Taking Care Of The Mobster

“Why...are you looking at me like that?” she asks.

“I like you a lot, Abby,” I say genuinely, unable to stop the words from escaping my lips. “I’ve liked you since the first time I opened my eyes to see you sleeping in my chair. I want you, and I can’t help it.”

“Wh...What?” Abby stammers breathlessly. She shakes her head in disbelief. “That’s not possible. I mean...I’m not your type.”

“You are exactly my type, Abby,” I reply honestly. “It’s you. I want all of you.”

Abby stands abruptly, rattling the chair in her hurry to escape. “I...I need to go.”

And with that, she turns around and runs out of the room. I lean back against my headboard, close my eyes, and let out a sigh of frustration.

Way to go, Rodriguez.

Just great!

CHAPTER EIGHT

Abby

I can’t stop pacing or chewing on my fingernails. My body, just like my heart, won’t stay still. I ran away from his room like an idiot only to return to my room and pace like an idiot. Go figure!

I like you a lot, Abby.

The words keep echoing painfully in my head. Did I hear him right? Was it a dream? It seems like a dream. Because it’s only in my wildest dreams that a man like Carlos Rodriguez would confess such feelings to me...except my heart is still beating wildly in my chest from the unexpected hit of his words? And my skin is still all flushed and warm.

How?

I’ve been asking myself how this is possible for the past thirty minutes. Is this some kind of test? Or is it a ploy to ridicule me like the other men in my past? What does this mean? Does it change anything between us?

These questions keep running in my head, but I don’t know what to think. My head is crowded yet empty all at once. It feels like I’m going crazy

What the hell is happening to me?

My ringing phone jerks me out of my self-absorbed reverie. It’s Beth. Usually, my sister helps me sort out my feelings, but for the first time, I don’t think that's the case. Not when I can’t even find the words to explain how I feel.

I pick up the call, leaning back against the wall behind me with a soft sigh.

“Hey, sis,” Beth says immediately as the call is connected, sounding as bright as always. And as usual, there’s reassurance that comes with her voice, and its warmth immediately surrounds me.

“Hey, B,” I say softly. “What’s up?”

“What’s wrong?” Beth asks immediately. She’s always quick to pick up on my mood. It’s probably because she practically raised me. I’ll always be grateful to the universe for giving me a big sister like Beth. I’d have given up on myself a long time ago if it wasn’t for her undaunted love and relentless support.

“What do you mean?” I say with a weak laugh. “Of course, I’m fine.”

“No, Abby,” Beth insists. “You sound so unlike yourself. Is Rodriguez giving you trouble? You can come back home. You don’t have to endure working in that place anymore.”

“What do you mean?” I ask, confused.

“Some private organization started new clinical trials on the type of Mom’s sickness,” Beth says, her voice coming out in an excited rush. “They’ve come up with treatments with a success rate of 85%. Mom’s the first on the list of people to undergo one of the trials. I don’t know how her name got pushed to the top of the list, but I’m just so happy. This is like the best news ever.”

“Wow,” I reply. “That’s...great. Really great.”

“You don’t sound as excited as I thought you’d be,” Beth says. “Is it that bad over there? You know what? Come back home right now. I don’t care about—.”

“What? No,” I say quickly. Too quickly. I clear my throat awkwardly and try again. “I... I mean, I can’t do that.”

“Why not?” Beth asks as if I just made the most ludicrous statement.

“I signed a contract,” I say unconvincingly. “Remember? Besides, Carlos isn’t such a bad man.”

“What do you mean he’s not a bad man, Abby? He’s a mobster who deals drugs and gets involved in gunfights. How ‘not bad’ can he be?”

“Well...,” I say with a helpless shrug. “After living with him for a while, I’ve come to realize that every rumor about him is exaggerated. He’s more of a gentleman than those lowlifes with ‘respectable jobs.’ He’s kind, and he even treats me with respect.”

“What’s that tone?” Beth asks suspiciously. “Are you falling for Carlos Rodriguez? You aren’t, are you?”

I snort loudly. “Me? What?! Of course not. Why would you say something like that?”

“Right?” Beth says with a hesitant laugh. “I must have lost my mind for a second there. My innocent little sister wouldn’t get herself involved in that kind of a mess. I can’t even picture you two together.”