Chapter 26
Not long after Marlin left the hospital, Luigi arrived.
He understood Amelia’s toxic family dynamics better than anyone, in the moment he’d gotten bark in campos, he’d frantically re leave to “protect her, laying out their entire complicated history in the adminitration
Normally, new graduate students were locked down on campus, but the urgency in Luigi’s ware and his obvious desperation had come the to inake an exception.
The second Luigi stepped into the hospital room, he saw Resalia wrapped like a mummy in white bandages
He fore in the doorway, gemely winned.
He’d known she was bort, but seeing her Eke this–broken,
Jurely recognizable–hit him harder that he’d expected.
Perfect timing: Rosalia had just regained conscioteness and immediately locked onto him through the hope of painkillers.
“Luigi..” Her voice was barely a whisper, but the hope in it was devastating “You actually came for me
Mr. and Mrs. Cooper looked shocked to see Luigi but quickly scrambled to make space for him beside the bed.
Luigi’s chest tightened as he looked between Aurelia’s parents, “Jesus Christ, what happened to her?”
He’d caught fragments of Aurelia’s emergency call, but nothing had prepared him for this level of destruction.
Both parents immediately dissolved into tears.
Mrs. Cooper’s voice broke completely: “Dur baby got manipulated into predatory loans at college. She’s so young, so trusting–these manters tack advantage of her.”
“Now we owe more than we’ll ever be able to repay, and Rosalia felt so guilty about destroying our family that the “She couldn’t fish the
Luigi’s stomach churned. Despite everything, seeing any reduced to this was horrific.
After offering hollow condolences, he scanned the room with growing anxiety. “Where’s Aurelia? I know she came home.”
At Aurelia’s name, Mrs. Cooper’s grief instantly transformed into bitter resentment.
“Don’t even get me started on that selfish girl. Instead of helping her sister in crisis, she had the nerve to lecture us about our parenting, Rosalia is fighting for her life, and all Aurelia could think about was her own petty grievances. The moment we asked for help, she ran off with some man like the ungrateful bitch she’s always be
Luigi felt white hot rage explode in his chest. Even with their daughter hospitalized, they were still poisoning the air with their tour favoritism.
He stood abruptly, his entire body vibrating with barely controlled bary,
Mr. Cooper desperately grabbed his arm: “Luigi, please Rosalia’s been asking for you since she woke up. We know you two have history–real feelings.”
“Could you stay with her? Maybe talk her through this? She needs someone who actually cares about her.”
Mrs. Cooper joined the desperate ples: “She’s so fragile right now. Having you here could make all the difference in her recovery.
Luigi looked down at Rosalia–gemanely broker genuinely suffering and felt his heart rack slightly.
But then be thought about Aurel out there somewhere, probably falling apart while dealing with this family crisis alone.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t. Duve someone else I need to find
He walked out without another word, leaving behind their shocked p
d protests.
Whatever sympathy be felt for Rosalia couldn’t compete with his desperate need to reach Aurelia
He texted her unmediately: Where are you? Ein coming to get you.
Aurelia saw the message while sitting in a roxy shabu shabu stand in Lower Manhattan.
This place had been her childhood sanctuary–she’d been coming here since elementary school, that’t set foot indide after graduation. The familiar comfort of the thin sliced beef and delicate heath felt like a warm log she’d been erasing for
Isaac was meticulously preparing her dipping sauce, his movements careful and precise,
“I make legendary ponzu sauce–everyone who tries it beermes obsessed. Trind ine
When their order arrived, Isaac innseillately took over cocking duties, his attention laser focused on traking sure the had perfectly prepared nu and vegetables.
Aurelia’s bowl kept filling up faster than she could eat. She laughingly tried to fend him of “Isaac, stop You need to too–me person, fexert handle all this food.”
But seeing her actually smile for the first time all day made Isaac’s heart sour. He’d do anything to keep that lightness in her eyes.
As they laughed together, the restaurant owner approached with a warm smile.
“Aurelia My goodness, it’s been forever! So wederful to see you brought your boyfriend hack to our little place. I was starting to worry you’d forgotten about us after starting college.”
Aurelia’s face immediately went rigid with panic and embarrassment.
Isaac watched her withdraw into herself, his protective instincts Earing as he realized this was about to become another painful reminder of
“You’re so kind as always,” Aurelia managed. “Tjust don’t get back to the city much during school Thought I’d show my friend one of my favorite places”
The owner beamed: “Well, you look ahsohntely radiant! Though I have to say, your boyfriend has changed so much since high school–I barely recognized him from that hockey player you used to bring in!”
The words hit Aurelia like a physical blow. Isaac watched her face crumble as memories of Luigi crashed over bor.
“He’s not my boyfriend,” she said quietly, ber voice hollow with old pain. “And he’s not Luigi either.”
Her hands were shaking slightly as she continued: “Luigi and 1 that ended right after graduation”
Actually, calling it an ending was generous. They’d never really been together at all–just her naive delusions and his cruel manipulation.
Isaac’s heart broke watching her retreat into that familar shell of self protection, and his own rage at Luigi burned even hotter
