Finding Beauty in the Darkness

“What are we drinking to?” Amber shouts over the music, after shots of tequila are brought to the table. We all look around at each other and laugh when not one of us can think of a single damn thing to drink to.

“To each other?” I shout back. Everybody nods in agreement and shouts, “To each other.” We down the shots, then make our way to the dance floor. Forming our own little circle, we dance our asses off as each song flows into the next and we get lost in the music.

Chapter Twenty-Five

GIOVANNI

I was rude to Aria this morning. She was confused and needed me to tell her everything is going to be okay, but I couldn’t do it. Not when I have all these thoughts swirling around in my head telling me that maybe she would be better off without me. I woke up this morning feeling all types of guilt: for her being sexually assaulted under my roof, for not being here when it happened, for not seeing what Cecilia, Sebastian, and the senator were plotting—I still don’t even know why Sebastian is mixed up in all this. But most of all, for feeling like maybe this happened for a reason, like it’s fate’s or God’s or whoever’s way of intervening and reminding me of where I come from. Not even two days ago, I told Aria I loved her. I’ve never spoken those words to anybody besides my family, and now I’m reminded of the type of life I live. The type of life where the woman who feels scorned doesn’t simply key the guy’s car but instead helps a rapist plot a way to kidnap his victim.

I’m not excusing Cecilia for what she did, but she was raised in this life like I was, and to her, you do what you have to do to get what you want. She sure as fuck did what she had to do, but she isn’t getting what she wants. I’m at my parents’ house where my dad has called a family meeting. Nico, who was supposed to be out of town until the end of the week, has flown in, and we’ve all congregated in the living room. I’m standing against the wall while Cecilia sits on the couch, pouting like she’s been scorned.

“Giovanni, Cecilia has come to me upset. She’s out of a job and for what? Because your girlfriend is upset with her?”

At my father’s words, I slam my fist into the drywall, a picture falling and hitting the ground with a loud crash. Stalking over to Cecilia, I grab her chin. “Is that what you fucking said? You want to lie some more, you fucking bitch?”

“Giovanni!” my mom cries out.

“Son, that’s enough. What the hell is going on?” my father demands.

“What’s going on, is she was jealous of my relationship with Aria, so she got the bright idea to help the damn senator kidnap her!”

“I didn’t know!” Cecilia sobs.

“It wasn’t your fucking concern! You knew damn well she was taken from her home by me. You knew she came to my house bruised and broken! You fucking knew.”

“He told me she was lying. He said she was acting out because her mom died.”

“Then you should have come to me. This isn’t fucking business. This is my goddamned life. It’s the life of a twenty-one-year-old woman!”

My dad comes over and places his hand on my shoulder. “Giovanni, you need to calm down, Son. I understand this girl is important to you, but she isn’t family. Explain to me what happened.”

“He had raped her repeatedly when I found her. She was locked in the basement, drugged and passed around.”

Cecilia cries harder. “I didn’t know!” A little too late to fucking care, bitch.

“Why didn’t you tell us all this?” Dad says. “I knew she was the senator’s stepdaughter, but you should have made me aware of what was going on.”

“I got her help. I was keeping it all under wraps because Weston Hightower disappeared. Aria was staying with me so he couldn’t get to her, and what does Cecilia do? She hands her over to him. Edgardo ended up almost beating him to death in order to stop him from raping and taking her.”

“Almost?” Dad questions at the same time Stefan says, “Did you handle it?”

Walking away from Cecilia and toward my dad and Stefan, I say, “Yeah, I killed that fucker with my bare hands and Louie made it look like a hunting accident. When they find him, he will have been destroyed by animals.”

“Cecilia didn’t know. None of us knew because you kept it from all of us. You can’t fire her because of this,” Dad says matter-of-factly. “And what were you thinking killing the goddamned senator? You know we’re trying to lay low right now with Lorenzo causing all types of problems.”