The front door suddenly opened and Vince stood in the doorway looking fresh out of bed and out of humor. When he saw Jared standing there holding Alexis, his gaze turned murderous. “What the fuck!” he exploded.
“I forgot my meds,” she told him quickly before he could start firing questions at them. “Please Vince, move so I can get something for this pain!”
Her brother muttered something under his breath and snatched her out of Jared’s arms. “I’m going to have to give you a shot, you silly girl,” he scolded her as he climbed the stairs with ease. “I told you to keep them in your purse, but no!”
She just turned her face into his chest and let the tears silently fall. Sometimes the pain was just too much.
Jared was right behind them as Vince put her on her bed then went into the bathroom for the medication. She chanced a glance at the man standing beside of her bed. He was pale and his jaw was clenched hard, but he remained silent as Vince went about preparing the syringes with narcotics. He helped her onto her side and then used an alcohol swab to clean an area on her hip before sticking the needle into her flesh.
She grimaced as the needle entered, and then there was the familiar burning of the medication as it was injected. When Vince was done he wiped the site with the swab again then turned to glare at Jared. “Look, I don’t know what is going on with you and Lex. I’m sure it isn’t my business. But if this happens again, I will break your face, you hear me pretty boy?”
“If this happens again I will gladly let you,” Jared assured her brother in a somber voice before dropping down beside her on the bed and clasping her hands. “How is the pain now, cara?”
She blinked up at him, hating how the medication made her feel as if she were fighting through thick fog. This was why she hated the shots so much. At least with the pills she didn’t have to fight for a coherent thought. “It’s manageable now,” she told him, offering up a weak smile.
“Lucky for you Dad and Melissa had to go into the city early. Otherwise you would be facing an inquisition, baby girl.” Vince tossed the syringe into the container on her dresser. “Out all night with some guy you barely know…” His eyes darkened and he turned away. “Not my business.” She thought she heard him mutter under his breath as he left them alone.
A muscle was working in Jared’s neck and she reached up to touch it. She didn’t want him to be upset over her pain. “I’m fine now,” she whispered. Sitting up slowly, she pulled his head down onto her chest. “Thanks for taking care of me.”
“I’m sorry.” He kept saying over and over again. “I’m so sorry, Lexis.”
She didn’t know what he was so sorry about, but she didn’t want to talk about it. It would burst the bubble that she had built around them. After the night before, she was scared for that bubble to get popped. Holding him close, she ran her fingers through his hair while she contemplated calling Gabriella and asking her not to come. If she wasn’t there then Alexis wouldn’t ask her all the questions that probably should be asked …
The bubble could stay intact for a little while longer.
***
After an eventful morning followed by two hours of physical therapy, Alexis was exhausted. She had thought about calling to cancel her appointment with Dr. Reid, but knew that her parents would blow a gasket if she did that.
But she wasn’t ready to talk about the past week with her psychologist. Until she understood what her past had really been like with him, she was going to pretend like he hadn’t been a part of it—at least were everyone else was concerned. So she pushed all thoughts of Jared Giordano away as Dr. Reid played music in the background and they talked about what her life had been like up until she couldn’t remember.
Alexis knew the doctor suspected something was different. She felt different and probably couldn’t hide the glow of happiness she had after the night spent in Jared’s arms. But Dr. Reid didn’t push her. He wasn’t like that. He was patient, waiting for her to talk about what was on her mind, knowing that when she was ready to discuss something that was bothering her she would tell him.
When she left, she felt just a little guilty, but quickly pushed it to the back of her mind as she went out to meet Jared. She’d told him that she had another appointment that afternoon and he had tried to get her to tell him what it was about. But she wasn’t ready to share Dr. Reid with him and her reasons for having to see the psychiatrist, just as she wasn’t ready to share Jared with the doctor.
After Jared picked her up they had lunch and then went back to his house. They sat watching the international news channel while she laid across his chest, dozing. She felt at peace in his arms and that was something that had been absent in her life for too long.
The chiming of her phone roused her and she reached for it on the glass coffee table where she had tossed it before cuddling with Jared. She knew who it was from the violin text tone. Her gut knotted but she pulled up the message anyway.
LAX 9:45 tonight. Can you pick me up?
Alexis bit her lip. She wasn’t able to drive yet so she would have to ask Vince to take her. No way was she going to ask Jared to pick up Gabriella with her. She could actually feel the bubble becoming thinner and thinner as the seconds ticked by.
“Okay, dolcezza?” Jared murmured, sounding half asleep under her. “You’ve gotten tense all of a sudden.” His fingers played with her short hair, massaging her scalp.
“I have to go home soon,” she told him.
He was the one to tense up now. “I thought we decided you were going to stay here. I want you sleeping beside of me every night.”
Alexis sighed. “I never said I was staying all night, Jared. You’re the one who made that decision without even really including me in it. I have to go home.”
His fingers gripped her chin and made her meet his eyes. “This is home. Our home.”
Those words sent a thrill through her, but at the same time it made her heart ache in a way that wasn’t all good. Not wanting to think about either emotion, she dropped a kiss on his pouty lips. “I have things that need to be done tonight, babe. Let me take care of them and then we can talk more about the sleeping arrangements tomorrow.”
