Page 134 of Bellini Born

“Not hungry.”

“Summer, honey, you need to eat something,” she pressed.

The mere thought of food was enough to turn my stomach, and I swallowed down the wave of nausea.

“I said no, Gabi.”

“All right. All right.” She held her hands up in surrender. “Wanna lie down for a bit? Try to get some sleep?”

A shudder rolled through my body as I shook my head. Every time I closed my eyes, all I could see was the bullet hole through Rico’s forehead or the tapestry of blown-out brains belonging to my attacker painted across the sidewalk. Sleep was an open invitation to nightmares, where I would be forced to relive that horrific day in vivid color. Therefore, it was out of the question.

“Summer, you’re starting to scare me.”

I almost snorted. She couldn’t begin to comprehend the terror I’d experienced. And I prayed she never would.

But instead of continuing to argue with her, I pushed to my feet on shaky legs. “Fine. I’m coming out.”

“Here. Let me grab you a towel.” Gabi scrambled to the linen closet before returning with a plush sheet of terry cloth.

“Thanks,” I muttered, letting her wrap the thick fabric around my torso like I was a child.

“I laid out some comfy clothes on the bed. Want me to brush your hair?”

Her offer to perform the most basic of self-care tasks made me realize how much of a burden I had become to my best friend. It wasn’t fair that I’d shown up at her door, seeking refuge while I sorted out my thoughts over what a life with Matteo really meant, but there was nowhere else for me to go.

“I can handle it.”

Her lips pressed into a thin line, almost like she wasn’t sure that I could.

“Seriously, Gabi. You don’t need to hover.”

That was enough to get her to leave me in peace. I toweled off, wringing the excess moisture from my hair before dragging a brush through it. Then, I pulled on the pair of pajamas that were the softest thing I’d ever felt against my skin and climbed into bed.

My e-reader lay discarded on the nightstand. While my days were spent crying in the shower, the only way I made it through the endless nights alone was by escaping into fictional worlds. Though, romance had been cast aside in favor of historical fiction because I couldn’t bear the thought of a happy ending right now. Not when I thought I’d found mine, only to be proven very, very wrong.

I had just reached for it when a knock sounded on the door, and Gabi poked her nose in once more.

Bringing her cell phone into view, she said, “It’s for you.”

Tears burned behind my eyes, and my voice broke when I said, “I’m not ready to talk to him yet.”

That was a lie. I yearned to see his face and hear him tell me how much he loved me. Although I was a hollow shell without him, I was still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I would spend the rest of my life constantly looking over my shoulder. There would never come a day when his enemies wouldn’t see me as a way to get to him. I would always be a target.

“It’s not Matteo,” Gabi announced.

My brows drew down. “Who else would be calling your phone looking for me?”

She shook her cell. “Care to find out?”

Now she had me curious. “Um, okay?”

My best friend stepped into the room, offering me her phone. “It’s a video call.”

That information had my eyes bulging, and a hand flew to my damp hair. “What?”

“Just take it.” The rectangular device was pressed into my hand. “I’ll give you some privacy.”

Cautiously, I turned the screen around to discover who was on the other end of the line.