Page 20 of Prince of Queens

Her reply is immediate: "Oh, Gia. I'm so sorry. Where are you? We’re coming to get you."

As I send Sofia my location, I can feel tears starting to well up. I blink them back furiously. I will not cry over Dominic Esposito. I won't give him that power.

But as I wait for Sofia and Luca, I can't help but replay every moment of last night in my head. The way he looked at me, the things he said... how could it all have been a lie?

As I stand on the sidewalk, trying to keep my composure, I see Sofia and Luca's car pull up. Sofia jumps out before the car even comes to a full stop, wrapping me in a tight hug.

"Oh, Gia," she murmurs, stroking my hair. "I'm so sorry."

I allow myself a moment of weakness, burying my face in my sister's shoulder. Then I take a deep breath and pull away, forcing a smile. "It's okay. I'm okay. Let's just go."

We climb into the back seat together, Luca nodding at me in the rearview mirror. As we pull away from the curb, Sofia takes my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"Want to talk about it?" she asks gently.

I shake my head, then change my mind. "I just... I don't understand. Last night was..." I trail off, glancing at Luca in the front seat.

He meets my gaze. “Speak freely in front of me. I owed Luca a debt, but not any more. Not if this is how he treats you.”

I nod back, appreciating the solidarity from my brother-in-law before turning to Sofia again.

"Last night was amazing, Sof. The way he looked at me, the things he said... it felt real. And then this morning, nothing. He didn't even have the decency to cancel or make up an excuse. He just... didn't show up."

Sofia listens, her face a mix of sympathy and anger. "That bastard," she mutters. "I can't believe he would do this to you."

"I can," I say bitterly. "I mean, what was I thinking? Getting involved with someone like Dominic Esposito? I should have known better."

"Hey," Sofia says firmly, "this is not your fault. You took a chance on something that could have been great. He's the one who messed up, not you." She strokes my arm. “I saw the way he looked at you that night at Luca’s party. That was real.”

I nod, not entirely convinced but grateful for her support. We spend the rest of the ride talking it out, Sofia alternating between comforting me and cursing Dominic's name.

Suddenly, Luca's phone rings. He answers it, his voice low and serious. "Yeah? ... What? When? ... How bad is it? ... Okay, I'm on my way."

He hangs up, then turns to look at us, his face grave. "That was Sal," he says, his voice tight. "Dominic was shot last night. It's... it's not good. I need to go to his house."

The world seems to tilt on its axis. I feel like I can't breathe. "Shot?" I manage to choke out. "But... but he was with me last night. He left my place around midnight..."

Luca's eyes widen slightly, but he doesn't comment on that information. "It happened later than that, apparently. Some kind of ambush. That's all I know."

Sofia grabs my hand, her face pale. "Oh my God, Gia. That's why he didn't show up. He wasn't standing you up, he was..."

As Luca pulls out of the garage, heading towards Dominic's home I feel like I'm in a daze. Moments ago I was angry, hurt, feeling foolish for believing in Dominic. Now, all I can feel is a gnawing fear.

Please, I think, not sure who or what I'm praying to. Please let him be okay. Please don't let that be the last time I see him. Please give me a chance to understand what's really going on.

As we speed through the city, I realize that despite everything, there's only one thing I want right now: to see Dominic, alive and whole. Everything else... we can figure out later. If there is a later.

The thought sends a chill down my spine, and I close my eyes, willing us to get there faster. Hold on, Dominic, I think. Just hold on.

As we pull up to Dominic's condo building in Queens, my heart is pounding so hard I can barely hear anything else. Luca leads us through the lobby and into the elevator, the tension palpable as we ascend.

When we reach Dominic's floor, Luca walks to the corner unit and knocks on the door. A moment later, it opens to reveal an attractive older woman who bears a striking resemblance to Dominic. Her eyes, the same deep brown as his, survey us with cool detachment.

Her gaze softens slightly as it lands on Luca, a small smile playing at her lips. "Luca, thank you for coming," she says, her voice warm but tired.

Luca nods, then gestures to Sofia and me. "Mrs. Esposito, this is my wife Sofia, and her sister, Gia Romano."

I brace myself for rejection, sure that the name Romano will be enough to have us turned away. But to my surprise, Mrs. Esposito's eyes widen at my name. Before I can react, she's pulled me into a tight embrace.

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