“Will you stay tomorrow night?”
“Maybe.” She brushed another kiss over his lips. “We have to see what tomorrow brings first.”
He let out a frustrated sigh. “Okay. I guess I have to have more patience. Do you need to go home now?”
Alexis glanced at the clock on the end table. It was already six. She didn’t want to leave yet, but she had to take care of a few things before she left to pick up her cousin. “I guess you better.”
“I hate this,” he muttered.
seventeen
The airport was crowded and Alexis was exhausted, both emotionally and physically. For the first time in her life she was dreading seeing her cousin, the girl who had played dress-up and dream Barbie with her. The same girl who had always thought it was her job to protect her from their Nonno’s constant berating.
She had to pull herself together before Gabriella’s plane landed and she ended up snapping. She loved her cousin, the sister of her heart and it wasn’t her fault Alexis was feeling so suffocated by the bubble she had built. A bubble that she was completely unready to have popped!
Alexis had decided to put all discussion about Jared Giordano off. She didn’t have to have her answers yet. Maybe never. She didn’t want to know if he had broken her heart the first time. Had no desire to know if she had been so overcome with that broken heart she had resorted to cutting herself to relieve the pain of it—even if she suspected that it was the truth.
What she didn’t know wasn’t going to kill her.
Right?
“Are you in pain?”
The sound of Vince’s voice made her head snap up. She was sitting in a hard, plastic chair while her brother stood beside of her, looking for any sign of Gabriella now that her plane was on the ground. “No, not too bad.” She had taken some pain
medicine after Jared dropped her off earlier.
“Then why are you shaking?” he demanded. “Are you cold? Are you sick?”
Alexis bit her lip. She hadn’t even realized that she was shaking. But now that she did she knew it was because she was terrified. How was it possible to have fallen in love with Jared Giordano in a week? Had it been this way the first time? Even if it hadn’t been she was lost now. He held the keys to her heart and soul…
“Hello? Lex?” Vince waved a hand in front of her face, making her snap out of the daze she had slipped into with the realization that she was in love. “What is with you, baby girl? You’re starting to scare me.”
She offered him a small smile. “I’m fine. Just a little distracted. I have things to sort out that I’m a little worried about.”
His eyes narrowed. “Is this about Giordano? Are things serious between you two?”
“He wants them to be,” she told him truthfully.
“I could see that this morning.” He shook his head, the smallest hint of a smile tilting his lips. “That guy is pretty far gone when it comes to you, Lex. The way he was looking at you while you were in pain … Yeah, I’m almost positive that guy loves you.”
Her heart clenched at his words. “You think so?” He was always calling her ‘my love’, but he hadn’t exactly said ‘I love you’. She wasn’t sure if it was because he was trying not to scare her or if he just didn’t feel that way about her. But Vince’s words gave her hope.
“I think I could love him too,” she told her brother. “I just have too much to figure out before I can give him my heart.” Okay, so she had already given it to him. But no one besides her had to know that.
“That’s understandable. Does Gabriella have some of the answers? Is that why you seem anxious to see her?”
Leave it to her brother to see through anything. He was right—mostly. “She has a lot of them. I wasn’t really worried about finding out what had gone on before the accident. But now I think I owe it to myself.”
As soon as those words left her lips she knew she had to ask Gabriella about Jared sooner rather than later. She did owe it to herself. Living in her time bomb bubble was not the answer. First she would get her answers and then move on from there.
Maybe it wasn’t as bad as it seemed.
“Hey Vince! Where’s my Lee-Lee?” Gabriella’s voice had them both looking up to find the beautiful little spitfire rushing toward them.
Like Alexis’s hair had once been, Gabriella had waist long dark brown hair. Her almond-milk complexion was darker than Alexis’s but it went well with her gold eyes. Full pouty lips, a perfect nose and a face that turned heads almost as much as her pocket Venus body completed the package. Gabriella was only five foot three, but what she lacked in height she made up for in personality and then some.
With her stiletto boots giving her some extra height, a pair of jeans that hugged her hips like a second skin, and a shirt that proudly showed off her ‘C’ cup cleavage she was getting more than a few looks as she practically ran toward Vince and threw herself into his arms. Vince swung her around, hugging her tight.
Once upon a time Alexis had daydreamed that Vince and Gabriella would fall madly in love with each other. But then she realized that the two people she loved most were just good friends, with each considering the other as a sibling. Besides, her parents had proved already that Shepard and Moreitti relationships didn’t end well.
Alexis got to her feet, her crutches in place to help steady her. Vince put Gabriella on her feet and she glanced around. “So where is she?”
“Hey Gabs.”
Gabriella’s gaze hadn’t even stopped on her when she had skimmed the surrounding areas for her. With her thinner body, short hair, and pasty complexion she barely resembled the girl she had been so many months ago. “Lee-Lee?” Gabriella put a hand to her mouth to hide the tremble, but she couldn’t hide the tears that gathered in her eyes. “Oh God, Lee-Lee. What happened?” Her eyes turned to Vince with a glare. “Why didn’t someone call me?!”
