BLOODBURG Page 16

“Joseph! Are you okay?” Allie asked anxiously when she noticed the spreading pool of blood under his leg.

  “Yeah,” he said, breathing raggedly and pulling the twisted shrapnel out of his leg, his blood spattering across Allie’s face.

  She quickly wrapped her hands around Joseph’s leg to try to staunch the bleeding. “Give me your belt! We can use it as a tourniquet,” she urged.

  Joseph grimaced. “Don’t worry, I got it,” he said, placing his hand over the gaping hole in his leg. “Diesa e’coliano…disara e’confelo…disaro e’colifani,” he chanted, slowly swaying back and forth.

  Allie was speechless as the blood stopped gushing from his leg and appeared to be flowing back into the wound. Slowly his skin began to close, leaving only a small scar.

  Joseph stumbled onto one knee, nearly passing out from the blood loss. Allie adjusted his arm around the back of her neck to steady him.

  He smiled. “Thank you, Allison.”

  “No problem. That’s what I’m here for,” she replied lightheartedly, sighing as they slowly hobbled along the cargo hold toward the hatch to the passenger cabin.

  -15-

  The return flight was difficult for Allie. She was too restless to sleep. Although overwhelmed by the day’s events and her body screaming with pure exhaustion, somehow, she was more alert than ever.

  Before that night, the island had been nothing more than an insignificant little strip of land that Allie would never have been able to pick out on a map, but now, everything had changed. She silently mourned the casualties of the island and realized how the world had changed in the blink of an eye.

  Despite her sorrow, there was still a flicker of joy in Allie’s heart. She found herself becoming increasingly grateful for Joseph. In a matter of days, he had opened her eyes not only to the darker truths around her and her world, but also to the dangers that lay beyond.

  She’d never known anyone like Joseph before. He pushed both her beliefs and her courage past their limits while teaching her how to survive and be brave in the face of every challenge he threw at her. As she watched him sleeping in his chair across the aisle, a sense of security warmed her. Allie didn’t understand why, but despite everything he’d put her through, she felt a fierce loyalty and an overwhelming sense of safety like she’d never had, as if Joseph would always be there to protect her.

  With a deep sigh, Allie finally drifted off to sleep. It seemed to her she’d just closed her eyes when she felt a gentle tapping on her shoulder. She was in the back seat of Joseph’s car and Marcus was squinting at her.

  Allie looked around through a bleary-eyed yawn. “Where’s Joseph?” she asked as he helped her from the car.

  “He’s already home, Allie,” Marcus replied softly. “He instructed that I bring you home to rest for a while.”

  “How long is a while?” A wave of anxiety crept over her, fearing Joseph no longer needed her.

  “I’m not sure.” He smiled. “But don’t worry. There’s always more work to do, and I know you are an important player now.”

  She smiled. “I’m happy to hear that. I’ve enjoyed working with you, Marcus.”

  “The feeling is mutual.” He handed her Allie a bulky tote bag full of her personal belongings and the clothing she’d been wearing earlier that morning.

  She rummaged through the bag to find her keys. “Good night, Marcus.”

  “Good night, Allie,” he nodded and slid behind the steering wheel.

  After he’d driven away, Allie dragged herself up to her apartment. She mindlessly latched the deadbolt behind her and tossed her keys nonchalantly onto a console table. She almost wept with relief at the sight of her bed and dove into the sea of rumpled blankets. She sunk into her pillow and let out an exhausted sigh, eager to decompress.

  Her phone vibrated on the nightstand, and Allie was shocked at the time. She’d been asleep for several hours. Still feeling groggy and sluggish, Allie blindly groped at the nightstand. “Hello,” she mumbled into the phone.

  “Allie? Are you okay?” It was Patience, her voice strained with worry. “I haven’t heard from you all day.”

  “I’m fine…honestly,” Allie replied. “I’ve just been really tired. That’s all. Is everything okay?”

  Patience let out a deep sigh of relief, completely ignoring her sister’s question. “Thank the Goddess. Do you need me to come over? How long has it been since you’ve eaten?”

