Page 36 of Bound For You
Then I block and delete his number, as well as that contact information for his family members.
A week later, I’m at work, serving a customer, when the bell goes off over the door. I’ve been doing more hours now that I’m expecting. I’ve also decided to move. I’ve seen a couple of two-bedroom houses near Elm Street that I’m interested in.
After handing a customer their change, I look up to see who’s next. The person I never wanted to see stands there smiling at me. Her blonde hair looks immaculate; not a hair out of place, and she’s wearing a ton of makeup, and a tight mini red dress with stripper heals. She looks at me and smirks.
I keep my face devoid of emotions and ask, “What can I get you?” She looks around with disgust and shakes her head.
She sneers, “I just came here to tell you not to contact Sergi again. We’ve decided to give our relationship a try. I know you two were together for a while, but you need to move on.”
I smirk at her, causing her to frown; this girl needs her head checked.
“I think you need to turn around and go back where you came from. I haven’t spoken to Sergi in three weeks, and I blocked his number last week when you decided to whore yourself out to a taken man. Now, if you’re not going to order anything,please leave, because quite frankly, the sight of you makes me physically sick.” Her face goes from pale to red quickly. She opens her mouth to say something, but I put my hand up to stop her. “I don’t know what high school drama you’re trying to cause but if you don’t leave, I will call the police.” Her nostrils flare and I merely raise a brow at her, not giving into her pathetic games. She wants Sergi, she can have him. Him being in the mafia, I was willing to talk to him about. Cheating, hard pass—and itwascheating. I needed time, but he clearly didn’t give a fuck. She huffs and stomps out, and I let out a breath and continue with my shift like she didn’t tear my heart open. If that’s who he prefers to be with, then so be it. My baby is my priority from now on. He or she is my only family left.
Just as I’m closing the coffee shop, my phone dings. I sigh, thinking maybe its Mel. I quickly look at it and tears instantly fill my eyes. It’s a name I refused to block, hoping, and praying she’d come out of that coma.
She’s finally awake after four months.
Phoebe: I’ve been awake for twelve hours now and there’s no sign of my new friend. The men aren’t here; please come see me. Don’t make me leave this hospital bed to come find you.
I bite my bottom lip, debating going to see her. It’s 8 PM. I huff and grab my keys, determined not to go. She’s awake and that’s all that matters. I should just go home instead and block her number now that I know she’ll be okay. But my body didn’t seem to get the memo as I head toward the hospital.
I sit in my car at the hospital for about ten minutes, before I get out and head inside. I head to the front desk and the nurse looks at me blandly.
“Can I help you? Visiting hours are over, but you can return tomorrow after 8 AM.”
I clear my throat. “Phoebe Adino messaged me and asked me to pop by.”
The nurse instantly pales, and I roll my eyes, not helping myself as she stutters, “Y-yes, fourth floor, room 265.”
I nod and walk to the elevator, and press the fourth-floor button and wait for it to arrive. A few minutes later, I walk out the elevator and find her room number. My palms start to sweat, and I wipe them on my jeans, before I slowly open the door. Phoebe is sitting up in bed and smiles wide when she sees me. I can’t help the tears that fill my eyes. She looks thinner, her curvy frame nearly gone, and the pink in her white-blond hair is fading. Her green eyes sparkle.
“You came.” Her voice is raspy. I can’t help myself; I walk over to her and hug her gently but tightly, and she hugs me back.
I whisper, “You’re okay?” She nods, and I pull back to look at her. “You need to touch up your pink,” I try to joke, and she laughs at my attempt.
I take a seat on the chair next to her bed and she grabs my hand, squeezing it tight. My tears fall and she furrow her brows, her face showing pain for me.
“I’m sorry he did this to you.” I shake my head and wipe my tears with my free hand. When we met, we instantly clicked, and I knew we would be good friends. But now, I don’t know if it’s right; Sergi is her family.
She must read my mind. “I don’t care that you two aren’t together; we clicked. You’re my friend, and I want to get to know you. I hate that you’re in so much pain.”
I wipe my tears again, and rasp, “I’ve been through worse.”
She nods in understanding and asks, “Can you tell me about some of it?” I clear my throat, and she offers, “I won’t tell anyone, including Sergi.” I flinch at his name.
Instead of giving her what she asked, I stall. “A woman came to see me today. It was the woman I caught him with. She says they’re going to try and be together, and I need to back off. She wasn’t very happy when I put her in her place and told her I blocked him a week ago.”
Phoebe’s face goes from fury to amusement, “I don’t think they are together, sweetie. Mindy has now officially slept with all the offspring of Dimitri.”
I snort and shake my head, and I lean back, letting go of her hand. “Dimitri, not a very nice man, is he. When you were in surgery, he wasn’t very welcoming to me, he said—” I sigh and pull my hair out of its messy knot on top, and run my fingers through it. “He said I was hiding something and if I didn’t tell him, then I wasn’t welcome around his family, including Sergi. He basically threatened me.” Phoebe’s eyes widen in shock, but I continue, my eyes staying glued to her hand on the bed. “But how do you tell someone you don’t know that you don’t want the man you’ve fallen completely in love with to look at you with pity—or worse, disgust? Like I’m tainted.” She furrows her brows but stays quiet as I tell her some of my story, hoping I can trust her not to say anything. When I’m done telling her everything, I’m in shock that I gave her as much as I did.
“I’m guessing there’s a lot more you haven’t said, but does Sergi know any of it?” she demands, anger in her voice.
I shake my head. “And he’s not going to.” I made sure make eye contact with her, so she understood she wasn’t to say a word. She sighs, but nods her head.
She asks, “Have you tried to find your biological father?”
I chuckle darkly. “I didn’t need to; I saw him when you were brought in, and I made sure to leave before he saw me. Then he had the nerve to show up at my work. Obviously Dimitri said something to him, considering he and Maria are the only ones who knew who he was to me. They were there when I saw him.When he came to the café, I made sure he knew my father died seven years ago.” She frowns and I tell her his name, making her mouth hang open. “I believe you know my dead-beat dad, Peter. Apparently, he works for your dad.”