Vince grimaced. “I’ll go get your bags while you girls talk.” He took her claims ticket and left quickly.
“Can I hug you?” Gabriella asked, scared to break her.
Alexis laughed. “Yes, you can hug me. You aren’t going to break me, Gabs. If a car wreck can’t then you sure as hell couldn’t.” Strong arms came around her and held on tight. Alexis let go of one of her crutches to hug her back. A tremor raked Gabriella’s body and tears sprang to her own eyes. “Don’t cry, Gabs. I’m fine. I promise.”
When Gabriella stepped back she was swiping at her eyes. “What happened, Lee-Lee?”
“It’s a long story. And I don’t have all the answers. Are you tired? Because I don’t think I can tell you everything in just a few hours. This could take all night … And I kind of need you to help me fill in some of the missing pieces.”
“I slept on the plane,” Gabriella said with a sighed. “This isn’t going to be pretty, is it? Things haven’t been easy for you since I went away. Well, I’m not leaving you again!” She was angry now. “All of this is my fault. I should have been here!”
“Stop it, Gabs! It isn’t your job to babysit me. None of it is your fault. It’s mine. All mine.” She secured her crutch once more. “Let’s go get in the car. It’s been a long day.”
eighteen
It felt like they were ten years old again and they were camping out to have their usual all night giggle fest. But Alexis didn’t feel in the least like giggling. She sat in the middle of her bed with her hair still damp while she and Gabriella munched on cookies, apple slices, and carrot sticks.
At the end of her bed sat Gabriella, her hair wrapped in a towel with a man’s tee shirt on that smelt faintly of expensive cologne. She wanted to ask about that, but she wasn’t sure she should just yet. Gabriella was a private sort of person when it came to relationships. While Alexis suspected that her cousin had lost her virginity years ago she wasn’t the kind to kiss and tell.
“Who keeps texting you?” Gabriella asked when Alexis’s cell phone chimed for the third time in ten minutes.
“Guess,” she murmured, reaching for the phone.
“Turn it off. Jared Giordano is bad news.”
Alexis bit her lip and pulled up the text. Her heart clenched at the words ‘Missing you dolcezza’ on the screen. She made quick work of a reply, but then turned the phone off as her cousin had requested. She didn’t need to be distracted by him while she had this conversation with Gabriella.
When the phone was back on the bedside table she turned her full attention on the older girl. “So…”
“Stop stalling, Lee-Lee,” Gabriella half growled. “Tell me what has been happening with you.”
So she mentally pulled up her big girl panties and dived head first into telling her about the accident and the agonizing months that had followed. Alexis told her about the multiple surgeries that she had to have to repair her spine and pelvis; the agonizing months of physical therapy that had followed, and a few other things that she hadn’t really let herself think about in a long time. By the time she was finished Gabriella, was pale and tears were rolling down her face.
“Oh God, Lee-Lee!” she sobbed. “They should have called me. That fucking tour was not more important than you. I’m so mad at Aunt Carina and Nonno right now! You needed me.”
Alexis let her cry it all out, knowing that the hardest part was yet to come. All of her own tears had already been shed for the most part, but seeing Gabriella so upset still caused an emotional lump to fill her throat and her eyes to sting.
When her sobbing had quieted to soft hiccups, Alexis reached for her hands and gave them a firm squeeze. “Gabs, I have no memories of the months leading up to the accident. It wasn’t until last week that I even knew about Jared. And I’m not sure I can trust him to tell me the truth about our relationship. Can you help me fill in the missing pieces?”
Scrubbing a hand over her damp face she su
cked in a deep breath. “I didn’t see you much after you two got together. He kept you to himself.” She smirked a little. “More like he kept you locked in some room with a bed. You two could make the air around you sizzle with the heat of your attraction. But maybe I can help fill in some things for you. You called me…” Her eyes closed and she shook her head. “I wish I had saved some of those voice mails that you left after everything had gone sour with your two.”
“Why?”
Gabriella grimaced. “You were in a dark place, Lee-Lee. Some of those voice mails … I should have realized that you weren’t taking the breakup well. But I thought with all the publicity of his engagement to Monica so soon after you two ended…”
Alexis took a few deep breaths, trying to prepare herself for what she was about to hear. “I need you to start at the beginning, Gabs. You’re the only person who knows that I can trust to tell me the truth about what went on. Don’t leave out anything. Not one little detail. Please?”
“Are you sure, Lee-Lee?”
No…
“I have to know,” she whispered.
“Okay, darling.” She reached for her bottle of water and took a long swallow. When she turned the full force of those gold eyes on her cousin she began the not so happily ever after story of what was the love story of Jared and Alexis…
***
… You talked me into the concert for GreenPlanet, so when I introduced you to Jared Giordano I was surprised the two of you had never met before. He’s a big freak on saving the world … Well except for those stupid over the top expensive cars he likes so much. But still, he likes to make the world a better place for the next generation. Just like you, Lee-Lee.
I knew right away you two had hit it off. He couldn’t keep his eyes off you. And for the first time you were struck with the lust bug. But don’t think that you turned into a raging slut or anything! He had to work hard getting you, darling. You made him work for it, babe.