Secrets & Lies

Putting The Pieces Together| 55

"FIRE! Nyla Get up!!"

I shot up out the bed so fast I made myself dizzy. I fought the urge to fall back down onto the mattress and jumped into action. As I ran past the mirror I noticed that my bonnet was slipping off and I looked crazy. None of that mattered as I quickly put on a robe and grabbed my stuff.

This bitch is gonna burn down but my stuff won't.

I burst out of the room in a panic with all my stuff in hand. "Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you!"

I screamed and dropped everything I was holding when the Romano family came out of nowhere singing Happy birthday in Italian. I covered my face in embarrassment and sighed heavily.

"Oh look alive, Piccola!" Anthony exclaimed.

After they finished singing they left to let me get ready for the grand breakfast they had planned to have. "Happy birthday, love."

Before I could say anything he was wrapping his arms around me tightly. He was a phenomenal hugger and I melted into his touch.

"What happened to you last night?" I asked quietly. After I went to the guest house, I waited up for Sebastian so we could talk but hours went by and when he finally came back I was half-sleeping.

"Um, I got a drink with my father. We stayed up talking for a beat. You should go get dressed. I'm going to Um...help my mum out." He said. He kissed my forehead and walked right out the door.

I furrowed my eyebrows and walked off to get ready for the day.

Upon entering the dining room it seemed as if the room had gotten suddenly quiet and a little awkward. It made me feel out of place. It was strange because it was the first time I'd ever felt like an outsider amongst Sebastian's family. I didn't like it. However, I offered a small smile to them and took a seat beside Alex.

"Nyla, darling, what are your plans for your birthday?" Sarah asked after we'd spent most of the time eating in silence. "My friends are throwing me a dinner party on Saturday."

"Ooh, fun!"

"Party?! Why wasn't I invited?" Alex asked. "Alejandro check your unknown sender's. Javier invited us to the party in a group chat." Amara explained.

"Javier?" Sebastian questioned. "Yeah, he's organizing the party."

"Is he now?" Sebastian looked at me questioningly and I only offered an apologetic smile for not telling him before. "Javier as in De La Rosa?" Anthony asked.

"Unfortunately, that's the one," Sebastian replied. "Oh! I didn't realize you were friends with him, Nyla." Sarah said.

"Oh yeah, they used to date. But they are friends now." Amara explained. Sebastian glared at her and I cleared my throat lightly before sipping my mimosa. "I haven't heard that name in quite a bit. How is he?" Sarah asked.

"Just as annoying as he was the last time you saw him," Sebastian said. Sarah rolled her eyes and turned to me for an answer. "He's doing really good. Taking care of himself and his company." I replied. "And he is fine I'll tell you that much. Even though he was a butthole he matured a lot." Amara noted.

Sarah giggled while the males at the table started to be sure she was serious. "What?" Amara asked through a mouthful of eggs.

"Ugh Mar, don't speak and eat." Sarah scolded. "Sorry, mama."

"I'd love to see him. You give him my number the next time you speak with him. It's been quite some time." Sarah said.

"Seriously mom?" Sebastian asked. "...yes. It's been nearly a decade. Even though you two aren't the best of friends anymore, he was once part of this family too." Sarah said.

"I didn't realize they used to be so close," I commented. "Close? Try inseparable. Them and the other one...you all know I'm not good with names...uh Stefani-Andres I think it was." Anthony said.

"Giovanni-Ambrose dad. It was Giovanni-Ambrose." Alex said. Ambrose? They never told me his name was hyphenated.

"So sad what happened to him. He had a lot of potential. Involved with the wrong crowd I guess." Sarah said with a shake of her head.

They changed the subject and continued to talk while I was still thinking about the previous topic. Javier never told me his name was Giovanni-Ambrose. It got me thinking. What if my Ambrose just so happened to be the same person? I was probably reading into this but nothing was as it seemed when it came to anything involving Javier or Sebastian.

After breakfast, I helped Sarah with the dishes. "Can I ask you a question?" I asked. She glanced over at me and nodded firmly. "Of course."

"How'd Sebastian and Javier meet Giovanni?" I asked. "Oh um I'm not quite sure. I only remember that Giovanni was related to one of Sebastian's friend's girlfriend. What was her name...Danielle? No, maybe it was Danai?"

"Was it Danica?" I asked cautiously. "Yes, actually it was. Danica. It's amazing how she and that man of hers stayed together all these years." Sarah sighed.

"Did she have any other siblings?"

"No, it was only ever her and her brother. Actually, I have a picture of the three of them, I still talk to their mother sometimes and she sent me this." I anxiously watched her pull out her phone and scroll a few times before showing me the picture. There it was right in my face.

The picture of Javier and Sebastian in their adolescence standing beside the man I knew as Ambrose. Sarah was speaking but I wasn't listening. All I could hear was the sound of my heart beating as I began to breathe heavily.

It can't be him. They can't be the same person.

The sound of glass shattering broke me out of my panicked state. "Oh gosh, I'm so sorry." I apologized profusely as I dropped down to pick off the shards of glass from the plate I'd dropped. "Wait, don't! You'll cut yourself-"

It was already too late as I tried to hurriedly clean up the glass, I cut my hand. Instead of letting Sarah help, I grabbed a napkin and basically ran to the guest house.

I ran my hand under cool water as the blood continued to flow. As I washed my hand my mind was racing.

Had I seriously befriended a psychopath? How didn't I put the pieces together sooner? He was a guest at Danica's wedding long after his supposed death how didn't anyone notice?? Had he been targeting me all along?

I was pulled out of my thoughts by the sound of my phone ringing. I used my good hand to pull it out of my pocket and a strange sense of fear washed over me when I saw who was calling. Ambrose.

I dropped my phone onto the counter when Sebastian came in and did my best to finish rinsing my cut. "Why didn't you tell me Javier was throwing the party?" He asked.

"I thought you'd be upset," I replied as I grabbed some peroxide from the overhead cabinet. "You thought right. I barely want you around him. Now he's throwing you some grand fucking party?!"

"Seriously I don't have time for this right now," I grunted as I poured the peroxide onto my hand. "What're you doing? What happened to your hand?" He asked with a heavy sigh.

Before I could speak he lifted me up and sat me on the counter. He grabbed the first aid kit and pulled out what he needed before washing his hands and putting on some gloves. "Hurry up Dr. Romano before I bleed out." I taunted.

He patched up my wound before cleaning up. When he was done he looked at me with a serious expression. "Why would you lie to me?"

"Javier just wanted to do a nice thing and I didn't want you to find out he was throwing the party and think he was after me or something weird like that." I sighed. "You could've at least told me. That would've been better than hearing it from my little sister." He sighed.

"I'm sorry. You're right."

He tried to talk to me about what I wanted to do today but I was too busy thinking about my psycho friend.