Chapter 157 Emotional Aftershock

Chapter 157 Emotional Aftershock
ALICE

I decided that the best time to leave would be when there were still guests around and both Francesca and Thelma were busy, so they wouldn’t ask me too many questions. 

Sneaking around like this felt so wrong, but at this point, I knew I had to take action and listen to my heart. So, I turned to Rory and told him I’d be right back, then I nervously made my way to the door. 

I caught Thelma’s eye and she gave me a questioning look. I mouthed that I’d be right back, but looked away quickly so she wouldn’t approach me with questions I wouldn’t be able to answer.  

My anxiety was sky-high as I got in my car, started it, and backed out of the parking space. God, I had no idea what to expect moving forward, but I had a hell of a lot of hope. That was what I held onto as I drove to his place. Many things could go wrong with this impulsive plan of mine, starting with the fact that he might not even be home. 

I told myself that if he wasn’t, I wouldn’t wait for him—I’d turn this car around and drive home to Francesca’s.

My stomach churned with nerves. I slowed the car to a stop when I reached the gates. My initial plan was to ring the bell, find out if he was around, and decide from there, but a security guard dressed in a simple black suit was standing on the other side, which I found strange because we hadn’t had security before. 

“Good afternoon, ma’am. What can I do for you?”

I left my door open and started toward him while tucking a lock of my hair behind my ear. “Good afternoon. Is Theo…Is Mr. Linden-Hawthorne home?”

“Yes, he is,” he claimed. 

My heart skipped a beat. What now?

“Do you have an appointment with him?”

“No. He’s not expecting me.”

“Then I suggest you come back later,” he claimed as he gestured at something over his shoulder. I noticed then that there were a few cars parked in the driveway. “He’s busy at the moment.”

“Oh. Who’s he with?”

He narrowed his eyes at me and straightened his spine. “I’m afraid I can’t tell you that. Would you like to leave a message?”

I opened my mouth, but it closed right away when I saw someone walking out the front door. I squinted my eyes and sure enough, saw Theo and Carmella standing there. He had his hand on her hip and they were facing each other. The smile on his face…

I had to turn away. I was going to be sick. 

Without another word, I got back in my car and put it in reverse. There was a tight knot in my throat that made it hard for me to even breathe. 

I shouldn’t have come.

This had been such a bad idea. 

Every ounce of hope I had came crashing down. I struggled to keep my tears at bay because I had to concentrate on the road. But hell, every time I remembered how he looked at Carmella, it became almost impossible to control my sadness. 

My phone started ringing in my purse, but I couldn’t reach for it. I was still driving and my purse was in the passenger’s seat. It rang a few times, then stopped. 

I guessed it was Thelma who was calling me, and I wasn’t wrong. When I was in the underground parking of Francesca’s building, I checked my phone. She’d even sent me a text asking me where I’d been. 

I tossed my phone outside without answering and pressed my forehead against the steering wheel. A knot of dread tightened in my chest and gradually traveled lower down my body. 

I wanted to cry, scream, or even rage, but I just kept my eyes closed. 

What tore me from this trance was the sound of my phone ringing again. I straightened my spine, looked around, then remembered where I’d dropped my phone. 

It was Thelma. 

“Alice? Is everything okay? Where are you?”

Opening my mouth was way too much effort, and I felt like throwing up. She repeated my name, but I closed my eyes. I didn’t want to talk to her or anyone. I couldn’t. All I wanted to do was sit in this car until I wasted away, but I suspected that even then, this pain in my chest wouldn’t leave me. 

“Alice? Please, answer me. Where are you?”

My voice was shaky when I answered, “I don’t know. I don’t know anything anymore. I shouldn’t have gone there.”

Hearing about Theo and Carmella was one thing. Seeing them together was another. If I could turn back time, I’d slap myself across the face. What in the hell convinced me to go looking for him? I couldn’t even remember what it was anymore.

“Just tell me where you are and I’ll come for you. Just say the words.”

I looked around vaguely. God, something was happening to me. My vision was graying or something, and it felt like a million little legs were crawling all over my face. I was sure that if I touched my face right now, I wouldn’t be able to feel it. 

“I’m here,” I answered. I was gonna be sick. “I’m down…d-downstairs.”

“Okay,” she said fiercely. “Just stay put. I’m coming!”

The phone slipped from my hand just then, and I realized I couldn’t breathe. I pushed the car door open and stepped outside. I couldn’t feel the ground. Why couldn’t I feel the ground? I held onto the car’s door to steady myself. My legs were shaky. The best thing to do would be to get back in the car.

But as I turned around, something happened and I sank to the ground instead. Once I was down, the edges of my vision turned black, and then I couldn’t remember anything else after that. 

When I woke up, who knows how long after, I was in an unfamiliar place with a familiar face staring down at me. 

It was Theo.