Cut & Blow (Cut & Blow #2) - Ashleigh Giannoccaro Page 0,46
under their breaths.
“Chelsey, how’s the baby? You seen a doctor?” her broken English makes me smile.
“Si, Ma.” My father answers for her. “Everything is fine, He’s growing well; a strong boy.”
Nonna nods, drinking her wine. Her expression tells me that she doesn’t care for my father’s answer. I go back to my lunch and talking soccer with Vick. I don’t want to see her, not when she has his hands on her. It makes me want to rip his throat out.
After coffee, I’m comfortable in the living room, chatting with some of my younger cousins when Sal comes in, his face ashen and his hair a lighter shade of gray every day. He has his keys in his hand and his coat on.
“Rat, please take Chelsey home after lunch. I have something to do.”
A mix of excitement at having her to myself, and anger that he thinks I’m just his gopher, comes over me.
“I have stuff to do to,” I answer, simply to be difficult.
“Well drop her off first. Don’t be a snot. I’m not in the mood for your shit, Salvi.”
He uses my name and I know he’s on a short fuse. “Fine. I’ll take your wife home.” I give in, not wanting to make a scene in front of the entire family.
It’s no secret that he’s unstable again. I just don’t feel like dealing with that today.
“Thank you.” His condescending tone isn’t lost on me.
He turns and leaves without another word. The conversation has halted and they all just look at me with unspoken questions in their eyes. Nico asks me softly, like he’s whispering, but everyone can still hear him. “He’s not hitting her, is he?”
I shake my head. They all know what he’s like. “Not yet, but he’s stressed and I’m worried what happens when I’m not there. I can’t be her babysitter all the time.”
He agrees and there is an awkward silence.
“Well I’m going to take my stepmother home, I’ll see you tomorrow at the dock. We have two containers going out, don’t we?” I get up, and leave them in search of the ladies and the older men of the family.
They’re still outside at the table. Chelsey is sitting next to Ailee and Rain, and the men are drinking cognac and smoking at the other end of the table.
When I catch her attention, I ask, “You ready to go? Sal said I must drive you.”
She nods and gives her friend a hug. The baby is getting big and her belly looks uncomfortable. I don’t like looking at it. That’s my father’s child and it makes me ill thinking about him with her.
“Ciao Nonna, Rain, Zio.” I greet them all as she gets her bag and kisses the old lady on the cheek. Saying goodbye to the family can take ages, so I try to hurry past most of them.
She is quiet on the way home. She looks out of the window like I’m not in the car at all; her mind isn’t here today.
Her long, blonde hair, is curled and hangs loose. Her makeup is slightly faded after the long day and the setting sun shines golden on her fair skin. The black shirt clings to her now bigger boobs and her long legs are crossed, feet on the floor.
When I look at her today, all the color and sparkle of the girl I met is gone. There is just a shell beside me, an empty vessel.
“Want to talk about it?” I ask.
“About what, Rat? About the fact that I’m stuck married to a man who can’t even talk to me at Sunday lunch, that all I think about is you. Or the fact that I am weeks away from giving birth to your brother? Talking doesn’t help any of it. Nothing helps. The only time I’m not drowning in a sea of mixed emotions is at work, when I can focus on something else. So no, I don’t want to talk, I want to go home, have a bath and go to bed.” She snaps her last words out. Something has infuriated her today. I put my hand on her leg and she violently shoves it off again. “Just drive me home, we cannot keep doing this. It’s fucking killing me.”
“Fine,” I answer, and gun the car a little.
When we pull into the driveway she gets out faster than me and bolts up the steps. I am still putting my phone in my pocket and closing the door, when her screams pierce my