Page 2 of Fighting With Light

“Violet, babe, I love you, but there are things your best friend doesn’t need to be scarred by.”

She leans back from her man and looks at me over her shoulder. He’s got a glazed grin on his face, but her eyes are bright and clear. She’s not much of a drinker.

“I loveyou,Aelia, but you know I leave tomorrow. I’m just trying to make the best of our time,” she says with the corner of her mouth tipped up.

“What’s your name, anyway?” I ask her man.

He seems to come back down to Earth and looks at me over Violet’s shoulder. “Oh, I’m Jameson. You can call me James.”

“Nice to meet you, Jameson,” I say, giggling a little. Violet grins at me and giggles back. When one of us laughs, we both laugh, and neither can control it. Violet falls into Jameson, laughing, and I glance at Luca. Confusion is writtenall over his expression, but he smiles, even though he doesn’t know what we’re laughing at.

When we get to the penthouse suite, Jameson and Violet disappear into her room as I pour us a glass of water to sober up a little. I’m of sound, consenting mind, but would prefer to be a little less buzzed. There are some snacks they brought up before we got here, so I eat a couple of crackers, hoping it soaks up the booze. Luca leans over me and grabs a cookie for himself. “This is a nice place,” he says and takes a bite. I nod and look around at the spacious living room that goes to three other bedrooms with their own ensuites. It’s very Miami, clean, white, and bright colors, but luxurious and comfortable.

“Is this your first time in Miami?” he asks. I shake my head no and eat another cracker as he takes a sip of water.

“Where did you say you were from?”

I didn’t tell him where I was from. All I gave him was my first name. I figure if he’s going to be saying it in bed, it might as well be the truth. I chug some more water and grab his hand, tugging him to my room. He follows willingly,obviously, and I push him back onto the bed, climbing onto his lap. He leans in to kiss me.

“No more questions,” I whisper across his lips.

***

I pour myself a cup of coffee and sit on the balcony to enjoy the soft ocean breeze. Luca is long gone. I’m not one of those who will kick you out before morning, but when the sun rises, it’s time to go. The salty breeze fills my lungs and helps my shoulders drop a little. Before my mind can go to my mom and everything I’m not doing for her, Violet walks through the doors, bringing me out of my thoughts. “Morning,” she sighs. The door to the penthouse closes and I glance at her from over my shoulder.

“Fun night?” I smirk.

She grins and plops down on the sun chair next to me. “Yes,” she says and tips her head back into the sun.

“That good?” I ask her.

She nods and opens her eyes. “I think I’m in love,” she sighs wistfully.

“Well, now you’re just sounding crazy,” I mumble and take a sip of coffee.

She giggles and looks out over the ocean.

“I think it’s true though, Aelia, he…I don’t know,” she breathes, “I just have this feeling about him.”

“Violet, you met him in aclub in Miami, andyou live inPortugal.”

She shrugs. “Semantics. He said he wanted to see me again and I want the same. I’m not going home today, that’s for sure.”

“But your dad…” She waves her hand, dismissing my comment. She knows what I was about to say. Her father is not a good man. He’s the one who sells guns to mine. She’s the only friend I have who I can actually be honest with because she knows what it’s like to be a girl in a mob family. You’re either looked at as a prize or a bargaining chip. There’s no in-between, but I refuse to be that for my family. If I ever find someone to love, it will be because I chose him, not because my father did. I know he already has someone in mind for me, but it will happen over my dead body.

“I don’t care what he says. I told him I wouldn’t marry Davi and I meant it. You’re lucky your dad hasn’t tried to sell you or marry you off yet,” she says.

“It’s probably because I’m never home for more than a week, and when I am, I don’t see Dad. I’m there for Mom, that’s it.” I leave out the part that I’m alreadybetrothedto someone. I don’t know who it is, either because I left the room when Dad started to tell me.

“At least she knows you’re there, though.” I nod and try to ignore the tide of guilt rising over my chest and filling my throat, drowning me. My mom didn’t have a choice in marrying my father, but they grew up together in Italy and came from two different mob families. Luckily, they fell in love, but that changed as they got older. My father is not the man my mom married, and my mother is but a shell of herself. When I was young, she was vibrant and happy. But now, I think the life got to her. The wives and the kids see more than they should, andI believe a lifetime of seeing the brutality of our world was too much for her to bear.

She’s drifted into a depressive state and has been for years. She’s a ghost of herself. Part of me believes she hung on for me until I could do my own thing, but even then, she didn’t make it. I go home as often as I can bear because I want to make sure she knows I care. But it’s hard to see the woman you love so much become someone you don’t recognize anymore.

“Yeah,” I rasp and clear my throat. “I wish I could stay, but I can’t.”

“Bali sounds like a good time. Maybe you’ll run into a hot surfer or some yogi out to find himself,” Violet says and folds her hands, as if she’s in prayer and bows to me. I laugh and shake my head.

“I’ve never been to Bali, so I figured, why not? Plus, I am beyond tired of Vegas.”