Page 30 of Something Blue

I shrink down into my sofa, horrified about how bad I look, horrified that everyone is willing to brush this off and not discuss what is really going on and horrified that my father - knowing full well what the mafia is capable of - doesn’t even want to consider that it might be true.

He’s more worried about his campaign than Damion.

Damion is deadmy thoughts brutally remind me.

All that’s left is his head.

Over the next three days I don’t leave my apartment. I can’t face the world outside.

On the news I watch the story unfold as the uncover bit by bit of what happened to him.

A car is pulled out of a lake. The rest of his body is found in the car.

The medical guys speculate that his head was decapitated during an accident. I don’t believe it for one second.

Cause of death is ruled accidental, and the world has a moment of mourning and the story is over.

Just like that.

Everyone forgets Damion because it’s no longer exciting anymore.

Another three days goes past and I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do with myself. I’m falling apart. I’m lost. I’m worried.

And worse -I’m still falling asleep thinking about Celso.

What is wrong with me I’m so attracted to the man I believe is a murderer?

CHAPTER TEN

Celso

The last time I saw Neve was when she told me that girls like her don’t date guys like me. Now she’s fallen off the map. The news has been going crazy after some local kids found her ex’s head on the side of the road - and then the rest of his body.

Dalila has been complaining every time I’ve seen her at our family dinners - she keeps saying that Neve is hardly responding to her.

“Her finance died in an accident.” Masaccio says, huffing slightly. “She needs time to process.”

“An accident?” Dalila asks, knotting her brows.

“The news announced it last night. The coroners report came back, and they said he was drunk and drove his car off the bridge into the river.”

“And his headfell off?”Dalila asks in horror.

“Apparently he got half thrown from the car - his neck caught on the railing and his head went one way and his body fell back into the car.” Tuomo shrugs, joining in the speculation.

“Oh my word.” Dalila huffs, looking like she wants to throw up.

“So, that’s it. It was an accident.” My father says, looking up from his newspaper.

“Sure. An accident.” Mas mutters, glaring at me.

“Oh, fucking let it go, Masaccio.” I hiss.

Technically everything should be over now.

The news will calm down, everyone will go back to their lives, and Neve and I can be together. Except she won’t come out of her apartment. And she thinks I am a criminal with no future.

And that means that I have to put the rest of my plan into action. I have no choice. I have given herenough of a chance to come to me and she hasn’t taken it.

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