AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I stiffen, nearly dropping the glass. “Why… why do you ask?”
His eyes are dark with concern. “You were screaming his name. And it didn’t sound like it was a pleasurable scream.”
I close my eyes, willing the memories to fade. But they persist, flickering behind my eyelids like an old film reel. Jonah’s face, the red Solo cups, the scrape of the cement against my back as Jonah forced me onto the ground.
“He’s… he’s…” I take a deep breath, steeling myself for what I’m about to say. “Jonah is Lou’s father,” I begin, my voice barely above a whisper.
Angelo remains silent, his eyes encouraging me to continue. I swallow hard, deciding to trust him with the full truth.
“When I was fifteen, I was raped,” I say, the words feeling like broken glass in my throat. “Jonah got me drunk and raped me. I got pregnant with Lou as a result.”
I pause. Ten years later, and the memories are still so painful. “I knew his name, but after it happened, he disappeared. I never saw him again. I had to drop out of school. Everyone found out, and I became a social pariah.”
Tears start to fall, and I roughly wipe them away. “My grandfather took me in, gave me a job at Perfezione. It was the only place I felt safe.”
Throughout my confession, Angelo remains silent, his face a mask of concern and something darker—anger, perhaps, but not directed at me.
“What about your parents?” Angelo finally asks.
“My mother…” I choke out a bitter laugh. “When she found out I was pregnant, she was furious. Called me a slut, a whore, you name it, she said it. It was the first time she’d paid attention to me in years, and it was only to tell me what a disappointment I was. God forbid I make her look bad in front of Husband or Boyfriend Number Whatever. And I never knew my father.”
I sniffle. “Thank God for my grandfather. He’s helped me raise Lou, gave me this apartment so I could have a place of my own. He’s given me a job, taught me everything he knows. I couldn’t have done it without him.”
Angelo reaches out, hesitates, then gently takes my hand in his.
“Fee,” he says softly, “I’m so sorry that happened to you. You didn’t deserve any of that.”
His words, so simple yet so powerful, break something open inside me. Fresh tears fall, but this time, I don’t try to stop them.
“You’re incredibly strong,” Angelo continues, his thumb tracing soothing circles on my hand. “To have gone through that and still be the amazing woman and mother you are today… it’s remarkable.”
I look up at him, searching his face for any sign of pity or disgust. Instead, I find only admiration and a fierce protectiveness that takes my breath away.
“Thank you,” I whisper, squeezing his hand. “For listening, for not judging…”
“I would never judge you for this, Fee,” Angelo says firmly. “What happened wasn’t your fault. And look at what you’ve done. You’ve raised an incredible daughter. You run a successful business. You’re a survivor.”
His words wash over me, soothing some of the old pain. For the first time in years, I feel truly seen and accepted. It’s terrifying and liberating all at once.
I open my mouth to thank Angelo, but before I can utter a word, I notice his body suddenly go rigid. His eyes dart toward the apartment door, nostrils flaring slightly.
“Angelo? What’s wrong?” I ask, confusion and worry creeping into my voice.
But then I smell it too—the acrid scent of smoke. A faint crackling sound reaches my ears, seeming to come from below us. My heart plummets as realization dawns.
“Oh, my God!” I cry out, panic rising in my chest. “The shop! It’s on fire!”
4
ANGELO
“Fee, we need to movenow!” I yell as I rush back into the living room and pull on my clothes, my mind racing.
Thankfully, she follows me as she yanks on her clothes too. I grab her hand as soon as she’s dressed, and we rush down the stairs, the hungry roar of the fire growing louder with each step. The acrid smell of smoke fills my nostrils, and I can feel the heat intensifying.
As we reach the bottom of the stairs, I see Fee’s eyes widen in horror at the sight of flames licking at her beloved shop. Without hesitation, I scoop her up into my arms.
“No!” she cries out, reaching toward the inferno that was once Perfezione. “My shop! Everything we’ve worked for!”
