Page 9 of Remember When We
Well I couldn’t even tell her how much it was.
It was the debt that got me. Dad owed two hundred thousand to the worst kind of people known to man. A debt that got bad, because he’d ruined his health with alcohol and could no longer work. Then instead of telling me what was going on he kept it secret until it grew out of control.
I brought my hand to my head and sighed.
“Talk to me Lyssa,” she prodded.
I gazed into her warm eyes and found comfort there. The same comfort I found when we met in high school and her family just moved to the area.
“Gio. Gio is back.”
Her brows shot up and her eyes snapped wider. “Gio? Gio Bianchi … that Gio?”
It didn’t surprise me that she had to clarify the name because I didn’t think I’d ever see Gio again.
“Yes, the same.” I pulled in a deep breath.
“Oh God, what did he say to you?”
“I never saw him,. well not to speak to. I went to the old parking lot and he was there right at where the crime scene was. He just stood there looking.” He had looked like he was trying to figure something out.
“Jesus, why would he go there? I know why you went, but that is all so odd. He comes back to town and that’s where he goes?” She tilted her head to the side allowing her dark locks to fall over her shoulder.
“I know. It’s odd, but it got to me in a bad way. I didn’t think I’d see Gio ever again.”
“What are you going to do?” Her gaze intensified and I knew why.
“I’m not doing anything. There’s nothing to say and nothing to do. He left me and he made it clear that he didn’t want me in his life.”
Marshall’s death was more than I could bear. I still grieved. Still felt the pain like it was that very same day when I was being told what happened to my brother.
My brother had been shot and killed just like that ... all that life gone. Gone and all I had left were memories. Damn it, every single memory I had involved Gio.
Marshall left me behind, and Gio thought it was a good time to leave me too.
The person who’d been my rock left me at the worst time of my life, throwing me in the deep end of the fucking ocean and I was still there years later.
I was still there swimming around trying to make my way back to land, or even a bit closer to the shallows.
Life just took a turn for the worse and continued on a downward spiral that was still spinning out of my control.
“Sweetie, what if he comes to see you?”
I frowned and feigned surprise. “Him, come see me? Really? No. Carla after he left there were so many times when I wanted to go and find him. But when you know the person doesn’t want you there is no more expectations for either of you.”
“Do you really think he’d come and not see you?” She asked, giving me an incredulous look.
“Carla, for all I know he could have been coming here this whole time and I just happened to see him this time.” It was entirely possible. Gio’s uncle lived here so it wasn’t as if he didn’t have family.
Carla sighed. “This is deep Lyssa. I wish I knew what to say to you, but I’m stuck. It’s sensitive, very sensitive. I’m going to tell you to try and push him out of your mind. It’s hard seeing him and clearly having a reaction to him, but don’t worry about him unless you have to.”
I was going to tell her I wouldn’t be worrying about him at all, but I lost the chance when a hard knock sounded at the door.
We both looked on and froze when we saw who it was.
Frankie Mancini stood there with that bright smile on his face.
The blood ran cold in my veins.
