Chapter Sixteen: Paulie
I stood the moment my sister Sofia stepped out from behind the curtain.
“Paulie, you shouldn’t be back here.”
She gave me a disapproving glance to go along with her admonishment, which I ignored. She might be halfway through her residency and a big deal around the ER, but she was going to have to call security and have me physically removed if she wanted me gone.
“Is she awake?”
She narrowed her eyes. “She’s in and out.”
“How is she?”
“Paulie, you know I can’t discuss—”
“How. Is. She?” I towered over my sister, hands on hips, and gave her my best cut the BS glower.
Yeah, I was pulling the big-brother card.
She sighed in resignation and threw me a tiny bone. “We’ll know more after we get a complete head series, but I’m admitting her as a precaution.”
I translated that to mean Allison was going to be okay. After Vinnie’s call, I wasn’t so sure. “Can I see her?”
“She’s pretty out of it.”
“Please, Sofe.”
She tilted her head and studied me with a critical eye. “She’s the woman Nonno has been talking about, isn’t she?”
I nodded.
“I can’t wait to hear this story,” she murmured. “All right. It’s not a bad idea to have someone sitting with her until they come to take her upstairs.”
“Thanks.”
I stepped into the small area and winced. Parts of Allison’s beautiful face were swollen and bruised. I resisted the urge to lean over and gently kiss every one.
“That bad, huh?” Allison rasped.
I pulled a chair up to her bedside and sat down. “No, not that bad.”
“You’re a terrible liar. What happened? Is Miriam okay? No one will tell me anything.”
“Relax. Miriam is fine. She’s down at the police station now, giving a statement.”
“How’d you get her to do that?”
“You can thank my brother Vinnie for that. He’s the one who found you. As for what happened, well, I think you can probably tell me more about that than I can tell you. You were facedown in a pool of your own blood when Vinnie got there.”
Those words—facedown in a pool of blood—would haunt me forever.
“What about Caleb?”
“In custody. He’s not going to be seeing the light of day anytime soon.”
She closed her eyes, sank back against the raised bed, and sighed. “Good.”
I took her hand, needing the contact, pleased when her fingers curled lightly around mine. “What about you?”
Her lips quirked slightly. “I’ve been better.”
“Sofia’s the best. She’s going to take good care of you.”
One eye opened and peered at me. “Please don’t tell me she’s another Stella.”
Had the situation been different, I might have laughed. “Worse. Little sister.”
“I heard that.” Sofia reappeared and pulled back the curtain. “Don’t listen to this guy,” she said to Allison. “I’m his favorite sister. But right now, you’ve got a date with a CT scanner. Then, we’ll take you up to a room and let you get some rest.”
“Okay.”
“Jason will take good care of you.”
An orderly appeared next to Sofia and began to release the brakes on the bed.
Allison gave me a weary smile. “Guess I’ll see you later.”
“Count on it.”
The guy wheeled Allison away. I started to follow, but Sofia put her hand on my arm.
“You can’t go with her, Paulie.”
I exhaled. “Right.”
“But you can be waiting for her when she gets out of imaging,” she said, her face softening. “Room 408. Visiting hours are until ten.”
“Thanks, Sofe.”
She told me it would take at least thirty minutes for the CT scan, so I went to the cafeteria in search of some badly needed coffee.
The day had been a roller-coaster ride of intense emotion. Regret that I’d let her go. Fear that something awful had happened to her. Elation when Vinnie had called me and told me he’d found her. Rage when I’d learned what had happened. And now, thankfully, relief.
Yeah, I’d run the full gamut, and that was a new experience for me. Sure, I dealt with abuse cases all the time, but they weren’t personal. Let me tell you, that put a whole new spin on things.
Now that I knew Allison was okay—relatively speaking, of course, as there was nothing okay about what had happened—we could move forward to making sure it never happened again. The details were still sketchy, but Vinnie had told me Allison had regained consciousness on the way to the hospital and provided enough information to arrest and hold Caleb Johnson.
Apparently, Allison had made it about an hour out of town before she decided to turn around and head back. When she’d let herself into Miriam’s apartment, however, Caleb had been there. Allison had been at his mercy for an entire night and most of the next day. I grudgingly supposed it could have been a lot worse than it was.
I was heading up to the fourth floor when I heard Miriam call my name.
“Have you seen Allison? How is she?”
“Pretty banged up,” I said honestly, “but she’s tough.”
“Yes, she is,” Miriam agreed.
She looked like she’d been through the emotional wringer too. Dark circles stood out against the paleness of her skin. Nearly half of the hair she’d tried to tie back at the nape of her neck was hanging freely. She needed a shower, a decent meal, and a good night’s sleep—in that order.
“The woman at the front desk told me they’re moving Allison to a room upstairs,” she said. “Are you going to see her?”
“Yes.”
“Would you give her a message from me? Tell her I’m so, so sorry.”
“Why don’t you come with me and tell her yourself?”
I’d expected Miriam to jump at the opportunity to see Allison, but to my surprise, she shook her head.
