Page 31 of Black Wave

I sigh in resignation. “Maybe.” It’s all I can give him, and I shrug his concerns away.

His eyebrows shoot up into his hairline in a dramatic fashion, much like a cartoon character does when he hears shocking news. “Oh boy. This should be good. Should I sit down?” my cousin asks, but doesn’t require an answer. He immediately plops onto the couch, grabbing one of the pillows and tucking one foot under his leg. He pats the seat next to him. “Sit and tell me all about it.”

And I do. I start with me stalking Eduardo’s social media. I bring my laptop over and show him everything I found about Eduardo and what he is doing.

“You know…” Adrian clears his throat, almost hesitant to bring this up, but continues despite his reservations. “He came looking for you the next summer back then. He expected to see you there, and when he couldn’t find you, he had this look on his face. You had left, and we knew you weren’t coming after yourmom’s speech about wanting to leave the restrictive confines of the mafia life.”

He rolls his eyes. “She said it was both a blessing and a curse. She wanted to keep you guys away from growing up in that lifestyle. He told us she had approached him to leave you alone, but he said no. He stayed looking out the backfield with his hand in his pockets. Then, without another word, he turned around and walked out the front door. He didn’t return the next day or the following summer.”

I place my hand to my mouth. “I can’t believe Mom told Eduardo all that, and he still came looking for me.” I shake my head in disbelief.

Adrian clears his throat. “My dad spoke with him and told him that it was your parents’ wish for you to have a life without corruption. He strongly requested that Eduardo not seek you out. If he cared for you, he would allow you to be free.”

I don’t know if it is just the topic or if I am sad about the friendship cut short and the potential for more. I think about all that could have been. I would have been promised to Eduardo. I would not have met Julian. I would be safe, happy, and have my family alive with me.

But that wouldn’t be right, would it? My mom was the reason that this happened between Eduardo and me. I still would have been protected if we had my extended family. We were isolated and free, but there is something about being free. Sometimes, you make the wrong choices and suffer the consequences of your actions. Free will isn’t really free.

I look at Adrian, and he gives me a sad face. “I have to go to work early tomorrow, but after work, I’ll go to Liv and see how she is. I’ll put my two-week notice in at work. I’ll let her know that we are leaving for Houston together.”

The following day, Adrian drives me to work. I told my nursing supervisor that I would be moving to Houston for family reasons, and I am officially putting in my two-week notice. It isn’t untrue because I consider Liv my family, and she needs me too. I have my reasons for leaving, but no one can know about Julian. The corruption of his father’s reach is an unknown factor to me. The fact that Julian has found me scares me. I escaped him for a while, but now he knows I’m in the States, so he has a better advantage.

My uncle wanted me to come back home, but I refused to. I can’t leave Liv and don’t want to live like that. Once I get to Houston and secure a location, Adrian will stick around until he can guarantee my safety. My uncle doesn’t tell me if I have anyone around for security, and I don’t want to make it apparent, so I don’t. I thought I was safe, but maybe I never will be.

After the longest shift, I walk out with security to Adrian’s truck. I wave to Todd and thank him. He smiles and returns to the ER doors.

Adrian looks over at me. “How was work? Did you put your notice in?” He pulls out of the parking lot.

“Hey, Adrian. Instead of going to my apartment, can you go by Liv’s? I want to talk to her and tell her about the move.”

He nods. “Where to?”

“Here.” I pull it up on Apple Maps and connect it to his Bluetooth before answering his initial questions. “Today was good but long. I thought the nursing supervisor was literally going to cry after I told her I was putting my two-week notice in. One girl went out on maternity leave, and Liv and I are leaving,making the department down three nurses this month.” I wave my hand around.

We pull up at Liv’s apartment, and I see a light is on in her place. I look over at Adrian, and he gives me a reassuring smile. “Go, Emma. I’ll be here waiting for you, cousin.”

I smile at him affectionately. “How are you still single?” I open the door, and I hear him laughing.

“It’s by choice, Em. Trust me, I have a variety of prospects.”

“Yuck.” I stick out my tongue at him playfully, much like when we were children. “I’ll be right back.” I go up to Liv’s door and knock. “She better answer,” I mutter under my breath.

After the third knock, I hear her approach the door and then the turning sound of her unlocking the double bolts. She opens the door, and I take in her appearance. She looks tired and sad. I push my way in, and she stands there for a second before closing the door and letting out a sigh.

Once Liv turns around, I rush in for a hug. “Hey, girl. How are you?”

She releases me without commenting and walks toward the table, retrieving the glass of wine she had been drinking before I arrived. “Did Brodie make it to Houston okay?” She takes a big gulf of wine.

“Thanks for thinking of me, and I don’t know.” She turns to look at me. “Did you want a glass?” She drains the rest of her glass and pours me one. She must see the concerned look in my eyes because she shakes her head. Her eyes are pleadingdon’t ask.

“Just thought I’d come in and check on you after I got out of work.” We sit at the table. “Have you heard from Dax?”

Liv stops mid-pour. “Not since the last text he sent the week after the accident.” She doesn’t comment further on this, but I know she didn’t reply to his message.

“Liv, you know this isn’t yours or Dax’s fault, right? Brodie made those choices—to cheat on you, get drunk, and do a backflip drunk when he knew he shouldn’t. You can’t blame yourself for another person’s bad choices. I won’t let you. Those events were always his bad choices.” Except I understand it—the guilt I feel. It was a wrong choice that caused my family’s death. My bad decision. I was involved with a monster, and that relationship caused my life and everything I cared about to crumble.

Changing the subject, I look around the apartment. “How’s the packing going?”

Liv also looks around at the chaos of her imminent move to Houston. “Slow.”

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