Chapter XXXVI: Mama

For the past one week, Nicole had either been sobbing nonstop or staring at her phone in hopes of a message or call from Salvatore. On more than a few occasions she had wanted to call him, even go back home, but Luca had told her to give him time. She had. She did try her hardest to give him the time that he needed, but now it was just becoming too much. The guilt, the longing, the need, his comfort. She needed to go back.

Choking back the tears, she trudged out of her room and made her way across the hallway before pushing open the door to her parent's bedroom. She was hoping to talk to her father but instead found her mother reading, her gaze shooting up from the book to look at her from beneath her lashes.

"Nicole," She sat up, watching her daughter make her way forward and collapsing on the mattress, burying her face into the pillow and not caring how much criticism she would face. "Ti symvaínei? What