Quiet Wealth by J.L. Drake
“You look like you saw a ghost, Sienna.” Mariano sat next to me in the car as we headed back down the hill to his place.
“I think I just got a little overwhelmed with all the people,” I lied and felt guilty about it. I certainly wasn’t ready to share that I was once in love with his business partner.
By the time we reached his front door, I felt pure exhaustion, and it took a great effort to keep the tears at bay.
“Would you like something to eat?” He moved into the kitchen and started to dig through the refrigerator.
“If it’s okay with you, I think I’d like to go to bed.”
“That’s fine.” He closed the door and glanced at me. “I have some calls to make, anyway.”
I nodded, knowing I couldn’t speak. I nearly ran to the stairs, and once I was inside the safety of the room, I leaned against the door, covered my sobs, and let my dam break. Sinking to the floor with the weight of the situation pushing me down, I fell apart just like I had years ago.
I wasn’t sure how long my heart bled into the night, but I woke in a puddle on the floor. I blinked my swollen eyes open and waited for the blur to come into focus. The room was sideways. I must have wriggled out of my tight dress sometime in the night, as it lay beside me like evidence, and the memory of last night came flooding back. My arm felt heavy as lead as I reached for my purse with awkward fingertips and shimmed my phone free. I pushed Wyatt’s name.
“Shit, girl, it’s hotter than an Alabama jock strap out here. Remind me again why I’m not there?”
Just hearing his voice made me homesick. A silent sob ripped through me, and I was lost as to where to start.
“Sienna? Are you there?”
I nodded as though he could see me, and when I finally took a deep breath, a cry escaped.
“You need to tell me what’s going on. Did Mariano hurt you?”
“No,” I managed to get out.
“Then what happened?”
I shifted to sit up and leaned against the door.
“He’s here.” I hiccupped.
“Baby girl, you need to give me more. He who?”
“Elio.”
The phone went silent.
“Elio Capri? The man you fell in love with, the one who broke your heart and turned it to dust?”
“Yeah.” I struggled to breathe.
“Not to sound like I’m questioning you, but are you sure?”
“Very.”
“Holy shit.”
“Wyatt,” I cried harder, “I don’t know if I can do this anymore.”
“Sienna,” his voice changed to a more serious tone, “when I met you, you were in the worst state I ever saw someone in. When you got yourself right, what was the one thing you promised you were going to do for yourself?”
“I know, Wyatt, but I never thought it could hurt this much.”
“You promised you would never let a man stand in the way of your career.” He ignored my excuse. “I don’t doubt that the hole in your heart didn’t just get deeper. But you’ve worked your ass off to get to where you are. So,” he took a second to make sure I was listening, “where are you now?”
“I’m on the floor. I fell asleep here.”
“Well, you are going to pull yourself together, get up, have a shower, and write the best damn story that no one has been able to do yet.”
I used my arm to dry my face and leaned my head back against the wall. He was right. I couldn’t let this swallow me up whole again. I could look him straight in the eye and not let him have the satisfaction of knowing he had destroyed a major part of me.
“Yeah.” I let out a heavy breath.
“Good. Now, aren’t you glad you called me?”
I laughed at my best friend. He always knew the right time to be funny and strong.
“Yes.”
“That’s right.”
“How’re the groom’s sisters?” I did manage a smile as I said it.
“Well, I dug a hole in the woods yesterday, you know, just in case I need to dispose of them quickly.”
“Smart.” I sniffed.
There was a long stretch of silence, as we both needed to be together in the best way we could.
“How does he look?”
A flicker of pain stabbed my stomach when I pictured his face.
“You remember the girl who used to work the copier for us last summer?”
“Oh, yeah, I do.” He chuckled.
“Times that by ten.”
“You know what you need, then?”
“What?”
“You need to get some.”
“What?”
“It’s a proven fact, Sienna.” He cleared his throat. “Part of your problem is that you’re sexually frustrated. If you could calm down your thunder-dunder, think how well you could straighten out your head.”
“I could use some thunder,” I joked back.
“Coming,” he yelled out to someone. “I have to go, but I’ll call you later.”
“Thanks. I needed this.”
“You know I’m always here. Well, in one way or another.” As he laughed, he hung up.
I closed my eyes with a chuckle.
“Okay.” I took a deep breath and dragged my tired body to the shower.
