Page 63 of In My Blood
“No problem. Look, I wanted to apologise for this morning. I know I was being a royal bitch. I shouldn’t have spoken about you or to you the way I did. I was just upset,” she told me.
“I think it’s Rafe who needs an apology more than I do.”
“I’m not apologising to Rafe. He’s being a total arsehole! I’m almost seventeen, but he keeps me here like some prisoner. Doyou know he told me I can’t leave the house for the rest of the week?!”
“I’m aware, and I have to say I agree with him, Gia. I was shot at this morning. It’s not safe outside this house right now, for either of us.”
“I knew you’d take his side!” she pouted dramatically.
“I’m on the side of keeping you safe and protected, and if that’s Rafe’s side too, then so be it. We love you. Gia. We don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“You don’t even know me, Cara, and if you really did love me, you could have come back for me, but you didn’t, did you? You abandoned me and took my Mum with you!” With that Gia disappeared from sight, slamming her door closed so hard that it rattled the walls around me. I stood frozen for a moment, not sure what to do, but I had to try and speak to her. I wanted her to understand I had never wanted to leave her behind. I needed her to believe that I loved her and I always had.
“Gia?” I called with a gentle knock on her door.
“Just go away, Cara. I don’t want you here! Everything is so much worse since you came back!” she screamed angrily. Every word tore at me, but I didn’t say anything in return. What could I say to that?
CHAPTER 17
CARA
Feeling a little shell shocked, I stumbled to the stairs and walked down the first flight, so Gia wouldn’t be able to see me if she came out of her room. There I sat on the top step of the next flight and buried my face in my hands as the tears came. All I had wanted when I agreed to come back to the UK was to see Gia and know she was alright, but apart from that first day, she seemed to loathe me being there. Even if I wasn’t a disappointment to Rafe, I feared I was definitely one to Gia.
It took me a while to pull myself together. More than ever I felt like I didn’t belong there in that house, and I hated the thought that what Gia said was true – that things were worse there for her since I came along. It did make sense. She was trapped at home now because of the men after me, and Rafe had been mad with her that morning because I had, inadvertently, landed her in the shit. She definitely wasn’t getting as much of his time because he was worrying about me. Was there more than that, things I didn’t even realise she was going through because of my presence there? I didn’t want that for her. She might be spoilt and moody, but she was still my baby sister and I’d do anything she needed me to do to ensure she was happy.
I needed to mull it over, and I couldn’t sit mid-meltdown while I did that, so I pulled myself together, wiped at my eyes andcheeks, then got to my feet. I still needed to deliver my terrible sketch to Dio…or Dario? Either way, I had told him I would get him the image.
As I passed the fourth floor I felt this desperate need to go to Cal for one of the hugs he had promised me, but I knew he could be fast asleep and I didn’t want to wake him, even if I did feel brave enough to go to him at all. I pushed myself past the floor with reluctance and went down to the office, sure that was where I would find Dio. It was where he seemed to live when he was home.
“Cara? Is everything alright?” Rafe asked when I stuck my head inside and found him in there alone. There were two large desks inside, facing each other, Rafe was behind his, but the other was empty.
“Sorry to disturb you. I was just looking for Dio,” I told him.
“He’s home somewhere. I left him in the living room after dinner, with Dante and Cal. Is everything alright? Have you been crying?” He got to his feet and came closer, so I stepped inside, not wanting to be rude.
“I’m fine. I spoke to Gia, and let’s just say you’re not the only one she’s pissed off with right now,” I sighed.
“What has she done now?” Rafe asked through gritted teeth.
“Nothing,” I said quickly – too quickly if Rafe’s raised eyebrows were anything to go by. “She just…she’s mad with me, because I agreed with you on her needing to stay home. Don’t say anything to her though, please Rafe. We’ll figure it out.”
“I don’t want her upsetting you.”
“I’m upsetting her too though. It’s just going to take time for us to get used to being sisters again, I think.”
“Fine. I’ll stay out of it for now, if that’s what you want, but I know what she can be like, Cara. Don’t take her shit. She’s a very talented actress when she wants or needs to be.”
“We’ll be fine,” I assured him. “I should find Dio. I drew that tattoo for him…the one I saw on that guy.”
“Do you want me to give it to him? You look tired,” Rafe offered.
“No. I…I’ll find him. I slept all afternoon. I’m good. I might grab something to eat too, if that’s okay?”
“Cara,” he said with some disappointment.
“I know…don’t ask, but I…I can’t help it. I’m not used to this…all of this.”
“Then get used to it, sweetheart. You’re home now. Start believing it,” he told me with a gentle smile.
