Page 39 of The Sound in Silence

“Yeah…” Suddenly, I don’t want to admit this next part. Like it almost feels too personal to share. But I do. “He called me, to inform me be was promoted to Boss. And then yesterday morning, he called to wish me a happy birthday.”

“That’s…nice. Still not liking this whole set-up, though.”

“Too late now.” And that’s not even telling her he plans on living apart from me.

“Yeah, well…ugh! Why’d you volunteer again?”

So I can feel less alone. So I can make a family for myself, only to realize I’m an unwanted task he’s only treating well, the same one would feed a pet.

My entire mood shifts and the urgency to get off the phone builds. Especially since Sebastian offered to finish the tour today and it’s bright, sunny, and hot out, I don’t want my mood to drive me to bury my head in the pillows again and not leave this room.

“Someone’s at my door, Della,” I lie, “Gotta go.” Before she says goodbye, I jab the red hang-up button, dropping the device and striding away from it.

Della gets to live her perfect life with a husband who adores her. Who wants to spend his entire life making her wishes come true. With Nico, she’ll always have a voice.

With Erico, I never will.

The irony isn’t lost on me.

Before my mood shifts anymore, I exit the bedroom without retrieving my phone, heading right for the kitchen, which is where Sebastian said he’d meet with me after my call with Della.

He glances up from his cup as I enter, his light eyes growing even brighter. He’s like a hyper puppy and his grin is infectious, making mine too impossible to hide. “Good chat with your sister?”

Testing him, since he enjoys the practice, I sign to him,Yes, thank you for waiting. Ready if you are.

Since I moved slow enough, he seems to catch most of it, nodding as my hands return to my side. “If you asked if I’m ready, it’s a yes. If you asked anything else, well, it’s still a yes and I hope I won’t get in trouble for agreeing to it.”

My responding laughter is more of a huff as he gestures toward the back door for me to take the lead. I’m excited as I open it and step onto a stone path. One of those paths where the round stones are imbedded overtop the grass and not in a straight line, making the walk odder than it needs to be.

But it’s not the path that has my attentionat all. It’s the Olympic-sized pool it leads to.

Oh my god.My steps quicken, flip-flops struggling to keep pace as I rush down the path for a better look at the massive pool, easily taking up a third of the space behind the house. The water is clear, a light turquoise as it reflects the sky above. It’s surrounded by a cement border, wide enough for the dozen or so lounge chairs scattered around, each one with a small table between them.

If the pool wasn’t enough, it’s the view. Since the Rossi property sits on the edge of the land, only a few feet away from the cement is the clear fence, ensuring that people don’t accidentally end up falling off the cliff and into the ocean.

But me, I walk right up to that fence, pressing into the glass, secretly hoping my weight will break it. Anything to get me closer to the vast ocean filling every inch of my sight. With the day’s heat, lack of breeze, and bright sun, the water is calm. Only a few ripples over the smooth surface as I stare out into it.

Sebastian comes up beside me, resting his forearms on the railing. My attention actually moves from the water to him, to his rolled-up sleeves of his black shirt, studying the red poppy tattoo etched on his arm. I want to ask about it.

“Beautiful view, right?”

I nod, attention returning to it, and then to the pool behind us. I can definitely imagine swimming here all day, staring at the ocean around it. Studying water while in water sounds pretty damn fantastic. Then to go inside, eat whatever delicious meal Carlotta whips up, and spend the evening with the piano. Yeah. Until Erico remembers he has a wife back home, I can pretend to be living a fantastic life. If anything, I won’t be pretending one day. When my idiotic brain realizes the love I was chasing will never happen, I’ll have all this empty happiness to occupy me.

At least my cage is pretty.

I push away from the fence and head for the poolside, kicking off one flip-flop once I reach the cement. Testing the water, I dip my toe in, the silkiness of bliss coating my foot until I can’t help but moan.

Fuck, I’ve missed swimming.

Swimming and music. Both activities that Erico’s returned to me.

I turn to find Sebastian where I’ve left him and lift my hands into a signing motion.Going to get changed.And then I take off, into the house, without checking to ensure he understood me. He’ll figure it out.

Erico

Caladin’s sprawled on the couch in my condo, mindlessly flicking at the back of the leather. “You’re fucking serious? What is your fatherdoing? He’s gonna get us all killed.”

“I know, I know.” My hands rub my face. For the majority of the day, I’ve been trying to have my father tracked, to see where precisely he’s hiding our Bratva friends. “I’d like to go home. Business is done here. But it feels unfinished when I know that…thateelis slithering in my city.”

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