Page 5 of Sins of Bliss

I click my seatbelt into place. “Home.Myapartment. And stay in the car because I need you to take me to the airport immediately.”

He pulls out into traffic, his eyes bouncing between the road and me through the mirror. “The airport?”

“Yes, and Ross, it’s imperative that this stays between us. You didn’t take me to the airport. You dropped me off at my apartment, and that’s the last time you saw me. Understand?”

Ross has never betrayed me, still, I feel the need to stress the importance of his discretion.

But right now, if I’m being honest, that’s the least of my concerns.

A fresh wave of tears slides down my cheeks. Through the mirror, I see Ross’ eyes soften as he nods once.

“I understand, Miss Paladino. Mum’s the word.”

I spend the drive to my apartment holding back a sob, consumed with thoughts of Sly and trying to figure out how I can get to him as fast as possible.

I need to see him. Touch him.

Make sure he’s breathing.

It never occurred to me that while I was here, making sure he stayed alive, there could be outside factors that would risk his life, too.

He can’t die.

He can’t.

I love him too much.Needhim too much. I’ll do anything to keep him alive.

But as we pull into the underground parking structure of my building, I realize it’s not up to me. I can’t control this.

It’s out of my hands.

Do you hear me, God? You can’t let him die.

Chapter 2

Sly

Before my eyes even open, I sense the brightness of light behind them. My upper body hums with a dull ache as the unmistakable sounds of machines beep and drone all around me.

My eyes fight to open, the heaviness of them protesting the movement. When they finally begin to show me my surroundings, my vision is blurred. Beyond the unfocused haze is the shape of a woman with dark brown hair.

Vincenza?

Of course, she’s the first thing I think of when I wake—she’s the first thing I think of every single day and every night before I go to sleep.

For months, I’ve tried to stop loving her. Begged myself in the darkness of the night as I lay awake, to let her go. So badly, I’ve wanted to move on from the the hurt inside and the love I still cling to, but I can’t. Telling myself not to love her is like telling myself to stop breathing.

Impossible.

Unfathomable.

“Ah, it’s good to see you waking up,” the figure says, her voice sweet like honey, but not the soft sound I long to hear.

Blinking a few times, she comes into view, her warm smile greeting me as I get my bearings.

She reaches forward and grabs the remote attached to my bed, lifting it so that I am seated more upright.

“Try not to move around too much. You might be in some pain. My name is Nurse Franklin. You’re at Ridgewood General, safe and in fantastic hands. I’m going to ask you a couple of questions, and I’d like you to answer to the best of your ability.” She moves to the machines, reading the figures, before returning her attention back to me. “Can you tell me your name?”

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