Page 21 of Hearts Etched in Glass
My heart hits against my rib cage at his cruel reminder. The snide remark scores my soul, and I can feel the bile rising in the back of my throat.
The inner child in me is slowly clawing its way up through my torso and withering away my confident features. I begin to shrink into my seat, as I pick at mynails under the table. My nostrils flare as more words get thrown at me.
“You also look like you are gaining more weight since the last time we saw you. You should probably only eat some vegetables.” When the wait staff comes my mother waves away the breadbasket, but I spy Marcus’s hand reach up to kindly pluck it from her grasp.
“Sorry, love. I’d love to eat all those buns.” Then he hands her a twenty-pound note, as she winks at him. My parents lower their eyes at him and an uncomfortable silence fills the table. Marcus reaches under the table to brush a reassuring thumb over the back of my hand resting atop my thigh. I notice my parents have pulled up another chair as they begin to question Marcus.
“Is there someone else joining us?” I ask my mother, but she continues to ignore me, asking Marcus what his occupation is. How is he my bodyguard and a gangster?
My question is shortly answered within the next ten minutes, because a tall, lanky, mother fucker, with fiery red hair, parted teeth and a hooked nose sits in the empty chair between my father and mother.
Ronald.
“What is he doing here?” I ask, my voice shaking, as Marcus stops buttering his roll and looks between Ronald and I. My hands begin to tremble as my nails dig into my thighs. My body remembers this vile creature and all the torment he put me through.
“Tilly, we need to speak. You have been making horrendous decisions and Ronald misses you,” my father explains, but my mother interrupts with annoying determination. She starts to speak in her authoritarian tone, that freezes me in my place.
“That is what you have to say to someone who drove all the way here, trying to make business dealings with gangsters to help your friends. He has sacrificed so much and is trying to show you how much he means to you.” My mother explains, her hands gesturing back and forth from Ronald and I.
“He what?” I ask in disbelief. As Marcus’s hand grips mine under the table.
“Do not interrupt me young lady!” Her eyes narrow, jaw tense, with her perfectly manicured nails dig into the tablecloth. “You will come home. You will do what is right and get back on the path you were supposed to have.”
My chest begins to rise and fall faster, nausea rolls in my gut as tears threaten my eyes. The little child in me wants to crawl into a ball. The adult in me is caged, screaming for a way to get out. To run.
I should have stayed dead.
“We can get married in Greece, like you always wanted. I think I remember you mentioning that. We can get a flat here and you may see your friends from time to time, but it may be hard once we have children.” Ronald states with annoying confidence.
I want to vomit. The thought of having crimson-haired offspring with this vile human being makes me want to gag. The walls of the room around me begin to close in. My nails are digging into Marcus’s hand.
“Til, may I say something?” I turn to look at his handsome, reassuring face, to find something else. My normal, patient, kind, and goofy Marcus is not sitting beside me at the moment. His eyes are murderous, the sleek smile on his face is one of a lion manipulating prey. I make a small nod, not knowing what to expect, but the stress is making my blood pressure skyrocket. I’m surprised I don’t have an aneurysm brewing.
“Tilly is wearing high fashion, Parisian attire, that is in season. Pink has been out of style for quite some time.” He gives my hand a reassuring squeeze then lets go. Placing his elbows on the table and gesturing with his hands, he states, “I’m unsure if you haven’t realized it, in that demented reality of yours.”
Marcus swirls his finger then pushes it into the side of my father’s skull, tauntingly. I have never seen him like this. So brash, so cold and deadly.
“But your daughter is an adult. She also is engaged to one of the most powerful, handsome and violent of individuals, not friends. In fact, if you haven’t heard, when he thought Tilly was gone forever, he murdered the wait staff, the Sabini family members and his own mother and brother for their involvement. That is true love and dedication right there.” The table shakes as Marcus slams his hands on top of it. “So, I suggest you have some respect and decency towards her, or you’ll be enjoying a nice evening in a room full of adders.” His features are as strong and bold as a mountain. His gaze challenges each of them to say something, but they stare awkwardly at him or settle their gaze anywhere but towards us.
As much as I appreciate him sticking up for me, I feel uncomfortable. I’m waiting for a lashing. For my mother or father to yell and spit in my face. Though he has stuck up for me there may be recourse, retaliation of some sort. The thought makes me panic and I stand from the table, gathering my jacket and heading for the door.
I hear Marcus call after me, but a commotion erupts and I hear my father yelling at him as I leave the restaurant.
The click of my heels echoes on the cobblestone as I grasp my coat and run. I have no idea where I am heading, but I needed to get out of there. To breathe.
Ronald’s voice makes my skin crawl as I turn to find him storming in my direction.
Malice is reflected in his gaze as his footsteps stomp across the street.
I lock up like a doe.
I wish I could force myself to move. To get out of here.
“I wasn’t finished speaking to you, woman!” Ronald juts his finger in my direction as he approaches.
My parents are following closely behind him.
God, I wish Bobby wasn’t at work or maybe God could just strike me down now.
