Page 37 of Beguiled and Broken

Dinner with Vinny was wonderful. We laughed and joked like teenagers again. Coming home, we fumbled into the house while we hushed each other so we didn’t look like we had too much of good time and wake the kids. I treasured our time together. I needed more time together with Vinny, alone, with that Brooklyn bitch out of the picture. One day, I’ll figure out how to get her out of the picture, for good.”

-Cat

“This fucking whore! Oh my god!” I was so pissed, I snatched the tissue box from Lex.

Dear Diary,

I needed to be held tonight in the kitchen and Vinny did that for me. He always knows what I need. Dinner was wonderful and the kids were so well behaved. Me and Vinny tucking them in together, kissing their little heads, it was perfect. I love my family so much, I just don’t know what I’d do without them. I would do anything to protect them and what we have.

-Cat

They weren’t her family though. They weremine. Vinny was mine.Was.Had he left me for her? Had he chosen her? Did I shove him into her arms? “I can’t believe I stayed here while I sent Catarina totake careofmyfucking family, Lex. God only knows what they’ve done together in New York.” I dropped my face into my hands and yelled, “FUCK!”

“Bianca. Let him explain. You have to.”

“Lex, he fucking cheated on me. What else has he been hiding. Apparently, they’ve known each other since before him and I even got fucking married. She says she watched us get married. She was at our wedding, Lex. Who the fuck is she and why don’t I rememberevermeeting her? None of this makes sense. I want her gone.”

“Do you want me to stay with you? I will. I can be here in the morning when they return too. Do you want me here? Anything you need.”

I would be lost without Lex. I told her, “I should’ve listened to you. You tried to tell me at the dinner that night that something was off about her. I should’ve listened. Why didn’t I listen?” I started crying again and leaned into her. She put her arms around me in a hug and squeezed.

“We want to believe the best in people, babe. Most people are inherently good. Don’t blame yourself. You have a big heart. How about I stay tonight?”

“No. No, it’s ok. Go home to your family. Vinny, Catarina, and the kids will be home in the morning. This isn’t going to be pretty. Let Carter know, but not until tomorrow morning, will you? I imagine Vinny will call him, Cole, Hudson, or all three when I kick his ass out in the morning.” I stood up and paced back and forth for a minute.

Lex blew out a breath. “I’ll let the boys know. I’m only a phone call away if you need anything. I love you, B.”

I smiled but it wasn’t really a smile. “Thank you, Lex. I love you too. Gawd this sucks so bad.Sofucking bad.” She hugged me again but tighter.

“Get some sleep. Call for anything.”

After Lex left, I looked around a house that didn’t feel like my house at all. I felt like a stranger in my own home, and it made my skin crawl. I planned on taking a shower and then packing up both their shit, then setting it in the living room. That’s where I would wait for them. I would wait for these two strangers that knew each other before they knew me. These two people I trusted that lied to my face day in and day out. That slept together in my fucking house with our kids in the same house. That ate dinner together without me. That spent so much time together at the restaurant without me. I would wait for them and then I would say goodbye.

Chapter 24

Vinny

We pulled into the driveway at seven forty-five in the morning. It was a long flight, and the kids were grumpy and whiny. I missed Bianca and couldn’t wait to talk to her. Catarina was mostly quiet on the way home. She picked up Gianna while I carried Angelo to the front door. It was unlocked, so we stepped inside.

As I opened the door, I saw Bianca sitting on the couch with a blank expression on her face. There were suitcases on the side of the couch. I instantly felt nervous. “Hey baby.” She didn’t say anything.

She stood up and grabbed Gianna from Catarina. “Give me my kids.”

Cat tried to protest. “Bianca, I can take them to their rooms.”

“Don’t. Touch. Them. I can take care of my own kids. You two wait here.” Bianca took Gianna and Angelo to their rooms. I didn’t know what was happening and why there were suitcases out. I glanced at Cat, and she was just standing there with her hands in her back pockets and shrugged at me. I knew my wife. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

I heard Bianca close the kids’ doors and then she came back downstairs. She walked over to the dining room table, picked something up and came back to the living room. She went straight to Catarina though. I said, “B, what’s going on?”

She shook her head and looked at Cat. “You fucking whore,” she said in a whisper.

“Bianca!” I yelled.

“No, Vinny. Don’t say anything because you’re next. Don’t you say a tiny, little fuckin’ word.” She didn’t take her eyes off Cat and her voice was emotionless. I wondered what the fuck she was talking about.

Bianca pulled a book from behind her back and held it up close to the tip of Catarina’s nose. “I let you into my home. I let you around my children and I let you around my husband. I trusted you with the three most important people in my life and you fucking betrayed me. And now I want you out of my fucking house, you grimey sewer slut.” Catarina tried to reach for the book, but Bianca yanked it back out of her reach. “I’ve already packed your shit. This is mine now.”

Cat tried to speak. “Bianca… I don’t know what you think you read but…” Bianca slapped her in the face with the book, hard. A trickle of blood ran down Catarina’s nostril. She wiped it away with the back of her hand. This was getting ugly, and I wasn’t sure what Bianca had read, so I was quiet, with a confused look on my face.

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