Page 19 of The Holy Ghost
Phoenix smirked andI could feel myself feeling violent again even as weary as I was.“Which room do you think is yours?” he taunted.
I crossed myarms over my chest. “Look,Phoenix, it’s been a long day, and I am tired. Either start talkingor, kindly, let me go to bed.”
“Alright,” hereplied. “We might as well get this over with.”
“Then starttalking,” I demanded.
Phoenix stuckhis hands in his pocketand,to anyone else, he would look casual, but I knew better. He waspoised to pounce at any minute. “You’re not going back,” hedeclared as if it were fact.
I could feel myteeth start to grind because he sounded like he meant what he said.“Excuse me?”
One dark browshot up, and he looked cockyand too fucking sexy for any woman’s peace of mind. “You heard me,”he said. “You’re not going back to Cedar Creek. Your place is here,as it’s always been. It’s time to come home, Frankie.”
I scoffed atthe absurdness of his words. “You are insane if you think I’m going to just pack up my lifeand come back to Morgan City,” I said scathingly. “I have a job,Phoenix. I have an apartment, and friends. I have alifein Cedar Creek.”
The look onhis face told me just what he thought of my life in Cedar Creek. The distaste was stamped allover him. “Your apartment’s scheduled to be packed up tomorrow.Luca didn’t arrange for you to go back to work on Monday, Frankie.He gave them your notice and convinced them to accept one week’snotice instead of two. As for your friends, you have aphone.”
My bodytrembled in rage. I wanted to charge him and take every frustrationI was feelingout onhim.
How dare he?
Howdarethem?
“What?”
“You heard me.”
I was soenraged, I almost couldn’t see with it. “What in the hell give you guys the right?!”
“Because we’reyour real family, Frankie,” he snapped. “We’re youronlyfamily.”
I let out alaugh devoid of humor. “Myfamily?” Iasked, sarcasm dripping from each word. “Don’t speak to me aboutfamily, Phoenix. You guys left me in the fucking cold with yourbullshit. You guys lied and kept secrets as easily as you brushedyour teeth in the morning.”
“Frank-”
“What kind offamily does that, huh?” I asked, ignoring him. “You, Ciro, and Luca are a family. I’mnothing.”
Hewas in front of me in a flash. Hishand wrapped around my arm, toying with the bruises that werealready forming from earlier. “That’s not true,” heseethed.
“Of course,it’s true,” I argued,refusingto believe him. “You three went into this together, never onceincluding me.”
“We were trying toprotect you!” he yelled.
“Bullshit!” Iyelled back. “You were trying to protect yourselves! You werehoping to ask for forgiveness instead of permission.”
“What did youexpect?” he exploded, his grip tightening. “We knew how you felt about Luca’s family’slifestyle.”
“So what?” Isaid, still yelling in his face. “It didn’t change how I felt about Luca. I always knew therewas a chance you guys would end up with the Benettis.”
“Then why didyou leave?” he asked, yellingjust as loud as I was. “If you already knew where we were headed,why in the fuck did you run off?”
“Because you guyshidit from me,” I said, finally explaining my pain.“You guys made this huge life decision and you hid it from me. I’mnot mad because you work for the Benettis. I’m mad because you guyslied to me. You lied and, after years of holding me close, you guysleft me out in the cold, making me feel less than what I thought Imeant to you guys.”
“Frankie-”
“I don’t haveroom in my life for liars,Phoenix,” I announced, unable to stop the purging of six years ofresentment. “There’s no way I’m moving back to MorganCity.”
“It’s already beendecided,” he stated, releasing my arm.
