Missed Times

Chapter Eight

"Are you still in Italy?" I read nervously out loud. "The news are coming out soon, you need to be prepared. Call me as soon as you land."

I finish reading the text from Benjamin to Carina who's looking at me like I'm talking in a foreign language. I keep looking through my phone and then I find it, my boarding pass to Italy.

"Carina, I was going," I say, showing Carina the phone with trembling hands. "The night of the accident I was going to Italy."

"I don't understand," Carina says, sitting down on the coffee table in front of me looking at the phone. "We hadn't even talked for months."

I don't understand either, but I know what this means. I was going to get her back, there's no other explanation.

"Today at Michelle's I found a packed suitcase," I say it out loud to myself, and Carina's eyes widen. "Do you have any idea who's Benjamin?"

"He's your friend, I guess," Carina rolls her eyes and takes a deep breath. "He's also a journalist, he was supposed to help you and 19 expose the injustices and the mistreat from the Fire Department."

I nod, taking in what Carina is saying, by the texts between me and him it sounds like he's still trying to help me.

"I think I should call him," I say looking down at my phone.

"Okay, but I need you to eat first," Carina says, touching my hands and stroking them gently.

I can't stop the smile that comes through when I feel her touch, I look at Carina and she smiles at me with her lips closed.

"Okay," I comply.

Carina gets up and goes back to the kitchen. In the mean time I keep looking through my phone. There's a text from a woman named Caroline.

*Hey Cap, hope you're feeling better, miss you.* The texts ends with a fire emoji and the one with the kiss and a heart.

Still confused, I leave my phone charging and get up to the dinning table. Carina lays down two plates of salad, I smile to the familiar feeling this brings me. If this was any other day, this is definitely what we would be eating together, as a married couple. I walk to the kitchen to grab some glasses.

"Is there any wine?" I ask Carina casually.

"Um, yeah, but I don't think you should be drinking, Maya," Carina softly says.

"Come on, just one," I look back at Carina.

"I'm sorry," Carina shakes her head apologetically. "The brain is really complicated and I don't think you should."

"Okay," I sigh, "Do you want one though?"

"No, just water, please," Carina says and I smile to her.

Carina sits next to me on the table, just like old times. I thank her for the food and we start eating in silence for a while.

"Um, Carina," I say putting my fork down on my almost finished salad. "Do you know someone named Caroline?"

"I do," Carina says tensing up. "Why? Did you remember something?"

"No, it's just, I have a text from her on my phone."

"I bet," Carina scoffs.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I ask defensively.

"She's a firefighter at your station," Carina says frowning. "You were sleeping with her."

I almost choked on my salad.

"Wh- when?"

"Last November I went to the Station to talk to you and she was coming out of your bunk," Carina says with resentment. "She didn't even try to hide it."