Owned (Dellucci Mafia Duet)

And to walk up to this very specific man sitting on a bench near the bus stop. His trench coat is one of many, but the way he parts his hair and has this super-refined beard is so striking that I know for sure it is him.

When I approach him, he looks up at me with apprehension.

“Hi,” I say.

He frowns. “Um, hello.”

I know it’s awkward. A random stranger talking to you in the middle of the street. But I have a reason. A good one too.

I fish the wallet from my pocket and hold it out to him. He stares at me and then the wallet for a few seconds until it finally clicks.

“But that’s—”

“I found it on the sidewalk. A long time ago,” I say, swallowing back the lump in my throat.

He frowns. “You … found it?”

I blush and tuck my hair behind my ear. “Yeah, when you walked by, you dropped it, and I couldn’t … give it back yet. I needed some money.”

He takes the wallet but doesn’t put it into his pocket.

“How do you know this is mine?” he asks.

“I remember this was the place you dropped it at, so I figured you’d come by here often. So I just kept coming by every day, watching the bus stop to try to find you.”

“Every day?” He makes a face like he can’t believe someone would go through that much effort.

“Yeah. It’s important to me. I owed you.” I take a deep breath. “And I’m sorry, I know it was wrong. I just wanted to bring it back to you.”

I lick my lips as he opens it. “I put back all the cash I borrowed. Plus more.”

When he notices the hundred-dollar bills, he almost drops the wallet but manages to catch it just in time before it hits a puddle of water on the ground.

“But this is way too much,” he says. “I never had that.”

“I know,” I say, smiling gently. “But I wanted you to have something extra. For the trouble. And also to make up for me borrowing it.”

He narrows his eyes at me and then tucks the wallet back into his pocket where it belongs.

“Thanks, I guess,” he says.

“No, no, thank you. You really helped me out while I was at a really low point in my life. Living off the streets and all that.” I try to hide another blush by looking away and clearing my throat. “Look, I just don’t like being indebted. That’s all.”

“Okay,” he says.

“Okay.”

An awkward silence ensues, so I mutter, “Well, I don’t think I’ll see you around anymore. But I hope you have a nice life.”

“Thanks,” he replies. “You too.”

“Bye.” I turn around and start walking.

“Hey,” the man calls out, so I glance at him over my shoulder. “Are you okay now? Do you need help?”

A broad smile slowly creeps onto my cheeks. “Don’t worry about me. I’ve found a place I can call home.”

A knock on my door prompts Andrea to pause midway through zipping me up in my gown.

A familiar face peeks inside. “Uh, hey.”

“Melanie,” I say with a smile. “I’m glad you came.”

She smiles back. “Of course.” She closes the door behind her. “I was there when you were at your worst … And now I’m here when you’re at your best.”

She walks over to me, and we hug for a moment.

We’ve been through some deep shit. Even though we were separate for most of the time. It’s our trauma that bonds us.

“I just wanted to say thank you,” she says.

“Don’t thank me,” I reply. “You saved yourself. Not me.”

“But if you hadn’t been there, I’d probably still be stuck in Stefan’s clutches.” She sighs. “Just let me thank you, okay?”

“Okay,” I say. “I’m happy you’re okay now.”

She breathes out a sigh of relief. When our hug ends, she says, “You look absolutely stunning in this dress.”

I blush. “You think?”

“I’ve never seen a more fabulous dress in my life. Turn around.”

I swivel on my heels as best as I can.

“Lovely,” she adds. “Honestly, it’s perfect.”

I smile again. “Thanks. I’m really glad you’re here too.”

She nods, then she hugs me again really quickly. “I’m grateful to be here.” She leans away, grabbing my shoulders. “You ready?”

I sigh out loud. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

She laughs. “You’ll be fine. You love him.”

I frown. “How do you know?”

“I can see it in your eyes, silly.” She winks. “Girls know these things.”

I hide my smile by rubbing my lips together. Yeah, I think I do kind of love this man.

“Well, see you at the ceremony,” she says, waving again as she walks off. “You did a good job, momma bear.”

“Momma bear?” Andrea mutters, her brows furrowed.

I snort. “Oh, she means well.”

“Right …” She clears her throat and then grabs my shoulders and turns me toward the mirror. “Where was I? Oh, right!” She zips me up and grabs the veil lying on the chair.