Page 106 of Brittle Heart

“I’m asking you to hold out. Hang in there with me. Two more years, max, Howie. I’m going to save every penny I earn and don’t need to live, and the second Chiara turns eighteen, I’m going to rent an apartment for us, and we’re out of here.”

“I love that for you,” he replies with a smile.

“Howie, you’re not listening,” I say, gently taking his free hand in mine. “Hang in there for me, and I’m going to build us the home we haven’t had for so long. You told me yourself, we’re family. And as much as I would never leave Chiara behind, I won’t leave you behind either,” I say earnestly.

“Lina, I’m just baggage no one needs,” he murmurs.

“I need you,” I whisper.

Thinking about the new home I envision for us, memories of the initial weeks after losing the only home I had ever known start flooding back.

The room is thick with tension, the air heavy with the stench of alcohol. Roberto’s eyes are bloodshot, his face contorted with anger and frustration. I can see the hunger in his eyes, not just for food but for an outlet for his rage.

I’ve been trying to avoid him all day, hoping he’d pass out from the alcohol. But hunger has a way of keeping even the drunkest man awake.

Chiara is sitting at the breakfast table, doing her homework, trying to stay invisible. But she’s too young, too innocent to understand that sometimes invisibility isn’t enough.

“Why’s there no food in this house?” Roberto slurs, his voice rising with every word.

I swallow hard, trying to find my voice. “I’m sorry. I’ll try to get some tomorrow.”

Hopefully, I will make some tips tonight, or I won’t be able to keep that promise. I had to pay rent for the first time on my own two days ago, and it was more than I anticipated.

He turns his gaze to Chiara, and my heart stops. “You! You eat all the food, don’t you?” he accuses, pointing a shaky finger at her.

Chiara’s eyes widen in fear, and she shakes her head frantically. “No,zio.”

But Roberto is beyond reasoning. He lunges at her, his hand raised to strike. Without thinking, I step in between them, grabbing his arm. “Don’t you dare touch her!” I shout.

His eyes, filled with fury, lock onto mine. “You think you can stop me?” He sneers.

Then, his fist connects with my face. Pain explodes in my cheek, and I stumble back. He has spewed shit at me since we moved in a few weeks ago, but it’s the first time he has hit me. And somehow, I already know it won’t be the last time.

I pull Chiara to her feet with me, and rush to the bathroom. I lock the door just as Roberto’s heavy footsteps approach. Chiara’s sobs fill the small space as I slide down the door, pulling her onto my lap. She buries her face in my neck, her tears hot against my skin.

Outside, Roberto’s angry shouts and pounding on the door echo through the apartment. But I hold Chiara close, whispering words of comfort into her ear. “It’s going to be okay,piccola,” I promise, even though I’m not sure if I believe it myself. “I am never going to let him hurt you. I promise.”

Minutes feel like hours, but eventually, the banging stops. The apartment falls silent, save for our heartbeats. I take a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart.

We’re safe.

But for how long?

CHAPTERFORTY-ONE

Carolina

It’s been half an hour with still no sign of Sophia. I look at my phone again, wondering what the holdup is. Every other day, if she’d be running late, I’d just do something else and wait for her to show up. But today, my mind is fixated on the revelation I had yesterday.

I’m dying to have another look at the file and see if there are any other inconsistencies I might have missed from shock and narrow-mindedness.

Just as I contemplate whether to wait a little longer or look for her, I hear Sophia’s muffled voice from outside the door in the hallway. She sounds agitated, so I quickly get up and walk over to the door, trying to listen in on the conversation.

“I said no, it was authorized,” Sophia says.

“Who authorized it?” a deep male voice asks, and I strain to hear their exchange.

“It came from all the way up, so there’s no reason to withdraw it now,” Sophia says, her tone tense.

---