Page 23 of The Holy Ghost
“Robbie,calm-”
“Oh, my God, Frankie,” shewent on. “You’re the freakingChurch.”
Church?
“Thewhat?What are you talking about?”
“Oh, my SweetJesus,” she mumbled. “You don’t know, do you?”
“Know what?” Ihonestly had no idea what she was talking about.
“People callyou Church,” she said. “No onebelieved you existed because no one has seen you in years, but…therumor is that The Holy Trinity worships the ground you walk on.Hence, calling you Church; a place of worship.”
“That’sridiculous,” I blurted. “Those three men don’t…they don’t…”
Ignoring me, she said, “Iknew your last name was Mancini, but I never connected you to thosethree. Why would the sister ofCiro Mancinibeworking as a waitress in Cedar Creek?”
Exactly, I wanted to tellher.
Once shesettled her fandom down, hervoice changed from incredulous to hurt again. “Why…why didn’t youever say anything?” she asked. “I…I thought wewere…close.”
“Robby, I’msorry,” I replied, and I was. I truly was. She’s been the best allthese years, and she deserved better. “I was trying to distance myself from…my life in MorganCity. I didn’t tellanyone. Even if it wasn’ta matter of privacy, it was a matter of safety. I couldn’t walkaround freely if people knew who I was.” And in saying those words,I realized what a fool I’ve been. I was able to walk aroundtoofreely, and I never connected thedots.
Robbie let outa deep sigh, and I knew she was trying to absorb what I was sayingwithout taking it personal. I also knew it was hard to find out theperson you thought you knewwasn’t all they claimed to be. It’s how I felt the night Ifollowed Ciro and Phoenix to that warehouse and found out I wasn’tas close to them as I had believed.
“That’s a goodpoint,” she conceded. “It’s just…a lot.”
I pulled thesheet tighter around my nakedbody. I had to shift around to get comfortable from the achebetween my legs. “I know it is, Robbie. I’m sorry I kept this fromyou, but…itisa lot.”
“So…no more playingcommon peasant, huh?”
I hated howshe phrased that. Lucamightbe royalty, maybe even Ciro and Phoenix, but I wasn’t. And therewas nothing common about good people who carved out decent livingsfor themselves. “I wasn’t playing a role,” I replied, trying tokeep my voice from sounding defensive. “I left Morgan City for areason, Robbie, and I was happy with my life.”
“Oh, God, Frankie,”she rushed out. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that at all.I…it’s just…well, the Benettis are…infamous. Your brother isinfamous. I…I was just being…dumb.”
I let outbone-deep tired sigh. “No,it’s okay,” I told her. “I’m sorry. There’s just a lot going on,and I’m just tired.” Then I decided to tell her the rest. “There’smore to this than Ciro being my brother, Robbie. That’s why…it’scomplicated.”
“It’s notenough that you’re CiroMancini’s sister?” she asked, incredulously. “I mean, even withoutthe Church rumors, you’reCiro freakin’ Mancini’ssister. That’s…something.”
Thinking backto how casually Phoenix said I was still Luca’s best friend, I wentwith that. “I’m also Luca Benetti’s best friend, Robbie.”
“Oh,Christ on The Cross,” shebreathed. “You’re…you’re Luca Benetti’sbest friend?Are you freakin’ serious right now?”
“We have been sincewe were children,” I confessed. “But…there’s more.”
“More?There’smore?”
“I used to bePhoenix Fiore’sgirlfriend.”
“Oh,fuck me running,” she cried. “So…soyou’re telling me that, not only are you Ciro Mancini’s onlysister, but you are Luca freakin’ Benetti’s best friend,andyou’re dating Phoenix Fiore?”
“Iusedto date Phoenix,” I clarified, not ready to ownup to last night and what it might mean going forward. “I’m notsure what’s exactly going on now.”
“No wonderpeople call you Church,” shereplied. “Frankie, do you have any idea who the fuck you are? Doyou?”
“I’m FrankieMancini,” I told her. “Plainand simple.”
“There’s nothing plain orsimply about you, girl,” she huffed.“Jesus Christ.”