  Allie absentmindedly laid her hand on her stomach, thinking that food and a visit might be a good idea. She was startled when her fingers touched sequins and she realized she was still wearing her evening gown. Although she knew she could keep Joseph a secret, she didn’t have the strength to pretend with Patience just yet. Her sister would see right through her. “It’s okay. I’m really not hungry right now. How about you stop by tomorrow night after you close up shop?”

  “Sure! I’d love to,” Patience crowed. “Do you want me to bring you anything special?”

  “Surprise me.” Allie smiled, basking in her sister’s doting and maternal nature.

  “Deal,” Patience agreed. “Don’t get mad at me, but I’ve been wondering about it all day…” she trailed off.

  “Wondering about what?”

  “Any news from Kevin?” Patience asked apprehensively.

  “No, not yet.”

  “I’m sorry, hon.”

  “Don’t be. It’s his loss, right?”

  Patience laughed. “Absolutely. I’m glad you’re finally starting to see what a catch you really are!”

  Allie smiled. “Thank you, Patience. That means a lot.”

  “Okay, hon. I’ll let you get back to sleep. If you need anything…anything at all, don’t hesitate to call me, no matter what time it is. Got it?”

  “I will.” Allie yawned. “Actually, I’ll probably end up sleeping through most of tomorrow anyway. How about you just show up at seven or so?”

  “Okay, hon. I love you,” Patience said.

  “I love you, too,” she replied and disconnected the call, tossing the phone back onto the nightstand.

  Allie peeled off the evening gown, shoving it in the back of the closet. As she pulled on her pajamas and retreated beneath her covers, Allie realized this was the first night in a very long time she didn’t have her cup of cocoa before bed. She didn’t feel the compulsive need for it. It was strange; she couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so relaxed and content. She was home. She was safe. It seemed to her she’d spent too many nights stressing over trivial things that just didn’t matter for the last several years.

  By the time Allie awoke, it was nearly five o’clock the following afternoon. It was rare for her to wake up feeling completely rested. She wondered if it was because she was truly happy for once.

  She leapt from her bed and made a fresh pot of coffee. As she sipped from her mug and gazed around her somewhat-neglected apartment, Allie decided to tidy up before Patience arrived.

  She buzzed around the apartment, losing herself in the tasks at hand until she happened to glance outside to see night had fallen. It was almost seven o’clock. Patience would be there at any moment. She wiped the kitchen down one final time and quickly jumped into the shower.

  Allie had barely finished drying off when she heard a knock at the door. Patience kept a spare key for emergencies, so Allie wasn’t startled when she heard the lock unhitch and the door creak open.

  “Allie?” Patience called.

  “I’m in here!” she replied from the bathroom. “I’m just getting dressed…be out in like two minutes!”

  “Okay, hon. I’ll get your dinner ready,” Patience replied. “I brought Chinese…your favorite!”

  “Thank you so much,” Allie said, rushing to finish dressing.

  Patience put her purse down on the kitchen counter and her jaw dropped. She placed the solitary bag of Chinese food on the kitchen table and gazed around the apartment in amazement. “Wow, Allie! You re
ally must be feeling better, because I’ve never seen this place so spotless!”

  “Yeah, I am,” Allie replied, opening the bathroom door while wrapping her damp hair up in a small towel. “Wow! That smells really good. I’m starving,” she said, sitting down across from Patience. She noticed her sister didn’t have a plate in front of her. “Aren’t you eating, too?”

  “I had a big lunch,” Patience lied as she poured them each a glass of water. “I’ll just pick at it as you eat. How about that?”

  “Okay,” Allie said forcing a smile, knowing something was amiss.

  “Still no word from Kevin?” Patience asked, trying to change the subject.

  “Nope.” Allie sighed. “But it doesn’t matter. If it’s not meant to be, then it’s not meant to be.”

  Patience smiled, slightly bewildered. “Well, this is new…a clean apartment, super self-confidence, and a positive attitude. I like this new you.”

  “Well, you have a lot to do with it, too, you know?” Allie piled a spoonful of pork fried rice onto her plate.

