She Loved in Silence, Left in Silence Chapter 04

She Loved in Silence, Left in Silence Chapter 04

The first week after he left, I started hearing things.

A phantom phone ring, always just on the edge of my awareness.

Every time I checked my phone, there was nothing. Not a call. Not a message.

So I marched into my boss’s office and asked to be staffed onto the busiest project we had.

When you’re too slammed to even eat, there’s no time left over to be heartbroken.

Enzo and I didn’t have many overlapping circles anyway. He was about to be married, about to have a kid. We’d cross paths even less now.

I just hadn’t expected him to show up at the first birthday party for Sofia’s daughter.

He sat down in the empty seat next to me like he owned it. He even rested his arm along the back of my chair, all casual, all careless.

I started to stand up to move—and under the table, his hand closed over mine.

I yanked, trying to pull free. His grip was iron.

The friends around us, oblivious to the tug-of-war happening below the tablecloth, were already chatting him up.

“Enzo, the rumor mill says you’re getting married soon?”

“Seriously? Anyone we know? The Corleone girl?”

“Back in high school, the line of girls trying to ask Enzo to dance stretched all the way down the hall. Whichever one finally locked him down—that girl hit the jackpot.”

Enzo deliberately ran his thumb along my fingers and gave me a slow smile. “Did she hit the jackpot, you think?”

I didn’t answer. I stomped on his foot—hard—and used the moment to wrench my hand back.

Sofia and her husband came around to make their toast. Everyone lifted their glasses; I lifted mine too.

Enzo snatched my glass right out of my hand and replaced it with juice. “If you can’t drink, don’t drink.”

The whole table froze.

I picked the wine glass right back up. “I’m her daughter’s godmother. I have to drink.”

Enzo scowled. “So you don’t listen to me anymore? Is that it?”

Sofia jumped in to back him up, totally misreading the situation. “Enzo, you grew up with Vera, you really should talk some sense into her. Sneaking around with some guy—God knows what kind of relationship that even is. Last time when she hurt her foot, the guy didn’t even pick up her calls. Wouldn’t even show his face. She practically —”

“Sofia!” I cut her off fast.

Sofia realized she’d said too much and stuck her tongue out apologetically. “Okay, okay, dropping it. Hey—you know any decent guys? Set Vera up with someone, would you?”

Enzo made a noncommittal grunt. His face had gone several shades darker.

Sofia handed me her warm, soft little daughter, and I bounced her once. The baby giggled, all gummy and bright.

“If you like babies, just have one!” Sofia said, then sighed. “Just—not with a piece of garbage.”

I knew she was thinking about my baby.

“Oh!” Her face lit up. “Did I tell you about the guy who owns this restaurant? He’s a friend of my husband’s, but he’s not from our world—his family runs all legitimate businesses. They own a hotel chain that operates worldwide. I heard he’s actually from old aristocracy too—they have a huge castle. He just got back from studying in Italy. Artistic, gorgeous, single. Want me to introduce you?”

Sofia’s husband nodded. “High bridge of the nose, deep-set eyes, looks like a model. He your type?”

I started to politely deflect, but Enzo cut in first, his voice flat and sneering. “A guy who runs legitimate businesses, who studied abroad, who looks like that—he’s going to be interested in her? She’s just an ordinary girl from an ordinary family. She doesn’t have anything going for her.”

I stared at Enzo. I genuinely wondered if I’d misheard him. I’d known he didn’t think much of me. I hadn’t realized he thought this little.

That was when a husky burst into the room from out of nowhere.

He almost knocked me off my chair, tail spinning like a propeller.

Enzo, all caution gone, threw his arm around my back to steady me.

My first instinct was to shove him off.

He froze.

The husky’s owner came running over, scooped up the leash, and apologized rapid-fire. “I’m so sorry—Oreo, sit!”

Oreo sat down obediently, tongue lolling, looking up at me with hopeful eyes.

“It’s you!”

“Wait—it’s you?”

Oreo’s owner, Dante, and I said it almost simultaneously.

Sofia blinked. “Wait—you two already know each other? Then I don’t even need to introduce you?”

She glanced at Oreo, then back at me. “Hey—Vera, isn’t that the dog from your new profile picture? Don’t tell me you two are already —”