Page 59 of The Forever One
Taking in a deep breath, I allow my fingers to trace idle circles on her thigh as I voice my opinion.
“Personally, I don’t fucking care if he’s helping old ladies cross the road and doing their grocery shopping. He laid his hands on my wife without her permission. End him.” Enzo nods but doesn’t turn to walk out, waiting on River, who holds my stare.
She doesn’t agree with me. I can read it in the slant of her brows and the downturn of her lips.
“Tesoro?”
“I want to speak with him.” She’s not addressing Enzo, she’s asking without, in fact, asking a question.
“It’s risky, I don’t like playing with your safety, especially not now.” My hands grip her tighter, closer to me.
“I need this closure, Marco. I need this.” We hold each other’s gazes and the intensity of her stare tells me how true her words feel to her. “Elizabeth can burn in Hell for all the shits I give but Nathaniel… well, I need answers.”
“Then that’s what we’ll do but, Tesoro, I’ll be there. I won’t allow you to be alone with him.” She lifts a brow at me like my threat means nothing so I remind her of my stubborn ways. “Don’t make me punish you for disobeying.”
“It’s not punishment if I like it.”
She may not be one hundred percent but my Riverwillbe back in full force. No doubt in my mind.
CHAPTERTWENTY-FIVE
RIVER
Two days ago, I said the most heartbreaking goodbye to my best friend and helped to see him off into the Summerlands. Marco is skeptical about my beliefs in reincarnation and life after death, but he doesn’t belittle me for it. He’s been supporting me every step of the way, encouraging me to have faith in my beliefs because they give me hope. And that’s essentially what we all want in this world. Whatever we believe in, we all just want a little hope.
Grief covers such a wide range of emotions. It’s not just sadness. There’s no one way to behave and there’s no time limit to how long it can last. It can, however, make a person do things they wouldn’t usually think about—like going all mafia queen and storming across the ocean to try and save her husband. And now? Well, now I’m about to walk into a warehouse—thankfully not the same one as the massacre—with Marco at my side, gripping my hand as tightly as I’m gripping his.
“You sure you want to do this, Tesoro?”
Do I want to face the man I thought I killed who is partially responsible for all the shit I’ve had to endure?Not really, no. Do Ineedto?
“Yup.” I pop thePfor added effect. My head is moving up and down, like one of those nodding dolls, but my feet aren’t moving.
“We can go back to the car and drive home any time you want. Enzo’s here, he can deal with Elizabeth, and would gladly do so.”
Elizabeth is also in one of the rooms inside this building, separately from Nathaniel, and I don’t know why I thought doing both of these things today would be a good idea, but I’m committed now.
“I’m ready, Baby. Let’s go.” Full of false confidence, I push open the shiny red metal door.
A chill hits me as we step into a long, windowless hall, the heat from outside gone, but it’s actually welcoming. My faux-leather pants were a style choice rather than a ‘wear something weather-suitable’ choice. It makes me feel better to pretend I’m playing a part today, that I’ll be sliding that good old mask on after my conversation with Nathaniel.
“Just remember, Tesoro, I’m right here with you. Always.” He pauses outside one of the many doors, grips my face with one hand, and presses his lips against mine in a searing kiss. Then he lightly taps my ass as he twists the handle in front of us.
It’s a small room, the walls are gray, and Nathaniel is sitting on an uncomfortable-looking metal chair, his hands cuffed to the table in front of him. His hair is in need of a trim and he could do with a shave, but other than that, he looks like every other time I’ve seen him. Casual light-blue T-shirt and all.
I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this. A mixture of emotions course through me at the sight of him with his head down, looking at his hands.
Marco stays silent behind me, my steady sentinel, and while Icoulddo this on my own, his presence is a constant reminder that I don’t have to. If I close my eyes, I can picture his fisted hands as he tries real damn hard not to interfere.
Nathaniel takes a deep breath and slowly moves his head up, his eyes glancing over my shoulder briefly before making their way to mine.
“Skittles…”
The word is whispered and all it does now is send a chill through me. Nothing like it used to when Nathaniel was just Candy Aisle Guy.
I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel about seeing him… alive. I mean, I should be ecstatic that I didn’t actually murder him, my conscience is clear, and I should also be livid with him for everything he’s been a part of with his mother, but none of those emotions are there. Instead, I’m just numb.
“How are you here? How is this even possible? You died, I saw you die.” My voice is small, barely loud enough for my own ears.