive that still have a landline. There’s something old timey about it for me and it’s good to have a backup when the service is out. Ma likes it too when she comes to visit because she’s not too good with the cell phones.

“Hello?” There was silence on the other end…and then I heard a breath. “Yeah, hello? Who’s there?” No answer and then the line went dead.Weird.

“Who is it babe?”

“No one. I think it must’ve been a wrong number or something.” I shrugged and took my seat next to Bianca. She leaned over and gave me a kiss when the phone interrupted. Bianca looked at me and I shrugged.

I went over to it and picked up. “Yeah, hello?”

Nothing. Silence again. “Yeah, I don’t know who this is, but you got the wrong line, buddy.” Then I heard a deep breath that turned into a woman’s moan. Shit sounded erotic and it threw me off. I didn’t say anything. Her breathing got deeper. “Listen, you got the wrong number.” I hung up.Fuck, that was wild.I cleared my throat and looked over at the group.

“Wrong number again. Someone’s tripped up.” Shrugging and trying to disguise my discomfort, I went back to sit with our friends.

Hudson chimed in, “Who has a land line nowadays anyway, bro. Get your shit together.”

I managed a laugh with everyone else, still a little thrown off by the call and said, “Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say. My ma likes the landline, so we keep it for when she visits. It don’t cost much so why not?”

We laughed it off and continued the conversation. I took my seat again next to Bianca, but I couldn’t shake that uneasy feeling. It was probably just a prank call.

Bianca nudged me. “You ok, Vin?” I knew I was spacing out.

“Yea, I’m good.” I kissed her on the side of her head. “All good.”

Chapter 4

Vinny, 35 y.o. | Bianca, 33 y.o.

Vinny

“Papa! Papa!”

I could hear Gianna yelling for me. She was running from the back half of the yard. She had just turned three years old that May. Angelo turned five in October. The past five years had felt like a blur. We had two kids. I couldn’t believe it.

Gianna had finally reached me, so I swooped her up into my arms and asked, “Si, mio piccolo fiore?”Yes, my little flower?It’s exactly what she had in her little hand.

---