Chapter 8

Eliane's POV

Her eyes widened, and I could feel the tension rising within her.

"Nevermind," I shrugged.

"You were twelve by then," she began, her voice trailing off.

"Your father was arriving from a business trip... then he got killed... sorry, I mean he got into a car accident," she stuttered, her words filled with sadness.

I didn't want to say anything, but I could sense that my mom was aware of something. She knows something, but she doesn't want to tell me.

"What business trip exactly?" I asked, yearning for more answers.

She stared at me, her eyes full of secrets, yet she wasn't willing to share them. "Ten years now, mom. Why are you hiding something from me?" I thought to myself.

"To Vermont," she simply spoke.

"For what?" I pressed on.

"Don't you know what business trips are for?" she chuckled, but it sounded forced.

I didn't know much about my dad growing up. It was as if he was never a part of this family. No one ever spoke of him, not even mom.

That's why this conversation itself was awkward. I thought she would ignore me like she always does, but this time she didn't.

"You should probably get inside; it's cold out here," she said, her voice filled with emotion. I could see tears brimming in her eyes, even though she tried to hide them.

"Mom, I'm sorry for bringing this up," I pleaded.

"It's totally fine," she softly smiled, walking back to the door. She gave me a final glance before entering the house.

I gazed at the starry constellations until the night grew quiet, a hush falling over me.

I realized it was past midnight and I needed some rest for the next day.

I shut the door softly, seeing Ally sound asleep on the bed.

A smile tugged at my lips as I watched him. I tucked him in with the sheets and snuggled next to him.

Danté, the only name on my mind. A monster of a man he was. Who knows what he was plotting in his twisted head.

I was a fool, a fool to fall for him. And he would pay for it. Nothing he did would stop me.

I pushed away these thoughts, because they only made me angry and restless. And this was not the time for that.

As I lay there, drifting in and out of sleep, time seemed to fade. And then, as if by a miracle, the sun peeked through my window, heralding a new day.

The warm rays of light gently woke me up, reminding me that life goes on, even in the midst of chaos.

I rolled over to the other side of my bed, only to find it empty. Ally had already slipped out, and the sound of water trickling from the bathroom told me he was taking a shower.

"Hey," he greeted as he emerged from the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

"Hey," I responded, taking in his appearance.

His damp hair was tousled, and droplets of water glistened on his skin. The steam from the shower still clung to him, giving him a fresh and invigorated look.

"I, uh, had a call," he began, his voice carrying a tinge of urgency.

"From work, and I need to be there asap," he added, a hint of disappointment in his tone.

"Sure, work is important," I lied, trying to hide my desire for him to stay with me. But I understood that duty called, and he had responsibilities to attend to.

"So... are you going now?" I asked, a playful grin spreading across my face.

"Mmhmm," he replied, grabbing his bag and heading towards the door.

We sat down for breakfast together, savoring the last moments of our morning routine. As we finished, he insisted on me using his car to get around, so I drove him to the nearby bus station.

After our final goodbyes, I decided to head straight home.

I sat on the porch of my childhood home, the warm summer breeze gently caressing my face.

The familiar sights and sounds of my hometown brought a sense of comfort and nostalgia. As the sun began to set, casting a golden hue over everything, I knew it was time to have a conversation with mom,if not about my father's death then about him, his life.

My mom sat beside me, her eyes filled with a mixture of sadness and love. I took a deep breath, gathering my courage, and looked into her eyes.

I could see the pain etched in every line on her face, a pain that mirrored my own.

I reached out and held her hand, the touch grounding me in the moment. With a voice filled with emotion, I asked her to tell me more about my father's job. The words hung heavy in the air, and I braced myself for the painful truth.

She took a moment, as if gathering her thoughts, and began to speak. Her voice was soft, yet filled with a depth of emotion that I had rarely heard before.

She shared memories of my father, painting a vivid picture of their love and the life they had built together. I listened intently, hanging on to every word, trying to understand the man I had never truly known.

He had been the CEO of Hernandez company, the business empire that my grandfather had built from scratch. But after my father died in a mysterious accident, he ran it into the ground.

But then, her voice grew somber, and she recounted the day that changed everything. The accident that took my father away from us, leaving a void that could never be filled.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I absorbed the weight of her words, the pain of the loss we both experienced.

In that moment, we found solace in each other's presence. We held each other tightly, offering comfort and support. The bond between mother and daughter grew stronger as we shared our grief, our memories, and our love for the man who was taken from us too.

As the stars began to twinkle in the night sky, we sat side by side, embracing the silence that spoke volumes. The porch became a sanctuary, a place where we could both heal and remember.

We spent a lot of time together trying to leave what was the past behind us. We went back to our normal selves and I had to stop by the grocery store to buy some stuff.

As I got out of the store heading to my car when I heard a familiar voice calling my name. It was soft, but unmistakable.

"Eliane."

I stopped and turned around, feeling a surge of emotion. Standing behind me was the one person I never expected to see again.

"Marco?" I gasped, barely able to believe my eyes.