23| Boys

Chapter 23

Alessio

"Alice, please talk to me," I say into the phone. This is the third phone I've brought in two days to talk to her. But, every time, it's gone to voicemail. "Aria, are you ready?" I call up the stairs. Aria walks down the stairs before, Charlie would close behind her, but that's not it anymore.

It's just her.

I look at my daughter, a shell of what she was. She's wearing one of my t-shirts, her hair is tied up into a bun, and she's wearing sweats, not even bothering with shoes. Her eyes are tear-stained, and I don't even know when the last time she even cracked a smile. Fuck...

"Is my teacher online yet?" Aria asks.

"No, but she will be any moment."

Aria nods her head and looks at the phone I'm gripping as if at any moment it will disappear. "She changed her number," she says solemnly. "I would give it to you, but...she made me promise not to give it to you." I bite my lip. Shit, no wonder I can't get into contact with her.

I run a hand through my hair, nodding my head. "Thank you...thanks for telling me that. Aria, can you tell me how she is?"

"Sad...she feels betrayed. She said she doesn't even know who you are, who I am," Aria adds. "And she really wants me to come with her."

I bite my lip. I don't want Aria to go. Alice can do a lot, but she won't take Aria away. The bond I've developed with this young girl is unbreakable. "And do you? Do you want to go with her?"

She widens her eyes, "no. I want her to come back...I want us to be a family again. Why?" Aria begins to cry. "Why can't she just see how awesome you are. I know killing people is bad, but you don't kill good people. You kill bad guys, people who deserve to die." I rush to Aria and hug her, engulfing her in the comfort she needs right now. "I wish everything could go back to before," she huffs.

"Me too, Aria, me too." I kiss the top of her head. I want that more than anything in the world.

~

Days go by slower now without her. And sleep is nonexistent. Her scent still lingers in our room, and her clothes are still scattered on the ground in our closet as if she never left. I haven't called her, and how would I? I turn to her side of the bed. She would be here right now, sleeping without a care in the world. And when she would wake up and see me, she'll instantly smile-warming me.

Alice.

I get up from the bed and walk to Aria's room. She's sleeping well. At least one of us can.

I haven't slept since Alice left. Aria's phone sits on her desk, charging next to her computer. I slowly open the door and walk to the small telephone that holds Alice's new number. I unlock the phone and click Alice's new number.

Only three rings before I hear her voice.

"Hello?" Alice says.

I bite my lip as I take in her voice. "Aria? Aria, are you there?" She sighs, recognition clear in her breath. "Alessio," she mutters.

"Alice," I say.

"God, Alessio, please stop this," she only says.

"Alice, I miss you...fuck I miss you so much. Where are you?"

"Around," she says. "I don't want to be too far from Aria."

"So, does that mean you're still in the state? In this city at least?" I need something, anything, to know where she is. I debated getting Odella to track her phone, but I know all I'll receive is a slap to the face and tears if I do that. But, fuck, every day, it's getting harder not to do it.

"Alessio, please...please stop it."

I hear the rustling of covers and the soft breath of Charlie. "Alice, I'm so sorry for lying to you. I had no idea what to say or even how to tell you. I wanted to tell you, time and time again, but I couldn't. How could I?" I say. I eye Aria's sleeping body and quickly leave the room to let her sleep.

"You say, hey, I am an fucking assassin."

"Alice," I sigh. "Is there any way...is there any way we can rekindle this? I want you back. I want our family back. I'll do anything, anything to make you forgive me, to accept me once again."

I hear her strained voice, "Alessio, you know me, you know me so well, and you knew I could never accept this lifestyle. You know I talked to Leo," she says.

I grip the phone, "did you?" How much does she know?

"He told me everything about you and your ex and your life," Leo told her? I clench my jaw, "I can never do anything like that. I won't be a part of a life like that, waiting for you to come home, not knowing if you'll be dead or not. I can't with good conscious be with you knowing you kill people, Alessio."

"Alice, I'll quit. I care more about you than any job. I miss your smile, the way you tuck yourself against my chest as you sleep. I miss my goddamn wife."

"Alessio, you hurt me, you lied to me for years, and I know without a doubt you would have never told me who you are if I didn't witness it myself."

"Alice..."

"I hope one day, I can stand being in the same room as you, for Aria's sake. Please make this the last time we speak outside of Aria. Goodbye, Alessio," she says, followed by her hanging up.

I clench the phone so hard that it cracks.

~

I got Aria a new phone that morning, telling her that I accidentally stepped on it. I think she knows it's a lie. Aria turns the radio on, listening to whatever popular pop song I've heard her sing probably occasionally.

"Your birthday is coming up next month. Any idea what you want to do?" Alice originally planned a huge party, ordered gifts galore, figured out the RSVP list, and sent invitations to the local moms to see if their kids would go. But now, I can't imagine something like that would pull through. She doesn't even want to speak to me, let alone have a part.

