Francesca to go back to class.
“Good for you,” I said. “I’m sure you worked hard.”
Marie shrugged.
I sat on the couch beside Francesca and eyed her warily. “Marie, could you give us a second?”
“Sure.” She left the living room and retreated to her bedroom.
When it was just she and I, I spoke. “I talked to Hawke today.”
It was the first time Francesca reacted since I walked through the door. She turned to me slightly, her eyes holding emotion deep within.
“I asked why he left but he wouldn’t tell me. But he said it was the best thing for you…whatever that means.”
She pulled her knees to her chest. “What else did he say?”
“That he’s miserable. Doesn’t know who he is without you…”
She closed her eyes because they welled with tears.
“Frankie, help me understand what happened. Why did he leave?”
She shook her head.
“Did he hurt you?”
“No.” Her voice came out strong as she spoke, for the first time. “He would never hurt me. That’s what he doesn’t understand.”
“Doesn’t understand what?” I pressed.
Francesca didn’t give me any more information. She closed off from me all over again. “I hope you can stay friends with him, Axel. You guys have been close for a long time. I would hate to see you lose a friendship over something that has nothing to do with you.”
“Frankie, I told him to stay away from you but he did it anyway.”
She rested her chin on her knees, her cheeks wet. “Hawke and I are supposed to be together and it’s a shame Hawke won’t let that happen because of his fears. Even though he’s hurt me so much I don’t regret what happened. I don’t regret what we had. If I’m never happy again for as long as I live, I still won’t regret it. Because…it was beautiful.”
Her words replayed in my mind over and over. I tried to understand it but couldn’t. “I want you to get back on your feet. I hate seeing you this way.”
“I know…I hate it too.”
“Then buck up and do it. You’ve never been this type of person, the kind that falls apart so easily.”
“I haven’t fallen apart because he’s gone.”
I stared at her, feeling the confusion.
“I’ve fallen apart because…he was it. He was my one true love. He took a piece of me I’ll never get back. Maybe one day I’ll be happy again but I’ll never be the same.”
“Don’t say that…”
“But it’s the truth.” She wiped her tears away on the back of her forearms. “Don’t lose him, Axel. You need each other.”
I wasn’t sure how I could be friends with someone that hurt my family so much.
She reached for my hand and patted it slightly. “I wouldn’t want you to ever lose each other.”
***
I sat at the table and Marie dropped the pile of papers in front of me. “We have to get all of this done—by Friday.”
I eyed it like it was Mount Everest.
“If we don’t, she’ll fail all of her classes.” She sat across from me and opened her laptop.
Francesca was in her room, either sleeping or staring at the wall.
“Well, I graduated college once. I can do it again.” I pulled the first assignment toward me, a history paper.
Marie looked through the stack and pulled out an assignment.
“Marie, I know you have your own things to focus on. I can handle this.”
“I don’t mind.” She skimmed through the paper before she turned to her laptop. “She would do it for me.”
“But I don’t want you to fall behind on your studies. The only thing I’m losing out on is TV and chicks—” I stopped in mid-sentence when I realized what I just said. Talking about other women in front of her was weird, but I couldn’t explain why. I didn’t make eye contact with her and stared at the history paper.
The only response she gave was the sound of her fingertips hitting the keyboard.
The subject of dating shouldn’t make her uncomfortable. In fact, our night together meant less to her than it did to me. I’d never met a woman who was
“Good for you,” I said. “I’m sure you worked hard.”
Marie shrugged.
I sat on the couch beside Francesca and eyed her warily. “Marie, could you give us a second?”
“Sure.” She left the living room and retreated to her bedroom.
When it was just she and I, I spoke. “I talked to Hawke today.”
It was the first time Francesca reacted since I walked through the door. She turned to me slightly, her eyes holding emotion deep within.
“I asked why he left but he wouldn’t tell me. But he said it was the best thing for you…whatever that means.”
She pulled her knees to her chest. “What else did he say?”
“That he’s miserable. Doesn’t know who he is without you…”
She closed her eyes because they welled with tears.
“Frankie, help me understand what happened. Why did he leave?”
She shook her head.
“Did he hurt you?”
“No.” Her voice came out strong as she spoke, for the first time. “He would never hurt me. That’s what he doesn’t understand.”
“Doesn’t understand what?” I pressed.
Francesca didn’t give me any more information. She closed off from me all over again. “I hope you can stay friends with him, Axel. You guys have been close for a long time. I would hate to see you lose a friendship over something that has nothing to do with you.”
“Frankie, I told him to stay away from you but he did it anyway.”
She rested her chin on her knees, her cheeks wet. “Hawke and I are supposed to be together and it’s a shame Hawke won’t let that happen because of his fears. Even though he’s hurt me so much I don’t regret what happened. I don’t regret what we had. If I’m never happy again for as long as I live, I still won’t regret it. Because…it was beautiful.”
Her words replayed in my mind over and over. I tried to understand it but couldn’t. “I want you to get back on your feet. I hate seeing you this way.”
“I know…I hate it too.”
“Then buck up and do it. You’ve never been this type of person, the kind that falls apart so easily.”
“I haven’t fallen apart because he’s gone.”
I stared at her, feeling the confusion.
“I’ve fallen apart because…he was it. He was my one true love. He took a piece of me I’ll never get back. Maybe one day I’ll be happy again but I’ll never be the same.”
“Don’t say that…”
“But it’s the truth.” She wiped her tears away on the back of her forearms. “Don’t lose him, Axel. You need each other.”
I wasn’t sure how I could be friends with someone that hurt my family so much.
She reached for my hand and patted it slightly. “I wouldn’t want you to ever lose each other.”
***
I sat at the table and Marie dropped the pile of papers in front of me. “We have to get all of this done—by Friday.”
I eyed it like it was Mount Everest.
“If we don’t, she’ll fail all of her classes.” She sat across from me and opened her laptop.
Francesca was in her room, either sleeping or staring at the wall.
“Well, I graduated college once. I can do it again.” I pulled the first assignment toward me, a history paper.
Marie looked through the stack and pulled out an assignment.
“Marie, I know you have your own things to focus on. I can handle this.”
“I don’t mind.” She skimmed through the paper before she turned to her laptop. “She would do it for me.”
“But I don’t want you to fall behind on your studies. The only thing I’m losing out on is TV and chicks—” I stopped in mid-sentence when I realized what I just said. Talking about other women in front of her was weird, but I couldn’t explain why. I didn’t make eye contact with her and stared at the history paper.
The only response she gave was the sound of her fingertips hitting the keyboard.
The subject of dating shouldn’t make her uncomfortable. In fact, our night together meant less to her than it did to me. I’d never met a woman who was
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