  Patience’s face turned somber. “That’s sweet, but I don’t feel like I’ve helped all that much.”

  Allie reached over and grabbed her sister’s hand. “Yes, you have! Without you, I wouldn’t have been able to cope with mom and dad’s death…or have a great job…or even have this apartment. You’ve done so much for me!”

  Patience’s eyes began welling up with tears. “Thank you, Allie. You don’t know how much I needed to hear that right now.” Suddenly, Patience broke down into sobs.

  Allie quickly jumped out of her chair and moved over to hug her sister. “What’s wrong? Please tell me. Maybe I can help?”

  “No, you can’t.” Patience wiped the tears from her cheeks. “It’s the store. It’s just not doing enough business to stay afloat. I didn’t want to say anything until I was sure that you were feeling better, but this will probably be our last month.”

  “Oh, that’s terrible!” Allie held her sister tighter. “How far behind are we?”

  “About nine thousand dollars,” Patience sighed. “I tried to get a loan, but I was denied. I’m so sorry, Allie.”

  “Don’t be, Patience,” Allie gently released her sister. She sat back down and began poking at the food on her plate. “You’ve worked so hard. But you know what? I’ve got an idea.”

  “What?” Patience furrowed her brow.

  “How about you let me buy into the company?” Allie offered calmly.

  “I can’t ask you to do that.”

  “Why the hell not?” Allie argued. “You’ve helped to give me a home, a job, a life. Let me help you. I know it might be hard for you to believe, but I’ve managed to save a lot of money over the last year. Plus…” Allie made a dramatic pause. “I went for a quick walk yesterday in between naps, and I stopped at the shop on the corner…you know, the one by the bagel place…and I bought a scratch ticket.” Allie leaned forward, smiling from ear to ear. “I actually won big!”

  “Praise the Goddess!” Patience screamed. “Are you serious?”

  “Yes!” she lied. “I still can’t believe I won!” Allie impressed herself with her acting skills as she paused before eagerly shouting, “I wound up getting just over twenty thousand dollars when I cashed it in!”

  “That’s unbelievable! Oh, I’m so happy for you!” Patience cheered. “You absolutely deserve it.”

  “So do you. I was going to surprise you with it when I came back to work tomorrow morning, but after seeing you so down, I figured this was the best time to let you know. I want you to use it for the store!”

  “I can’t accept that.” Patience waved her hands in protest. “I just can’t.”

  “Why not? Think of it as an investment…or a partnership!”

  “I don’t know, Allie.” Patience wiped more tears from her cheeks.

  “Patience, you’ve done so much for me. Let me help you.”

  “But it’s so much money. You should use it to start a new life for yourself. Don’t waste any of it on a failing business.”

  “Look,” Allie argued. “I came into this money out of nowhere at exactly the same time you need it. It must be fate. I won’t take no for an answer. What do you say?”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I’m sure,” Allie said happily, holding up her glass of water for a toast.

  Patience smiled, clinking her glass with Allie’s. “Deal.”

  “All right!” Allie cheered. “Let’s celebrate!” She pulled a bottle of white wine from the refrigerator. “What do you say?”

  “Absolutely!” Patience quickly downed her water and held out her glass for Allie to fill it up.

  The two sisters spent the rest of the night drinking wine and reveling in the potential of their new partnership. Patience couldn’t believe how lucky Allie was to win the money in the nick of time, and Allie was so grateful for the chance to share her good fortune with her sister. Their joy and excitement turned that night into one of the best that Allie and Patience had shared in a very, very long time.

  The next morning, Allie awoke with a slight hangover, but she didn’t care. She felt strong. The recent stress and danger had empowered her. She went to the bank first thing and transferred the twenty thousand dollars into The Park Crystal’s account minus a few hundred for herself. It felt strange not to worry about money, and Allie knew she’d have to maintain the story about how she acquired it.

  When Allie arrived at work, Patience was buzzing around the store, rearranging displays and humming to herself. Allie felt a sense of inner peace and fulfilment as she settled in behind the counter, absentmindedly doodling in her sketchbook while she watched her sister’s spirit come alive.

