Chapter 3
Enzo didn't come home that night.
I wasn't surprised. Would've been weirder if he had.
But the next morning, while I was washing up, I saw him walk in with breakfast. And Lucia right behind him.
He put the food on the table and actually bothered to explain.
"Went out late," he said. "Lucia didn't want to sleep alone, so I took her home.
"It was the middle of the night. I just crashed at her place."
Lucia wrapped her arm around his and gave me a look.
"Yeah," she said. "You're not mad, are you, Sofia?"
I didn't bother answering.
Enzo must've felt how cold I was being, because he softened his voice.
"Weren't you talking about that new movie? The one everyone's been saying is good?
"I've got time today. Let's go see it."
I'd asked him to go with me so many times. The movie had been out for weeks.
He always said he was too busy with family business.
A couple days later, I saw him on Lucia's Instagram.
"The best movies are for the best person."
No faces in the photo. But I'd recognize those hands anywhere.
I caught the faint scent of perfume on Enzo and shook my head.
"No. I've got plans."
He looked uncomfortable, like he wanted to push it.
But Lucia was already on the couch, playing innocent.
"Sofia's plans," she said. "Would those be with an old college friend?"
I gave her a sharp look.
Nobody knew about the divorce except me and Marco. And certainly nobody knew Marco was my college classmate.
Lucia saw my reaction and turned to Enzo all flustered.
"Don't be mad, Enzo," she said. "I just heard from someone that they saw Sofia at a coffee shop with a college guy and they were being..."
She paused. Let the silence hang.
"...close.
"But I'm sure my friend was wrong. Sofia would never cheat on you. She loves you too much."
Enzo's face went dark. He swept a vase off the table and turned on me.
"Sofia!" he shouted. "You wouldn't go to a movie with me because you were sneaking around with some guy?"
I glanced at the broken glass on the floor.
Before I could speak, Lucia jumped in again, playing peacemaker.
"Enzo, take it easy," she said. "Don't yell at her.
"It's not really her fault anyway. I mean, her own mother cheated, so—"
That was it. I grabbed the tissue box off the table and threw it at her head.
Come after me all you want. But not my mother.
The box left a red mark where it hit. Enzo rushed to check her arm like she'd been shot.
Then he spun around and pointed at me.
"Sofia," he said. "I am so disappointed in you.
"So what if she made it up? That doesn't give you the right to put your hands on her.
"Don't you know—"
I cut him off.
"So you admit it was made up?"
The color drained from his face. Just for a second. Then he pulled himself together, all righteous anger.
"Fine. Yes. I saw them too.
"But that doesn't make it okay for you to hit someone.
"Apologize to Lucia. Right now. Or we're done. Divorce."
Ice ran through my whole body. I stared at him in disbelief.
Then I reached into my bag, pulled out the divorce papers I'd had ready for weeks, and slapped them down in front of him.
"Let's go. Right now. I'm ready."
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