Page 78 of Always You
“Dom, I have some news. I’m fucking shocked, confused, shit I don’t know what to think.”
He pulls out a chair to sit on. Fuck he’s scaring the shit out of me. In all the years I’ve known him, I’ve never seen him this way.
“Spit it out.”
He groans as beads of sweat trickle from his forehead.
“We discovered who started the fire. Who killed Mila’s father.”
Seven years later, I’m frozen in place. Finally, justice for Mila and Leo. Pondering back to that night, helping her climb out the window to sneak out. It was a school night. I had a late practice and I was dying to see her, to hold her, to make love to her at our secret spot on the beach. If she wouldn’t have sneaked out Mila wouldn’t be here right now. She carries guilt for not rescuing her father that night. I know Leo, he loved his daughter more than anything, I’m positive he’s happy she snuck out that night to have a life, a family, and love.
“Who is it? How did they find the person?” I turn to cast a glance at Liam.
He chews on his lip nervously. “Mila’s former neighbor just came into the precinct a few hours ago. She glimpsed from her porch that night a car parked outside. She retreated into her home not thinking anything like this would happen, then minutes later the house caught on fire and the woman in the car split. She also has footage on her security cameras that she kept. She was terrified to tell.” He pauses for a second, rubbing the stubble on his chin.
I’m trying to regroup from his statement that it was intentional. Someone did this. Who would want to harm them?
“This is the shitty part, man; I-I don’t know how to tell you, but here’s the copy of the report. I haven’t turned it in yet. I can sit on it for a little while, but there are others involved and I can’t wait too long. I wanted to talk to you about it first.”
Nausea stirs in the pit of my stomach.
“Fuck, dude, the person who started the fire was your mom.”
My legs are shaky as I support myself on the table. My chest is caving in, I can’t breathe.My mom, my mom, my mom,are the only two words that keep playing in my head.
This can’t be real. Why would she do this?No, no, no.It can’t be. With shaky hands, I open the report, Mrs. Gibson witnessed my mother light candles around the house with a gallon of gasoline and a rag. I blink repeatedly, praying I miss read it.
“Are you sure it was my mom?” I choke out, a sudden dark shadow hovering over me, sucking all the light out of me.
“Yes, I watched the surveillance video more than twenty times. It was no accident it was intentional,” Liam speaks in a soft, shaky voice. His head hangs low, and his shoulders slump. Tears fall down his face. Liam has grown up at our home. My mom loves Liam she treats him like a son.
“I haven’t submitted the report yet. What do you want me to do? It’s your mom, she will go to prison for murder. We will need to turn her in. Mila needs closure as well, she’ll need years of trauma therapy. If she wouldn’t have snuck out that night, Dominic, w-we could have lost her.” His eyes hood as he directs his gaze to mine.
“I can’t comprehend the reason your mom had. Why she did something so ruthless.” He stands and walks to grab a bottle of water. Twisting the cap off, he stares up at me.
Paralyzed by this new information, never in a million years would I have imagined my own mother to be this cruel and heartless.
“I think you should be the one to speak to Mila first, before word gets out, or she finds out from someone else.”
I nod. Numbly.
I keep replaying the conversation I had with Liam, and it has me frazzled. He left two hours ago. Mila just texted me to come over. As much as I want to see her, and hold her, I can’t today. I lied, informing her I was over-submerged in work. How could I face her knowing my mother is the reason she’s an orphan? My mother attempted to kill her, the love of my life. I don’t have an answer to why my mom did it. If I call her, she might flee. Liam asked me to keep quiet, and not to mention it to my mom or brothers yet.
How do I tell Mila? What if she leaves me? Or despises me for what my mom did? What if I remind her of what Rachel Delgado did to her and her father? She will look at me with animosity. Rightfully so, I am the son of a killer, a murderer, after all. I can’t lose her. I love her more than life. I love my mom and loathe her all at the same time. What she did is unforgivable.
All these years, she showed no sign of remorse, no sign of regret. Unsympathetic, she portrayed no sign of remorse all these years. She killed Leo, burned him to death. She is a cruel fucking woman. She betrayed us. Our own mother.Fuck, fuck.My shoulders slump as I throw my head back on the sofa. I grip my fingers through my hair with frustration.
Mila’s going to leave me. I can feel it. I should have protected her from my own mother. Losing her all over again is going to destroy me, losing my son in the mix will leave me lifeless. Terminally ill.
I’m so sorry, Angel, I love you.My eyes fall heavy drifting off letting sleep take over.
twenty-five
MILA
Acouple of weeks have passed since Halloween. I’ve been super busy at work, and it will only get busier with the holidays coming in full swing. Today’s Dante’s birthday and we’re throwing him a party at Chuckie’s Adventure. My head has been in a haze lately. Dominic has been acting strange these past weeks. He has been distant. Distracted.
I asked him if everything was okay. He replies work has been hectic, and he’s been behind on paperwork. I’m hoping that’s the case. His eyes are as soft as a whisper when I catch him staring at me, and he then turns away. He frowns and drops his head. I refrain from being intrusive and stop asking repeatedly.
