Page 9 of Don't Let Go

Chloe tapped her pencil on the desk next to her and motioned to a boy in the front of the room. “What do you think of Peter?” she whispered.

I glanced over at Peter as I sat beside Chloe. “He’s okay.” He was a typical boy with short brown hair and a goofy grin.

She bit the end of her pencil. “I heard a rumor he wants to ask me out.”

Of course, she did. She swore every guy wanted her. I loved Chloe, but she had an ego bigger than a pop star. It was crazy to think we’ve been friends since we were toddlers. Her mother was one of the money launderers for the Carbone family using a hair salon as a front, so she understood some of my family turmoil.

Mrs. Myers began drawing on the whiteboard. I opened my textbook on the Earth’s core and put my pen in the binding.

Chloe put a hand on my arm. “Take a deep breath. How’s your leg feeling?”

She always saw through me and knew how I felt no matter what mask I had on.

I let out a breath. “It stings, and my jeans are not helping.”

“It gets better. It must.” She gave me a sad smile and opened her textbook.

“If only,” I muttered.

Lunch consisted of burgers and fries, my favorite. I grabbed my tray and strolled outside to sit with my friends at our usual picnic table on the side of the cafeteria. We were out of sight and out of mind from the congestion and the drama that ensued during lunch, which usually involved a fight or two and some mild to extreme bullying.

Chloe sat on the end of the bench, smoking her vape and smiling when she spotted me. Maria and Gabriela sat across from her. Maria only ate her fries and always gave her burger to Gabs.

“I wish my siblings weren’t a pain,” I said, dipping a fry into a pool of ketchup.

Chloe nudged me with her shoulder. “You can always move in with me. It’s quiet at my house, especially when my mom works long hours at the salon.”

I gave her a side hug. “Thanks.” Chloe was an only child, but growing up together, we considered each other family.

Maria pulled out a bottle of pink nail polish and went to work.

Gabs took a bite of her burger and chewed noisily. “Don’t worry. Your brothers are in the family business and saving money to get their own place soon, right? Plus, we’re graduating in a few months and leaving all this behind.”

“Yeah. True.” My brothers were saving for an apartment closer to the office. As for life getting better after graduation, I didn’t think much of it. I was the daughter of an important woman in the mafia, not to mention Paolo was the grandson of the mob boss, Stefano Carbone. Some people called him Lucky Carbonesince he has never been charged with a crime. I dug my own grave by dating a blood relative of the man behind it all.

“I’d love to think of the future, but it’s a little murky with Paolo lately,” I said, ripping a fry in half.

Chloe coughed and flicked her eyes to the sidewalk. “How quaint. Here comes that motherfu—”

I elbowed Chloe, cutting her off. “Shh…”

“There you are.” Paolo waved his hand in front of his face and glared at Chloe. “Right next to smoky. What is that—cherry flavored?”

“It’s you’re-in-my-space flavored,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest. Paolo may be a Carbone, but Chloe only saw trouble and she wasn’t afraid to treat him as such.

His nostrils flared. “Can I talk to you, Rory?”

“Yeah.” I stood, and we walked a few feet away to the picnic table toward the back corner of the building that was covered in spider webs. “What’s up?”

“My cousin is getting married in Hawaii next month and I want you to be my date.”

“Oh, that sounds nice.” I didn’t want to go to Hawaii for some stranger’s wedding.

“Will you be my date?” His eyes pierced into mine. He always made saying no to him hard. He knew how to hurt me not only emotionally but physically, like the hand-sized bruise on my thigh.

“I should ask my mamma. She expects me to help with my siblings and the housework while she’s at work.” I tugged on my long sleeves, balling the cotton in my hands.

“I see.” He kicked the dirt and ran a hand through his thick black hair.

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