Chapter 5

He turned back to me, sounding a little guilty. "Julia, go ahead and pay your respects. I'll handle her dismissal and be right there."

Then he took Sophia into the small memorial building where my parents' urns were kept.

I thought I'd gone numb to all of it. But watching them walk in there together still cut me to the quick.

I clenched my fists, turned around, and walked to my parents' headstone.

In the photo, they looked back at me with the same gentle expressions I'd always known.

I laid the white jasmine I'd brought in front of the stone and kept my voice low. "Dad, Mom, I'm leaving this city.

"Forgive me for not living the safe, settled life you wanted for me. But don't worry. I'm taking you with me."

The jasmine petals trembled in the breeze, as if they were nodding.

I smiled, stood up, and started toward the building where their urns were.

Before I could touch the door, I heard a breathless cry from inside. Sophia was trying to keep her voice down. "Ah... easy, Leonardo. Think of the baby..."

I froze.

Through the crack in the door, I saw their bodies tangled together.

Leonardo had Sophia up against the wall, his mouth at her neck, his voice low and rough. "You wore the bunny outfit I bought you under your coat on purpose. Are you trying to seduce me?"

Sophia slid her long fingers into his hair and gave a sly laugh.

"Of course... I know you can't resist me when I wear this one..."

Leonardo laughed under his breath and moved harder against her.

Two urns sat in the glass case directly across from them.

My parents'.

An icy pain stabbed through my chest. I could barely breathe.

How could he bring that woman here and take her in front of my parents?!

I dug my nails into my palms and made myself breathe until the noise inside finally died down.

Leonardo let her go and smoothed the front of his shirt. His face settled back into its usual calm.

"Julia's still out there. I should go before she starts wondering.

"Don't stay long. Go back to the apartment and wait for me. I'll come tonight."

Sophia murmured a lazy agreement and took his arm on the way out.

On instinct, I ducked out of sight behind the little building.

I waited until their footsteps faded, then stepped out and took a deep breath of cool air.

Soon. It'll all be over soon.

I made myself push the door open and go in. The smell of them still hung in the air.

But when I got to the glass case, the key was gone from the lock.

I froze.

If I had a new key made or broke the glass, Leonardo would get suspicious.

While I was standing there, the door behind me opened.

I turned around. Sophia.

Her meek act was gone. She spun a set of keys around one finger, her eyes mocking and defiant.

"Well, Donna? Did you like the sound of us in here?

"What's it like, watching the husband you love lose his mind over somebody else's body?"