“Thank you for being honest,” I tell Nino. “Leave this with me for now. We can revisit it later.”
“Does that mean I have to go this Sunday?” he asks.
“No. We will skip this weekend.”
He sits back against the seat and peers over the water again. “Thank you, Alessio.”
We are both quiet for the remainder of the ride. I’m lost in my thoughts, and Nino observes everything from a bird’s eye view with keen interest. When we disembark, he asks if we can go to the carousel, and I cave to that request too. After several of the longest rides of my life, he decides he’s hungry, so we stop for a frankfurter on the pier and find a bench to eat them on.
By the time we leave, the sun is starting to set. I’m considering what else we might do for the remainder of the evening when he informs me he has homework. I ask him if he wants my help, and he says he can do it by himself. Before we go our separate ways at the house, he gives me another hug.
“I hope we can go again,” he says.
“We will,” I answer gruffly.
He heads upstairs, and I take a sauna and a cold plunge in an attempt to clear my head. It usually helps, but in this case, my thoughts only seem more complicated. I realize it’s almost Nino’s bedtime when I check the clock, and I need to get him ready.
Upstairs, his door is cracked, and the sound of the TV floats out into the hall. When I ease it open, I’m surprised to see him and Natalia on the bed together, tears staining both their cheeks as they watch the screen credits roll.
“What’s going on?” I demand.
They both look at me, and Nino sniffles at the same time Natalia does.
“ET had to go home,” Nino says.
I stare at them in confusion. “The movie?”
Nino nods.
Natalia signs something to him, and he looks back at me. “But it’s okay. Natalia says he’s safe. It’s just that goodbyes are hard.”
I don’t even know how to deal with that, so I jerk my chin in agreement. For a second, Natalia’s eyes clash with mine, and I find myself wishing I could speak her language right now because there’s so much I want to say.
“I did my homework,” Nino informs me.
Natalia and I both glance at him.
“Okay, well, it’s time for bed. Did you brush your teeth yet?”
“Already did,” he says. “Natalia told me I should get ready after homework if I want to watch the movie.”
“Alright, well …” I linger awkwardly. “I came to say goodnight.”
“Good night, Alessio.” He climbs under the covers and flashes a dimple at me. “Don’t let the bed bugs bite.”
14
Natalia
I say goodnight to Nino and follow Alessio into the hall, fully expecting more of his wrath. I was supposed to have the day off, but I wanted to spend time with Nino this evening. At this point, I have no idea what Alessio’s mood will be like, and it’s difficult to discern from his expression.
“I need to talk to you,” he says.
I nod, and we both enter my room together. It feels natural to have conversations in here, even though it probably shouldn’t. I wanted to put distance between us, but it only seems to irritate him more. By some small miracle, he still hasn’t learned about the knife incident, and I can only imagine how he’ll react when he does. Though I’ve made multiple attempts to retrieve it, I’ve been impeded by his locked bedroom door. That discovery was admittedly another blow to my fragile heart.
I know I need to leave this place. I need to do it soon. Every day I remain here, waiting for him to discover the truth, I’m playing with fire. There is no doubt in my mind he’ll kill me without a second thought when he figures out my real motives, but there’s a part of me that has been lulled into a false sense of security here. Some days, it feels as if there’s no safer place for me than in the heart of my enemy’s home. I can watch his every move. I can learn more about him. Those activities come with an unwelcomed side effect though. The more I learn, the more I warm to him.
I walk to the nightstand to grab my phone. Usually, I have it on me, but Nino and I have been working overtime on his ASL, and not having it gives us the chance to find creative ways to learn new words.
“I want to revisit our conversation from earlier,” Alessio informs me.
His discomfort is obvious, and I know I need to fix this. I let my emotions overtake me before, and I can’t do that again. I’m on the verge of issuing an apology when he continues.