“She must hate me right now.”
“I doubt that. You were the first person she asked about.”
Miriam sniffed. “This shouldn’t have happened.”
“No, it shouldn’t have,” I agreed. “But we’re going to make sure it never, ever happens again.”
She looked up at me then, her eyes tired and filled with moisture and something else I hadn’t seen before—determination. “You know what, Mr. Cerasino? I believe you.”
Chapter Seventeen: Allison
“Ready to get out of this place?”
I turned toward the doorway and saw Paul grinning at me with Miriam standing beside him, and I felt my heart swell. It was probably the only thing that didn’t hurt.
“So ready.” I’d been in the hospital for less than twenty-four hours, and I’d slept through most of it, but I still couldn’t wait to get out.
Miriam stepped into the room with a bag in her hand. “I brought you some clothes.”
Paul excused himself while Miriam helped me get dressed. Nothing besides my nose was broken, but I had some deep bruises and was stiff and sore all over.
“I remember when I was the one helping you dress,” I told her.
“You’ve always taken care of me.”
“I’ve tried.”
“I know. I’m sorry I’ve made it so hard.”
“No apologies necessary,” I said, somewhat surprised.
What I had done, I’d done out of love. I’d do it a hundred more times without hesitation.
“I guess I get to take care of you for a change, huh?”
“I guess so.”
Last night, Miriam had decided that I was going to be spending the next couple of days with her—at least until I felt good enough to make the drive back to Boston. We were going to use that time to talk—really talk—and work a few things out. It was long overdue.
Paul drove us back to Miriam’s. I was surprised
to see that everything had been cleaned up. No sign of blood anywhere. When I commented on it, Miriam told me that it was all Paul’s doing.
He shrugged and said simply, “I know a guy.”
I just bet he did.
I wasn’t going to lie and say the next couple of days were easy. Even with painkillers, I was hurting—translation: cranky—and I had yet to mentally process what had happened. That was going to take a while.
Nor would I say that Miriam and I had worked out all our issues. We hadn’t. However, we had made significant progress.
For her part, Miriam was going to take more responsibility for her own life. Nick Penn—aka Nick Cerasino—had introduced her to some paranormal-fantasy author groups and encouraged her to take some creative writing classes at the community college to hone her craft.
And me? Well, I was going to take a step or ten back and assume a quietly supportive role instead of a dominant one.
Before I knew it, a week had gone by. I still looked like I’d met the business end of a Mack truck, but physically, I was feeling much improved, and it was time for me to go home.
The thing was, Boston didn’t really feel like home to me. It never had. I didn’t have family there. No friends to speak of. I had some coworkers that I got along with, but our relationships were based on shared circumstance, nothing more. Case in point: not one of them had called to ask how I was or why I hadn’t returned.
I thought that said a lot.
Thanks to Paul, I still had a job. Since I’d used all my PTO time, this last week spent recuperating were considered unapproved absences and grounds for dismissal. Paul had made some calls and assured me I had something to go back to.
While I appreciated his thoughtfulness, I almost wished he hadn’t. If I’d lost my job in the DA’s office, I wouldn’t have had a reason to return.
The truth was, the more I thought about leaving, the more I didn’t want to go. Miriam and I were finally connecting, and I felt more at home in Cecilton after two weeks than I had in Boston after a year. The place had really grown on me. I liked the relaxed pace and the perfect balance between small-town charm and big-city living.
Mostly, I liked the people. One sexy Italian counselor in particular.
Paul had been great. I mean, really great. He called to check on me every day. He brought over takeout from Mama C’s, so I didn’t have to leave the apartment, looking like the Bride of Frankenstein. He’d even slipped me busywork to keep me from pulling my hair out in boredom.
Don’t hold that against him. He was only doing what I’d asked. Begging might have been involved.
But I had to go back, right?
I had a job and a lease, and as much as I wanted to stay, Miriam’s words continued to play on a loop in the back of my head. “No one asked you to.”
Chapter Eighteen: Paulie
Once again, time was running out. I didn’t want to make the same mistake I’d made the first time. I didn’t want Allison to go. I wanted to give her a reason to stay. Namely, me.
The thing was, I didn’t know how Allison felt. She didn’t seem to be stoked about returning to Boston, but that might just be wishful thinking on my part.
I’d done everything I could be to be supportive without pressuring her. I called her every day. I used the massive kitchen at the restaurant to create dishes I thought she’d enjoy. I even pulled a few strings to ensure she had a job to go back to, if she wanted it.
So, I did what any thirty-something man would do in my situation. I called my brothers and invited them out for a beer.
“Okay, so what gives?” Vinnie asked after we were seated in the back of the IAC, or Italian American Club. Owned by my uncle Rico, it was a dark place, reminiscent of its time as a speakeasy back in the day.
As the oldest, I was usually the one everyone else came to for advice, not the other way around. But I was truly torn on this one. These were uncharted waters for me.
“How did you know?” I asked.
I didn’t have to explain. They knew exactly what I was talking about.
