Never the Same

Chapter 6

The FaceTime call to Allison takes a bit of time to connect up. I lay down on the bed on my side, propping myself up on my elbow and holding my phone out with the opposite hand. It feels like it's been forever since I've seen my best friends face but not since I last spoke to her.

I did phone her saying I was engaged before she got the text message from myself or heard from someone else. She was happy and said she knew Luca was going to ask me to marry him because he not only asked my dad for his permission, but he asked her for hers. It was sweet of him to include her because he'll have no choice but to put up with her more now that we're to be married.

Although, if I'm being honest, I wasn't sure if she'd be all too happy for us considering how fragile her breakup with Greg is but she was beyond happy. She knew from the off that things with Luca and I would go down this path and I can't say I disagree because I had an inkling they would at some point down the line. Just not this quick.

"Baby girl," Allison's voice booms to me as soon as she answers the FaceTime call. She blows me a kiss and I smile brightly at her. "Show it to me."

I don't waste time in showing her my engagement ring because I know that's what she means. I also knew that that is what she would ask to see as soon as I decided to contact her.

"That it?" Her face screws up in disgust. "He's worth so many billions and that's what he buys you?"

"Hey, he did buy me a very expensive ring but I chose this one." I defend. I look at my engagement ring and smile. "This has more meaning behind it. This was the ring he was going to propose with when we were first together."

"That can't be the same ring. I remember that ring and that doesn't look anything like it."

"It most likely is but you can't really see it on this. You're better off seeing it in real life then make the judgment call."

"Yeah, you're probably right." She takes a drink from her cup and points to me while swallowing. "When are you coming home?"

"I, uh, don't know." I look past my phone and flash Luca a small smile as he walks out of the dressing room while doing up the cuffs of his black shirt. "There's a lot happening at this side of the pond in both the business and personal sense."

"Oh, gossip. Tell me more."

I can see Luca nodding away in the background, giving me the go ahead to tell Allison about Nadia and everything else that's happening.

I clear my throat. "Do you want the long version or the short version?"

"Is there a difference?" She shrugs.

"Not really when it comes down to it."

"Alright." She sits back further on the dark grey couch, crosses her legs, and grabs her cup of coffee from the coffee table. "I'm all set to go."

"The day Luca and I got engaged, Nadia turned up out of the blue." I inform, getting straight to the point.

Allison splutters her coffee and coughs. "His ex that left him to look after Louisa?"

"Yes," I confirm.

"Shit."

"And that's not the worst thing that's happened."

She raises a brow. "And what is the worst thing that's happened?"

"She's filed for custody of Louisa."

"Holy shit!" She screams. "You're kidding me, right?"

"I wish I was."

"But how? I mean, I know how. But can she even do that? She's been off the scene for years. She voluntarily walked out of her own child's life. Can she even do that without Luca being the one to grant it?"