Page 5 of Venomous Vows

God only knows why this would fall on me when this is his fault. But since Mom died ten years ago in a sudden car accident, my father hasn’t been mentallythere.

He’s distant.

The man who raised us and spoiled Marcella and me rotted is a walking corpse that barely takes care of himself.

I tried my best, honestly. When Mom died a week before my high school graduation, I did my best to hold it together. I raised my sister, who was ten then, the best I could. I’m no miracle worker and have my faults, but Dad wasn’t there. He buried himself in work, more work, and business meetings that we hardly know each other anymore.

He’s a ghost that walks around this Earth and visits from time to time, but he’s not here. He’s a residual being thatconstantly does the same thing over and over again by asking the same questions:how is everything, how’s business with the bakery,andlet’s do dinner soon.

I lost my father the same night Marcella and I lost our mother. He’s never been the same man he was before and I grieve them both. My sister is the only piece of family I have and it’s vital to get her back.

And Zane is the only entity on this Earth that I know who might be able to help me with that.

That’s a lie.

I inhale an unsteady breath. There’s another person who could possibly make this go away, but he wouldn’t offer.

Adrian Bernardi, Zane’s older brother, is an inflexible, unsympathetic, and cruel asshole who made my entire existence a living hell when he used to live next door.

He wasmybully. A tall, lanky shithead who used to lock me in his closet when I refused to leave his house after coming to see Zane. Then, to prevent screaming, he’d shove one of his dirty socks in my mouth while using a pillowcase to tie my hands behind my back.

I used to sit in that closet for hours, slamming my heel into the door while waiting for Zane to rescue me.

Yet, I never permitted Adrian to persuade me.

I only pushed back.

I bet he still never found his keys to his old Beamer because I threw them in Golson’s pond. I’ve doused him in a bucket of water in the middle of a dead sleep after he drank too much and fibbed, saying I thought it was Zane’s room. Then I picked out every last marshmallow in his Lucky Charms cereal because it was his favorite.

It was a constant back and forth. A hefty reminder to steer clear, don’t get involved, and read the red flags.

Hence why I went to Zane for aid because Adrian would spew shit in my face and then tell me to get out.

I don’t need that kind of energy right now.

“Elena.”

Glancing up from my now not-so-steamy coffee, I find a slightly familiar face and nothing childish about his features anymore.

Zane Bernardi has grown the hell up into the boy next door with muscles and a sculpted jaw. His hazel eyes glimmer with that friendly kindness I always received, and I’m semi-relieved that he showed up.

He looks great. But the black suit is a little too much for this kind of meeting.

I think.

Is there a dress code for this sort of thing?

“Wow…Zane,” I greet, forcing my chair back so that I can rise and possibly hug him. I haven’t seen him since the summer going into my senior year of high school because the Bernardi family moved away once Zane graduated.

Rounding the table, I hesitate to touch him. I don’t know if he’s the same person he was when we were kids; which was mellow, goofy, and really fun to be with. The world fell away when Zane was around and he was the highlight of my childhood.

Sensing my delay, he smiles, alluding that the little boy who used to watch SpongeBob with me and stole all my snacks is still in there.

Erasing the space between us, Zane’s long arms wrap around my body and pull me in for a hug. It’s warm and inviting. The smell of cedar and vanilla fills my nostrils, and I think it’s the first time I’ve been able to breathe in days.

“How have you been?” he asks over my head, giving me one last squeeze before releasing me and guiding me back to my chair. “I can’t imagine how difficult this is for you.”

I take my seat again and watch as he does the same across the table from me. Movement grabs my attention from behind him and I notice two equally matched and suited guys standing a bit back near the entry door of the coffee shop.

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