“Yeah, sorry. They’re friends from school. God, Max. There’s so much I have to tell you.”

He nods. “It seems like it.”

He lends me his phone, and I quickly log into Facebook and send the guys a message. One of them is bound to find Alistair.

“Do you think the charges against Dad are real, Max?” I ask.

“I don’t know. I always liked Uncle Giovanni. He’s so different than my piece-of-shit father.”

“Dad’s innocent. I know he is,” I say with more conviction than I feel.

In fact, I’m terrified that he’s done illicit things. Besides Max, Dad is the only one in the family who has my back, who believes in me.

“Your mother wants you to stay at the penthouse,” he says.

“Why?”

“To use you as a punching bag, most likely.” I wince at Max’s words because he’s not wrong. “I told her you’re staying with me.”

“Thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me, Chibi. We underdogs have to look out for one another. You were there for me when I had to deal with my father. We may not be siblings, but you’re my sister of the heart.” He throws his arm around my shoulders and kisses my head.

“Yes, you do annoy me like a big brother.” I elbow his side playfully.

Max tries his best to distract me with his crazy stories and silly jokes. It works for a little bit, until something he says reminds me of Alistair or my dad.

Once we’re on the plane, he offers me a sleeping pill. I usually hate those, but today, I don’t refuse. If I stay awake during the flight, I’ll go insane. I need to get some rest because I know it will be hell when we land.

ALISTAIR

Since the cat is out of the bag, I go back to Chiara’s apartment, not caring who sees me there. I buzz her intercom, but after the fifth attempt without an answer, I get the hint that she’s not home. I call her phone again, but now it goes to voice mail.

I don’t linger in front of her building because, with my luck, I wouldn’t put it past someone to call the cops on me.

I’m about to get into my truck when I see a familiar car approach. Phillip parks behind me and rolls his window down. I look past him, more precisely at the passenger seat, finding it empty.

“Phillip.”

“Hi, Mr. Walsh. You’re probably looking for Chiara, right?”

“Yes. She won’t answer her phone.”

“She busted it. Anyway, since you’re not on any social media network, she asked me to give you a message.”

“I’m listening.”

“She had an emergency back home. She’s probably on a plane to Italy right now.”

“What kind of emergency?”

“She didn’t say, only that her cousin is with her.”

I rub my face, frustrated as hell with the way my life is derailing. “Did she give you Max’s phone number?”

“Yes. Hold on.” Phillip turns to his side, then sticks out his hand with a folded piece of paper pinched between his fingers. “Here.”

“Thanks.”

“I’m sorry about your job. Everyone I know really enjoyed having you as their teacher.”

“Thanks, Phillip. I’ll miss DuBose for sure.”

“What are you going to do now?” he asks.

“Figure out how to fix my life.”

“You really should go after Chiara. After what your ex-wife did to her, she’s probably feeling like shit.”

“Nadine will get what’s coming to her,” I state matter-of-factly. “As for going after Chiara, I have to tie up some loose ends here first.”

Phillip narrows his eyes at me. It seems my answer wasn’t what he wanted to hear. I wish I could just drop everything and go after Chiara, but I can’t leave my parents alone to deal with the aftermath of the fire, and I also have to make sure Nadine doesn’t have another nasty surprise waiting for me.

44

Chiara

I knew my mother wouldn’t leave me alone just because I’m staying with Max. She only gives me a few hours of peace before she starts to hound me, blowing up the new cell phone I bought in Italy like the world is about to end.

The insecure and terrified little girl who still lives inside me wants to answer her call, but I fight the urge. My mother can go fuck herself. I’m done trying to make her like me. So the first thing I do is call my father’s lawyer. I want to visit Dad. To my dismay, he tells me Dad doesn’t want to see any visitors.

I’m already crying before I even end the call.

“What’s the matter, Chibi?” Max asks.

“Dad doesn’t want me to visit.”

He sits next to me on the couch and throws his arm around my shoulders. “Can you blame him? This is the lowest moment of his life. He doesn’t want you to see him like that.”

I hastily wipe my tears dry. “You’re right, but it doesn’t make things easier.”

“Here, maybe this will make you feel better.” He offers me his cell phone.

“What is it?”

“Your boyfriend left you a voice message.”