Part III

I ran into my room and looked around frantically. Every other time I need my phone I can find it, but I can't now, when I need it most! I could hear my mother and Mr. Lombardi talking downstairs. I put my head next to my door and listened to them.

"Christine, you and Vanessa need to come stay at my personal house," Mr. Lombardi said. "Why?" My mother shouted. Mr. Lombardi groaned and said, "because this isn't your house! You know it! I need to put it back on the market."

My mother then said, "I'll pay for it, Luca! Please, we can't live with you." "Why not," Mr. Lombardi argued. My mother huffed and didn't answer. "Why not, Christine?" "Did you not see how Vanessa reacted to you?!" My mother shouted.

"What do you mean?" Mr. Lombardi asked. "Luca, if we move in with you, she is going to fall for you, and you are going to hurt her! I can't have her getting hurt like that! She's never even let a boy put their hands on her, and you're a man! You cannot play with my daughter like that. I won't let you."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. My mother just predicted my future relationship. "I won't hurt her, Christine. You knew that she'd be mine since she was eight years old. You know I wouldn't hurt a hair on her head."

"I don't care, Luca. She is going to find someone better than you!" "Shut up! You are to be in my house in 24 hours. If not, the police will kick you out of this house. Do you understand me?"

"Yes," my mother said quietly. I saw my phone on my dresser and I walked over to grab it. I grabbed my phone and walked down the stairs. Once I reached the floor, I slipped and fell on my butt. "Stupid fuzzy socks," I muttered.

Mr. Lombardi chuckled and walked over to me. He lifted me by my waist and set me on my feet. He put out his hand and I looked at him questionably. "Yeah," I asked. "Your phone," he smiled. "Oh, yeah, sorry," I apologized as I set my phone onto his palm.

He frowned and looked at me, "password?" "Uh, my birthday," I answered. Once again he looked at my questionably. "Oh, sorry. Uh, 0-6-2-6." He sighed in content and did whatever. I looked at my mother and she smiled at me sadly.

Mr. Lombardi put my phone back into my hand and smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow, principessa." He kissed my forehead and caressed my cheek. "Thanks for stopping by, Luca," my mother said angrily as she grabbed him and pulled him towards the front door.

My mother pushed him out of our house and then turned to me. "I can't believe you," she spit at me. "W-What?" I asked her. Why was she so angry? "You're such a slut! You were just all over a man you didn't even know!"

I felt tears fill up in my eyes. I turned and ran to my room. I laid in my bed and my phone pinged.

Luca 🥵🍆💦: Don't listen to her. Get some rest. Goodnight, principessa.

Me: Goodnight.

I changed his name to 'Mr. Lombardi' and I set my phone down and rolled over in my bed. I fell asleep quickly with many thoughts running through my head.

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My eyes fluttered open and I sat up. I stretched and looked around my room. I jumped when I saw my mother standing in my room. "What are you doing in here?" I asked her. "I need you to pack your things, Ness. Only valuables."

I nodded my head. She set down some boxes that were in her hands. There were 3 packing boxes. "You have three hours to pack and be ready to leave," she said, then she walked out of my room.

How did she expect me to just pack my things and leave. Leave the house that we've made so many memories in. Leave my father behind without a trace. I can't believe she'd do this to me.

I grabbed some clothes and walked to my personal bathroom. I quickly showered and shaved then put on my clothes. I was wearing a pair of black sporty leggings, a grey sweatshirt form my school, some fuzzy socks and some athletic Nike running shoes.

I french braided my hair, put on my watch, earrings and my bracelet. I went back into my room and started packing my things. In one box, I packed all of my clothes. In the second box, I packed all of the items I had on my shelves.

I filled the third box with every pair of shoes I owned. I didn't really need the third box. I took the boxes down stairs one by one. I took my mother's keys off of the counter and unlocked the car.

I put my three boxes in the trunk of her Jeep and closed the trunk. My mother came out of the house with her box and I reopened the trunk. She put her box in and went to grab another one.

Once she finished packing every box into her Jeep, she frowned at me. "We will be leaving in 2 minutes. Let me go lock up every window and secure the house," my mother said as she walked back towards the house.

I wasn't leaving anything else behind. I didn't have friends at school because I was focused on school work. I sat silently in the Jeep waiting for my mother to finish locking up the house.

She came out of the house and locked the front door. She got into the Jeep and started the car. "So where exactly are we going?" I asked her. She looked at me and sighed. "We are going to Mr. Lombardi's house. We will stay there until we find a new home."

"House," I corrected her. "What?" She asked. I looked over at her. "It's not a home. Father is dead and now my only parent left doesn't have a job, and she doesn't care for her daughter." My mother huffed and pulled out of our driveway.

"I do care about you. Just not as much as I probably should," she whispered. I rolled my eyes and asked, "where's Mr. Lombardi's house at?" My mother smiled at me and she had a nasty look in her eye.

"Conveniently, Luca's house is in New York! And it's 10 miles from your college! Isn't that just great?" She asked sarcastically. The tone in her voice made me furious. "That is splendid!" I answered with the same tone.

I put in my AirPods and laid my head against the glass. I miss you, father.