"I don't know," she murmurs. "I don't think I want to celebrate my birthday. I never have before, and besides, it's not gonna be as fun without you and Alice together."

My lips turn flat, turning down the street to our neighborhood. I spot a group of girls riding bikes down the road. "Hey," I say, quickly changing the subject. "Aren't those the girls you were talking to the other day? The girls around your age?"

She looks up, trailing her eyes to the girls riding one after another on bikes. "Yeah. But I don't really fit in with them."

"Why not?"

"Because they've been friends their entire life, and they talk about things I don't know about."

"Like?"

"Like," she pushes back her hair. "Like girl things...and boys," she mutters.

"Oh, um, okay." Boys, I grip the steering wheel tighter.

"Yeah," she mutters. Aria's new phone chimes. "It's Alice. She's wondering if I ate breakfast and how I'm doing." She clicks away at her keyboard, probably telling her about our quick drive-thru breakfast. "I hate this."

"I do too."

"You know, I heard you two last night. And I wish there was something I could do."

"Aria, don't worry about Alice and me. We're gonna be fine. We just hit a hard spot."

"Are you two getting a divorce?" She asks.

"I-" I look over at her wide eyes as I park inside of our garage. "I don't know." Aria nods her head and leaves the car, leaving me alone.

~

"Leo, after I deal with Patrick Kinsman. I'm out. I cannot risk my family for this lifestyle anymore," I say over the phone.

Leo lets out a sigh. He knew this was coming. There was no way he didn't. "I can't say that I'm shocked by this call, my friend, after the Alice debacle."

"Yeah, it's my time to go now."

If she wants me to leave this world, I will, no questions asked. The reason why I got this job was a means to pass the time during my heartbreak, but now it's leading me to a divorce. I'll leave here, but not before I have Patrick Kinsman's head on a platter.

"Has she spoken to you yet?" Leo asks. "I haven't talked to her for about three weeks now."

It has been exactly three weeks since Alice has left our home, and I haven't been graced with the delight to see her, let alone hear her voice since our one late-night conversation of me being for her to come home. I've been taking drips of updates from Aria, who says she's okay and has no idea where she is.

I only assume she's in New York based on the few text messages I read asking Aria to come with her. She can't be far.

"No, I haven't."

"Her mother contacted me as well, asking for her or if you heard anything. It seems like she's ignoring her mother too."

"What?" I say a tad too loud. Ignoring me makes sense but her mother? And why hasn't her mother contacted me about it? "Did she tell you what happened?"

"Oh, just a little more information was brought to light." I'm silent, "Alice's family is a part of the twelve."

"What? Are you serious?"

"Yes, I thought you would have put two and two together a long time ago. The Morte family aren't friends with just anyone Alessio." Fuck, not only did I betray her, her mother did as well. She probably doesn't know what to think or who to trust. I run a hand through my hair.

Alice...

I lean back in my office chair and look at Aria across the hall, writing away on her notepad taking notes. "She probably feels like an idiot."

"Probably. Tell me, Alessio, why haven't you searched for her. I'm sure Odella would have found her the moment she stepped out of the house."

I bite my lip. I wanted to do it so many times when I stared at the empty side of the bed. But she would only hate me more. "No, I need to give her some space...to think. If I show up out of the blue, she'll only be scared out of her mind."

"Yes, I suppose you're right. But I am worried about her. I never thought this would be a friendship that would ever end. Many people in my life come and go, but Alice was one of my oldest constants. You know she loves you so much, Alessio. I've never seen her so happy than with you."

"Yeah." And it was the same for me. Alice brought me such domesticated bliss that I never thought was possible. She made the little moments feel big. Not only did Alice fix my broken heart, but she made it stronger, more capable of loving in such a strong way that I never thought was possible for me.

She made me dream of a life with kids and a home. She made holidays special, hell, she made every day special for me, and I don't ever want to give that up.

"I'll request a few outside help to find this Patrick Kinsman."

"Thank you."

"No problem Alessio."

He hangs up the phone, and I'm left with the silence of my office.

~

Night came too quickly than I would have wanted. The room no longer smells like her, and our room is a mess. A drunken hoarder's room our housekeeper called it last week when I refused for her to clean it. I get up from the bed, rubbing my face, knocking over a few empty beer bottles on the ground.

I can hear Alice now, at the state of our room.

Alessio! You talk about my clothes all over but look at you!

I sigh and begin to pick up the beer bottles one by one-ten on the nightstand alone.

My phone rings, and it could only be one person-Leo, with the bastard's location.

"Leo," I say, setting the bottles back down.

"No," she says, and I fall onto the bed. "It's me."

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