  Throughout the day, Patience asked Allie’s opinion on major business decisions, but Allie maintained she was happy to leave everything to Patience. She couldn’t remember when she’d been so content and appreciative of her job.

  The only nagging issue for Allie was her silent phone—no Kevin, no Joseph, nothing. She contemplated calling one or both of them to get some answers, but thought better of it. It was frustrating, but Allie knew she had to be patient.

  Unfortunately, one day melded into the next with no word from either Joseph or Kevin, and Allie once again reflected on how dull her ordinary life was by comparison to the excitement of being with Joseph. By mid-afternoon on Thursday, she was starting to become slightly depressed, feeling as if she’d simply been forgotten. But that night, just after dinner, her phone suddenly buzzed to life.

  Allie grabbed the phone, hoping to see Joseph’s name flash across the screen, but it was Kevin.

  She let out an irritated sigh. “Hello?”

  “Hey, Allie!” Kevin replied. “I was hoping you’d pick up. I know it took me a really long time to get back to you, but I’ve been pretty busy.”

  “It’s okay,” she replied nonchalantly. “I’ve been busy, too. What’s up?”

  “Well…I was wondering if you might want to have dinner with me tomorrow night?” His voice was hopeful and sincere. “I know you’re probably mad, and I’ll totally understand if you say no.”

  Kevin was right; Allie was upset, but not for the reasons he’d suspected. She knew he’d lied to her from the very beginning, but on the other hand, he now had no memory of deceiving her. It was as if she had the chance to see what the real Kevin was like. Allie was happy that he still seemed interested in her, but she wondered if she could ever trust him at all. She took a deep breath, exhaling slowly, deciding to make him work a little harder to earn her forgiveness.

  “I’ll tell you what. I’ll go out to dinner with you tomorrow night, but only if it’s someplace nice. No diners…no pizza places. I want you to take me to a fancy restaurant, and you’re paying. Deal?”

  “Yes!” Kevin cheered. “I heard about a great Italian place in town…The Olive Branch. I’ll make a reservation for us. How about six o’clock?”

  “Well, let
me ask my boss if I can leave early tomorrow,” Allie held the phone to her chest and approached Patience.

  “What is it?” Patience asked, seeing the expression on Allie’s face.

  “It’s Kevin,” she whispered, pointing at the phone. “He wants to take me out to dinner tomorrow night. I told him it would have to be somewhere fancy, or no deal. If you think it’s a bad idea, I’ll tell him no.”

  “Go for it!” Patience whisper-shouted.

  “You don’t mind closing up?” Allie asked.

  “Of course not.” Patience waved her hand. “Go have some fun!”

  Allie slowly raised the phone to her ear, concentrating on keeping the excitement out of her voice. “I can meet you there at seven,” she said calmly.

  “Great!” Allie could hear the smile in his voice. “I’ll see you there.”

  “Okay. Goodbye.” She disconnected the call, letting out a long, relieved sigh.

  Patience rushed over and wrapped her arms around Allie. “Oh, honey. I’m so happy for you!”

  “Well, let’s just see how he does on this date before you start planning the wedding,” she winked.

  They laughed and got back to work. Allie couldn’t stop smiling. She couldn’t wait to see Kevin again. Her situation seemed so complicated, but Allie decided to try to live in the moment for a change.

  -16-

  The next morning, on her way to work, Allie stopped for her usual morning splurge: a French vanilla latte at her favorite coffee shop. As she waited in line, Allie glanced out the window at the world passing by and smiled to herself, remembering when she spilled her latte all over Joseph’s beautiful suit and changed her life.

  But lately, it was starting to feel like her life was regressing back to the old, mundane way it was before him, and she wasn’t quite sure how to feel about that. She missed the excitement and danger, but she still valued the safety and serenity of a simple existence. It was almost as if she had a double life. The barista called her name and she took her coffee. With a long sigh, she headed to work, lost in her own thoughts as she walked along the crowded sidewalk.