Page 67 of A Very Italian Wedding
‘Aldo says remember to breathe,’ Aurora shouted.
‘Great advice.’ Rose swallowed. ‘I can do this,’ she murmured, switching off the airbag for the front seat because the demon was clearly not going to budge, then putting the sat nav on and programming in the address, grateful she could remember it.
When the voice said something loudly in Italian, Rose momentarily closed her eyes. ‘Aldo, I don’t believe you exist, but I could really use your directions right now,’ she muttered as she took off the handbrake and Coco let out a joyful bark.
‘Weird time to become my cheerleader,’ Rose grumbled, giving the shih tzu a distrustful look. Was the dog lulling her into a false sense of security – did the demon plan to murder her on the way?
She put her foot on the accelerator, ignoring the drone of the sat nav as the voice continued to give her instructions, and she steered the car slowly down the driveway.
A car whizzed past the Citroën on the motorway and Rose had to stop herself from slamming on the brakes and screaming. She swallowed, her chest heaving, her forehead dripping with sweat, despite the air conditioning being turned up so high her hands were almost blue.
‘Only an hour to go,’ she croaked to Coco, checking on the dog who was curled up on the front seat looking like an angel – afallen one in any case. She hadn’t moved or made a sound since the journey had begun and her company was oddly reassuring. Which meant Rose was clearly going mad.
Rose sighed and took in a long breath. Then again, the drive so far had been uneventful, aside from the heavy traffic which just kept building. But she was tired, probably because she was so stressed. Her head hurt and she could only hope that when they arrived at their destination, she’d be able to park easily. She had to pick something up and then head back to Bellemilia in time to speak to Luna so she could convince her to go ahead with the wedding. Hopefully, she’d still have time left to speak to Isabella and Cesare too.
A car beeped behind them, getting too close, and Rose shrieked, gripping the steering wheel tighter, remembering Ben’s hands clutching it in the same way. He had good hands, tanned and large, and hers seemed so small in comparison. She kept her gaze on the road, trying to concentrate on breathing as her mind wandered to the night in the cellar.
Would he ever forgive her for being such a coward, for rejecting him when he’d allowed himself to have feelings for her?
Another car shot past, its engine firing loudly, and Rose let out another loud shriek. Her brain trapezed to the moment in Paris when her parents had been arguing. She could almost hear the crunch of metal, the churn in her stomach as the car had rolled – it had been chaotic and terrifying. But perhaps the worst thing about it had been that her father had continued shouting, her mother too. Neither of them had been concerned about one another or Rose. They’d simply used the accident as a weapon – a new crime they could lay at each other’s door. Were Ben and Isabella right, had she ever mattered to them, or had she always been a pawn in their relationship war?
She squealed when something rough touched her trembling arm. ‘What are you doing?’ she yelped when she realised Cocohad moved into the centre of the car and was now licking her forearm. ‘I’m not food — and eating the driver is a terrible idea. Besides, this is dangerous.’
She tried to ease the dog away with her elbow while keeping her eyes on the road. But Coco licked Rose’s arm again, her rough tongue gentle.
‘You are one weird dog,’ Rose grumbled, giving up as the shih tzu continued to dab at her skin. The repetitive motion was soothing, and she let herself go with it, taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly, matching the dog’s movements. She continued to follow Aldo’s advice as she drove, allowing herself to consider why she’d chosen to carry all that fear with her for so many years. Wondering if it was finally time to let it go.
After a few moments, Coco eased away and curled up on the front seat, leaving Rose feeling oddly bereft. ‘Thank you,’ she whispered as the dog began to snore.
Half an hour later, Rose pulled up in Montotta and parked in the same spot Ben had used a few metres down from the café. She let out a prayer of thanks when she saw the curiosity shop was open, and as she hopped out of the car, she called for the shih tzu to follow her inside. She had something important to collect, and time to save the wedding was running out…
25
ROSE
After hours of driving, Rose pulled into the driveway at Villa Paradise and switched off the Citroën before laying her head on the steering wheel. She waited a beat until her pulse finally steadied. Beside her in the passenger seat, Coco let out a long, contented sigh. ‘We’re back.’ She carefully pried the bag she’d got from the curiosity shop from beside the dog and opened the door.
‘You’re home!’ Aurora boomed, suddenly appearing from around the corner of the villa. She leaned down to pat the shih tzu, who’d exited the car out of the driver’s side and immediately bounded up to say hello. ‘Is youremissionaccomplished?’ Aurora asked.
Rose nodded and rattled the bag. ‘My mission was a complete success.’ She smiled as she looked around, turning back to see the older woman holding up a mobile phone.
‘This isfantastico. Your aura says you had a good journey,’ the clairvoyant declared, beaming before pointing the phone at the dog. ‘And Coco is relaxed too.’ She glanced up, looking curious. ‘You have put your differences behind you?’ she asked.‘You both have vibrant colours – the drive was not too stressful it seems.’
‘It improved,’ Rose told her. She wasn’t sure she’d ever love being in a car, but somehow driving to Montotta had helped her to murder a few long-held demons. She glanced at Coco. Old and new.
‘What’s with the phone, I thought you didn’t have one?’ she asked as Aurora continued to hold it up, gazing through it intently as she swept it back and forth, checking their surroundings.
‘It talks to me even more than my spirits,’ Aurora declared as it pinged in her hand. ‘But it has aura and tarot card apps. I thought I’d try them out. Aldo says it’s good for me to be part of the future.’ She frowned suddenly looking mournful. ‘But Luna’s aura isverydark. Her heart is broken.’
‘Hopefully, I’ll be able to help with that. Where did you get the phone?’ Rose asked, hoping her suspicions were correct.
‘Cesare.’ The older woman’s forehead creased. ‘He said he had no need for it anymore. Told me I can keep it. I didn’t want it at first, but then Cesare told me about the apps.’
Rose nodded, trying not to smile. The chat she’d had with Marco’s grandfather after speaking with Isabella had obviously reaped rewards. She’d told him about Isabella’s heartbreak, how he’d been ignoring her for the past few months and encouraged him to think about parting with his phone – he’d clearly decided to listen to her advice. She glanced towards the garden. ‘Do you know where he is now?’
The older woman waggled her eyebrows looking delighted. ‘Sitting in the garden with Isabella. If you go now, you might catch them. Their auras are very green.’ Her eyes flashed. ‘That means they areexcommunicating.’
‘Do you meancommunicating?’ Rose guessed and Aurora nodded. ‘I’ll go and see them now, then I need to track down Luna.’ Wherever her friend was hiding.
