Gian (Trassato Crime Family Book 1)(78)

“I wasn’t alone. We met in public, and I’m fine and in one piece.” She twirled around in a circle. “You don’t need to worry about me. I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.”

“You’re lying. What happened?”

“Gian, nothing bad happened. We talked. We came to an understanding, and now you need to go get your girl.”

I didn’t know if I had it in me to keep chasing her. I loved her, but I needed her to show me she wanted me too. Because every single time we hit a bump, her first instinct was to run away.

“I can’t keep chasing her. She said I wasn’t worth it. She didn’t want to fight for us. She doesn’t want anything to do with my life.”

“Then don’t chase her. Go to her show, say hello, and leave. She’ll know the ball is in her court. She may do something about it, or she may not.”

“Seriously, Carmela? How does that help either of us?”

“If you don’t try, you’ll never know.”

I fingered the ticket in my pocket. Regardless of what happened between us, I couldn’t deny I wanted to see her perform on a stage and talk to her one more time. If she wanted more, she needed to tell me because I was done pleading my case. I pushed her to kiss me to make her ex jealous. I pushed her into a fake engagement. I pushed her to try a real relationship. I told her I loved her, and she fled when things got complicated. I gave her what she wanted. I haven’t contacted her, and I’d continue to leave her alone unless she told me otherwise.

“Fine. I’ll go. I’ll talk to her, but I can’t promise anything other that.”

She flicked me in the chest. “She won’t let you go again. You’ll see. By this time tomorrow, you’ll be one-half of a sickeningly happy couple again.”

“I’m not so sure, but thanks for setting this up. I owe you.”

As she strutted toward the door, she shot me a parting grin over her shoulder. “In case you’re hard up for a way to thank me, you should know I like shoes. Expensive shoes. With red soles. And four-inch heels.”

“Yeah. Yeah. I get it.”





CHAPTER

THIRTY-NINE





Evangeline



Still on a high from finishing my first live performance in over a year, I scrubbed the stage makeup from my face. I didn’t land a lead role, but I had one solo, which was more than I expected given my yearlong absence.

Laughter floated into the small dressing room I shared with a couple of other girls, along with the distinct pop of champagne bottles being opened. Friends and family members roamed the halls, congratulating loved ones.

There was so much to be thankful for tonight. My ankle didn’t hurt. I hadn’t missed a note. The performance went off without a hitch, and I couldn’t wait to read the reviews. Judging by the applause and the electricity humming backstage, everyone expected them to be favorable.

Underneath all the excitement, I couldn’t deny I felt a thread of sadness that hadn’t gone away in months. I’d moved out of Kon’s apartment as soon as my agent told me I got this role, and I hadn’t exchanged a single word with him since. My mom had stopped reaching out to me over a month ago. Carmela had texted a quick note to say good luck this morning, but other than the time we met for coffee so she could hand deliver my suitcase stuffed with my clothes and personal belongings, I hadn’t seen her. And Gian…well, I hadn’t heard a single word from him.

Although I had managed to rebuild a couple of friendships and make a few new ones, nothing filled the hole in my heart from the loss of Gian and my best friend. During my late night searches of Carmela’s social media, I never found out anything about him. Not a mention. Not a picture. The thought of never seeing or hearing about him again made me sick to my stomach.

I quickly brushed away the thought. I couldn’t jump down the what-if rabbit hole tonight, because it led to a shit ton of tears and swollen eyes.

Someone rapped on the already open door, and I spun around.

“Hey, Evie,” John, one of my co-workers, said. “Do you need a ride to the after party?”

“Yeah. Let me finish up a few things, and I’ll be out in a couple of minutes.”

“Take your time. We’re not leaving for a half hour or so.” He took two steps backward then said, “Oh, and there’s someone waiting for you at the end of the hall.”

“Who?”

He shrugged. “He didn’t say.”

“Huh.” I shoved my arms into my jacket. “Okay. Thanks.”

I hoped it wasn’t Kon or my dad. I wouldn’t put it past Kon to show up tonight and pretend nothing had happened. As for my dad, while I didn’t think he’d come here, he was a wildcard. I had no idea what he would want from me, if anything, going forward.