Page 89 of The One
That encounter with him seems like a lifetime ago. It’s hard to believe it was just yesterday.
“Well, you’re still here, thank God. Guess that means he didn’t drag you back to Sicily.”
I laugh, but there’s no humor in it.
The wordsyou’re still herehit me hard, pulling me back to last night. I could so easily not have been.
The shock of being caught in a shooting may have faded, but the memory of that bullet whizzing past my head hasn’t. It makes me shudder, and, of course, Sofia notices.
“What else happened? There’s more, isn’t there?” Damn, she’s perceptive.
“Yeah,” I sigh, the fear from last night resurfacing.
How does Mateo do it? How does he stay so cool when bullets are flying all around him?
“Mateo and I were being shot at on the way home last night.”
As soon as the words leave my mouth, I cringe.
Crap.
I shouldn’t have mentioned Mateo. Now she’ll have a deluge of questions.
Sofia’s eyebrows shoot up. Here we go.
“Mateo? I thought you said Gustavo was picking you up. Why were you suddenly with the man of the house?”
“He, umm… he must have been in the neighborhood,” I lie. Actually, I don’t know if it’s a lie. He never said why he was looking for me.
“And?” Sofia asks when I get lost in that realization.
“And he took me to dinner because I hadn’t eaten all day. Afterward, we were walking to his car when, all of a sudden, bullets were flying from everywhere. I’ve never been more scared in my life.”
“Fuck, Mari. Are you okay?” she asks her face full of concern.
“Yeah, neither of us got hit, but it was terrifying.”
“I know what that’s like,” she says quietly. “I’ve been in a couple of shootouts and seen men drop all around me. It messes with your head. Not knowing if you’re next, if the next bullet’s got your name on it. You try to keep your focus, but all you hear is the pounding in your ears, the chaos, and that eerie silence after each shot.”
I stare at Sofia, stunned. It sounds like she wasn’t just hiding behind a car like I was. She was in the thick of it, defending herself. It’s hard to wrap my head around. Seeing her now, so composed, you’d never guess she’s been through something like that.
My mind flickers back to last night, to the way I froze, barely able to breathe, let alone think.
But Sofia? She faced it head-on. The contrast hits me hard. We’re worlds apart.
But hadn’t I noticed her confidence from the start? The way she carries herself, calm and composed. That kind of strength doesn’t just appear. It’s earned.
She’s been through things, and somehow, she’s come out stronger. Standing beside her, I feel sheltered, maybe even a little naïve. And yet, for the first time, I’m grateful for it.
Only yesterday, I wandered through Rome, tasting freedom and resenting how Father had kept us so isolated. Now, I realize it sheltered us from the dangers of our world that Sofia knows all too well.
I silently pray I’ll never have to face anything like last night again. But if I did, would I find my strength or freeze all over again?
Sofia takes my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
“You’re going to be alright, Mari. Thankfully, things like this aren’t daily occurrences for us.”
For us.But for Mateo, they are.
