Page 71 of Till Death Do Us Part

“Look what you’ve done!” she hissed at me, gesturing around. Her hair was standing up all over the place, and her lipstick was smeared. “You know why we call you ‘Y’? Because we have no cluewhyMamma and Babbo didn’t stop after Lo.”

“Isa,” Carlo whispered, reaching out for her, but she slapped his hand away and stormed out of the room. He followed her, and so did Alina.

Talia removed a piece of fluff from my hair. “Don’t listen to Isa. You know she has a wicked tongue when she gets mad.”

“Doesn’t change the fact that she’s a bitch.” Lo shook her head.

I thought about hiding out in my room all day, but I wouldn’t give Isabella the satisfaction of not having to see me.

Jack caught me before I went up the stairs. He ran a soft finger down my nose. “You okay?”

“Yes.”

“Your sister seemed so sweet. Now I’m not so sure.”

“If you fake everything around her, you’ll be good. She doesn’t do well with the truth.” And she was probably pregnant. With her first two pregnancies, she’d go berserk over something as stupid as a dropped cookie. All things considered, I was surprised all my hair was left intact.

He didn’t know what to say to that. Neither did I.

“Hey, you want to take a ride?” He stuck his hands in his pockets, turning toward the door. “We have time before we eat. And two kids—niece and nephew, I think—need batteries for games they got. Maybe we can find an open drugstore.”

“I need to get dressed first. I’ll be down in fifteen.”

He gave me the biggest smile, heading into the kitchen while I went to get dressed. I hadn’t driven since the accident. My car was totaled, and I wasn’t ready to replace her yet. But I agreed to go with Jack for only one reason. I was going to ask him to drop by Elsa’s place.

She was almost positive she wasn’t going to make it home, and I didn’t want her to be alone. And after the fight with Isabella, I was motivated to move out of Babbo’s house. Elsa could use a roommate to help with the rent and expenses. It seemed like an ideal situation.

After we found a drugstore that was open and bought the batteries, we headed to Elsa’s.

“You’re quiet,” Jack said.

I was. I was watching as Chicago passed by, lost to my thoughts.

“Seems like a nice time to reflect.” I nodded to the window. The world was so cold and so quiet.

“That’s usually what I do before the new year.”

I turned to face him. “You reflect?”

He looked hurt. “I do have some depth.”

“I didn’t mean to imply otherwise, but I just didn’t take you for that kind of man.”

He shrugged. “I reflect, then drown the year in a bottle of something strong. Time for a new start. Out with the old, in with the new.”

And…there it was. Probably the theme to his life, including women. It would take the right woman to knock him on his ass. It wasn’t me. I didn’t care enough to go near him with a sledgehammer.

“I actually know the perfect woman for you,” I said.

“You?” He grinned.

“No, not me. A friend of mine. Penelope. She was runner up to me during the pageant. She went on to win Miss America and then Miss Universe after I dropped out.”

After seeing Penelope recently, I realized she and Jack would make sense together. He’d fall in love with her the moment he saw her, and she was passionate about the things she believed in. She’d challenge him.

If it worked out, maybe I'd give Babbo a run for his money in the match-making department.

“Why did you quit? You had some real potential.” He whistled. “Unbelievable, though. My wife’s trying to set me up with another woman.”

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