Nick shrugged. “I thought about Kat all the time. Wanted to be around her even if it was just being in the same room with her.”
Vinnie nodded. “Same with Haven. The best part of my day was dropping by the diner every night at the end of my shift, knowing she’d be there.”
I understood that because that was exactly how I felt. When I was with Allison, I felt better. And when I wasn’t, all I could think about was being with her again.
“I’ve never felt so in sync with anyone before,” I admitted.
In my mind, I’d been building a case for exactly why I believed Allison and I belonged together. Like me, Allison was a logical, practical person, and I felt as if presenting the facts to her in a logical, practical fashion was the way to go.
Dom, however, suggested a completely different approach. He tipped his bottle in my direction. “You’re overthinking this. Have you kissed her yet?”
I shook my head. I’d wanted to though so, so many times.
“You should,” Nick said, nodding.
“You sound like Nonno.”
“Have you ever known him to be wrong?”
He had a valid point.
“So, what are you waiting for?” Vinnie asked with a grin. “Go kiss your woman and remove any doubt.”
“What, right now?”
“Yes, right now. You’ve stalled enough. No more delays, Counselor.”
I went out to my car and called Allison. She answered on the first ring. Just hearing her voice made me feel better.
“Are you busy?”
“Not really. What’s up?”
“There’s someplace I’d like to show you.”
“Oh ... I don’t ...”
I understood her reticence. She hadn’t wanted to leave Miriam’s apartment all week, unwilling to draw attention to herself and the way she looked. Where I was taking her, that wouldn’t be a concern.
“Do you trust me, Ally?” I asked softly.
Another pause, and then, “Yes, of course I do.”
My heart soared. “Good. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
I made it in seven. She was waiting for me, opening the door before I had a chance to knock. I might have been imagining it, but I could swear I saw hope burning in her eyes. I took it as an encouraging sign.
“What do you want to show me?”
“It’s a surprise.”
As I’d mentioned, I wasn’t the most romantic guy in the world, but it would have been impossible to grow up in my family and not have at least some sense of how to charm a woman. The secret to a woman’s heart, according to my father, was discovering what she wanted more than anything else and then giving it to her.
I’d been giving that a lot of thought. Over the past week, I’d replayed every moment I’d spent with Allison, considered every word, action, and reaction, so I thought I had a pretty good idea of what she wanted.
I drove to a scenic overlook a few miles out of town and parked. Not a lot of people knew about it, which was one of the reasons I’d chosen to come here.
“Still trust me?” I asked.
She nodded.
I got out of the car, walked around to her side, opened the door, and held out my hand, pleased when she took it without hesitation. I led her to a wooden bench someone had had the foresight to put there.
It was a beautiful night. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect setting for what I was about to do. Darkness had fallen in earnest. Above us, the sky was clear, and the stars glittered brightly. Below, the lights of Cecilton did the same.
“I come here to think sometimes,” I told her.
“I can see why,” she said softly. “It’s beautiful.”
We sat in comfortable silence for several long minutes, appreciating the view. In retrospect, I should have thought to bring a bottle of wine or something, but I was essentially winging it here.
“What if you didn’t go back to Boston?�
� I blurted out.
I heard her sudden intake of breath, but I kept my eyes forward. My heart pounded against the inner walls of my chest while I waited for her to say something.
To say anything.
After several interminable moments, she cleared her throat and whispered, “Why would I do that?”
All of the logical, practical reasons I’d prepared fled my mind, and I spoke from my heart, “Because ... I don’t want you to go.”
“You don’t?”
“No. I think you should stay here. With me.”
More silence.
Then, “I don’t want to go either.”
I turned to her. Now, she was the one looking off at the view.
“You don’t?”
“No. I like it here. I like being with you.”
I chuckled softly.
“You think that’s funny?” she asked, sounding offended.
“No. I’m just thinking about something my grandfather said.”
“What did he say?”
“He said, if I didn’t want you to leave, I should kiss you.”
“So, why don’t you?”
I took her in my arms and lowered my lips to hers. The moment our lips touched, I knew.
And so did she.
“Wow,” she whispered, bringing her fingers to her mouth when I finally released her. “You make a very convincing argument for staying, Counselor. How long have you been wanting to do that?”
“Honestly? Since I first saw you in the elevator that day.”
“Really?”
I nodded.
She grinned and leaned in for another kiss.
“Me too.”
Epilogue: Allison
“There’s still something I don’t understand,” Vinnie’s fiancée, Haven, said. “How did Caleb know where to find Miriam?”
“I was wondering that too,” Nick’s fiancée, Kat, said.
All eyes turned to me.
We sat at a large table in Mama C’s restaurant in a back room reserved for famiglia, as Paul called his family. I’d thought I’d be uncomfortable or at least nervous, but I wasn’t. From the moment I’d stepped in the door and Paul’s mother wrapped her arms around me, I’d felt as if I was finally where I belonged.
Just For Her: A Cerasino Family Novella (Cerasino Family Novellas Book 3) Page 8
