“You danced, oh my Lord, did you dance. Oh… and rumor has it you fired the bartender, but Jemima had gotten into vodka by then, so I don’t know how reliable that information is.”
“Then what?”
He shrugs his shoulders. “You disappeared.”
“I disappeared? Where did I disappear to?”
“I don’t know, darling. Maybe Jemima is the one you should ask, or maybe even Morgan. Oh… here’s a bit of gossip for you.”
I lean in following Valentino, praying his extra information will piece the puzzle.
“Morgan and Noah were outside, and a huge fight erupted. She kept threatening to take the kids away and calling him an asshole. He called her a bitch. She started yelling. Then he told her that he fell in love with the wrong sister. Can you believe that? Bitch, that’s even low for me.”
Noah’s words would have no doubt cut Morgan like a knife. I slump against the railing, silent with no words. A part of me is relieved that this was all a dream—at least, according to Valentino’s recollection of events, it appears to be.
A dream that I desperately wished to come true had. I belonged to the man who stole my heart, but like anything you dream about, it can so easily shatter in a heartbeat.
The pain still lingers. The memory is so clear that I could have sworn it was so very real. I was never supposed to get caught in the tangled mess which Morgan and Noah had created for themselves. Whatever this was, I’m certain it happened for a reason. I just couldn’t think straight with the throbbing between my eyes causing my stomach to feel like it could turn at any moment.
“Honey, it’s probably best that you have a Tylenol and water.” Valentino yells across the room for a housekeeper. The screech of his high-pitched voice pierces my ears. “You need to get yourself dressed. We have a ton of interviews today. Nina will be here in an hour.”
“I can’t… I need to do something first.”
“Jesus, you’re really not you in the morning.” He lets out a moan, abandoning me on the stairwell. The housekeeper brings me a Tylenol and water, which I down instantly. Lifting myself up, I walk toward my room and close the door behind me.
Inside my wardrobe, I carefully remove the dress and place it back on the hanger.
I stare at it, my brows drawn together, lost in thought.
Everything about last night changed who I thought I was.
I saw myself through the eyes of my sister, hopelessly in love with someone who I committed to for life. The band that adorned my finger is no longer there.
But ironically, a part of me is missing my role as a mother. A role I never wanted to experience from the fear of losing my own.
Everything I felt is now exactly what I want, yet not with him. Noah would forever be a man I fell in love with, but it was never meant to be. He’s destined for Morgan, and together they created something beautiful, despite what the circumstances may be.
I want someone to love me and only me. I don’t want complications and unnecessary drama. I simply want unconditional love. The rarest form of love. A love built on trust and honesty from the beginning.
Dragging myself to the shower, I welcome the solitude as the hot water continues to fall from the showerhead, almost scalding me and leaving my skin red. I’m desperate to wash away the sins of my past and work toward a new beginning. Hopping out, I change into a loose-fitting T-shirt and jeans, sliding my sneakers on and covering my face with a baseball cap.
Nina will be barging through the door at any second, but I have something more important that needs taking care of.
And nothing, or nobody, will ever get in the way of my family again.
I tap on the door, bowing my head as I wait for it to open.
Nothing makes sense.
Why this spell was cast upon me.
But I know this much—my sister needs me more now than ever. Morgan made a commitment to marriage, and although it fell apart, it doesn’t ease the pain, which dictated her outrageous decisions.
The door opens slowly. Morgan is standing behind it in her robe, hair a wild mess, and massive dark circles under her eyes. She keeps her gaze on the floor, and as soon as I see the tear fall carelessly down her cheek, I throw myself at her, hugging her tight, refusing to let go.
We stand here for how long, I can’t say. However long Morgan needs to cry her river of pain is the length of time I will continue to hold her.
Slowly, she peels herself away, sniffling back her clogged nose as her bloodshot eyes stare back at me. Trying to be strong, I hold back my tears as hard as I can until there’s no strength left within me.