Chapter 37 She Is Back
Elena
My dad and Maria are the first people I see. They’re in the living room when I walk in. Dad stands up as soon as he notices me. Within seconds, I am engulfed in a hug.
“My dear,” he breathes. “I will never let you out of my sight again.”
I smile into his chest.
“I missed you, too, Dad.”
He releases me, and I am met by Matriarch De Luca.
“Hello, Maria.”
Her critical blue eyes flicker over my face, then slowly lower their gaze. When she looks into my eyes, a slight frown appears on her face.
“Hello, dear. You seem to have gained a little weight.” I clench my fists, hoping my expression doesn’t betray the irritation coursing through me.
“Just a little,” I say through clenched teeth.
“It suits you, sweetheart,” she declares. “I’m glad to see you’re taking care of yourself.”
Her tone is light, but I can feel the disapproval radiating off her in waves. Yeah, I definitely didn’t miss her. I turn to my dad and open my mouth to ask about Tony when he walks into the living room. His eyes brighten when he spots me.
“Hey, sis,” he says, running up and hugging me.
I sighed softly, glad he wasn't as angry as he had been on the phone. I needed them to be in a good mood for this.
"Hi. Where's Mikey? And Rose?"
"Rose's on some art retreat. She's been gone for a couple of days. Mikey's upstairs with Roman, who you didn't ask about."
I shrug.
"I'm sure he's okay."
"Um," Tony mutters. Then he looks at me intently. "We're going to talk about why you came home without saying a word."?
“Actually,” I say quietly. “I think you should sit down. I have something to say. You too, Daddy.”
My father’s eyes narrow, but he does as I ask, sitting down next to Maria, whose expression is intrigued. I’d rather she weren’t here for this conversation, but oh well. As we all sit in the living room, my eyes close, and I interlace my fingers as I speak.
“I’m not going to live at home anymore. Ki and I bought an apartment to live in together.”
I watch my brother's and father’s faces as they go through a variety of emotions. First confusion, then surprise. My father's expression remains patient, while Tony's, unsurprisingly, turns angry.
"What the hell?" he barks. "Why would you stay in an apartment when we have a perfectly good house?"
I take a deep breath. I've spent hours on the plane thinking about my argument. Sure, I should have thought of a way to talk to them about the other pressing matter, but today is definitely not the day, time, or place to talk about it. Hell, I can't even tell them anything yet. I need to talk to someone else first.
“I would like to start by saying that I am a grown woman who is fully capable of making her own decisions.”
“Of course, yes,” my father interjects. “But we are your family, and we have the right to participate in these decisions, too.”
This statement amuses me. It will be funny when they find out that I completely cut them out of the most important decision of my life. Of course, I will not laugh, but it will be funny. To some people.
“True, and I regret not telling you. And for returning to the country without telling you. You both know that I tend to make independent decisions...”
“You mean risky, immature, unnecessary decisions.”
I look at my brother, and he rolls his eyes before collapsing back onto the couch.
“My move is necessary,” I state. They have no idea how long. “Kiara and I need our space, and our apartment is that space. She had contacts in New York who helped us buy an apartment and decorate it. All we had to do today was move in, which is what we did. It’s an apartment in Brooklyn, the third floor of a really nice building. It’s in a great neighborhood.”
My brother interrupts me again.
“None of this information matters, sis. You’re coming home.”
I clench my jaw, biting back a retort. This conversation will get nowhere if I yell at him. I can’t afford to get angry. Instead, I turn to my father, who has otherwise remained silent. He sighs when he notices me looking at him.
“Honey, we talked before you left, and you promised me that when you came back, you’d be ready to be more obedient.”
My fists clench. Back then, I’d say anything to get them to let me go.
“I’m ready,” I say, lying through my teeth.
“Good, because we need to focus on you getting married. There’s no reason why you should leave home. I know you need to be independent, but you’re not getting any younger, baby. You need to settle down.”
“And I plan to,” I say, knowing full well that in a couple of weeks, none of this will matter. “I just want this chance to be on my own. It’ll only be a couple of months before I find a stable partner, like you want, Daddy. Please.”
Just like before, when I went to London, I’ll say anything to make them let it go. My father's expression turns thoughtful. The man is a lawyer; his brain is programmed to navigate conversations, looking for loopholes and the best possible outcome.
"Okay," he finally says.
Tony's eyes widen. Sometimes I really want to kick him.
"You're just going to let her live somewhere else?"
"Calm down, Anthony. She'll be in Brooklyn. If you're that worried, take her out tonight and see the place.”
Yeah, he's not going anywhere near the inside of the house. But I'll cross that bridge once we get there. Suddenly, I remember there's someone else in the living room. Maria hasn't said a word during the entire conversation, and I feel a little grateful.
Usually, she'd put her two cents into this, but I'm glad she's not involved. She's just watching everything with a carefully blank expression on her face.
My dad and brother ask me how my year of absence has been, and the tension in the room eases a little. An hour passes, and I'm ready to go home. Tony is on his feet, ready to accompany me. We leave the living room, and Roman De Luca appears in my line of sight.
My heart stops, my legs are motionless, and I'm almost sure the whole world is holding its breath. A year has passed, and he still looks the same. My mind is spinning, and my heart is going through several emotions before finally settling on the strongest one.
Guilt.
Roman, for his part, shows no outward emotion when he sees me. His eyes darken slightly, and the muscles in his jaw tense, but that's it. That's all I get.