The Lucky Doberman

Chapter 49: $3000

De Luca:

I stepped out of my father's house and lit a cigarette. I could've taken it while I was inside, but it was an excuse to get away from those idiots in that meeting.

My phone began to ring in my pocket.
I answered it while I looked at the fountain in the center of Gabriel's driveway.

"Yea." I answered.
"Marco..."
I froze and almost dropped my cigarette. I looked at my phone to see if it was who I thought it was and there was the 'L'.
"Lucky?" I replied.
She sounded like she was crying. She was also struggling to breathe.
"Lucky, where are you?" I asked her.
"I don't know..." she cried. "I need help..."
"Tell me where you are." I began walking towards my car.

"Um..."
I waited for her to answer.
"Um, If I keep walking, I'll be on Dana," she answered.
Dana is like twenty five minutes from here in the opposite direction, how did she get there?
"Stay there."
"Okay..." she replied.

I raced out of the old man's driveway to head towards Dana Street.

I tried thinking of how she could get stranded there. Maybe her car broke down.
But it ain't that old.
Maybe she ran out of gas.
But that ain't nothin' to cry over and even if it was, she sounded scared.

I tried thinkin' of anything else.

She had somewhere to be tonight.

I could feel my jaw clench when I remembered. My foot pressed the gas harder.

The drive was shorter from my speed and I arrived in no time. It was just trying to find where she went that would be the problem. Dana is a long road.

I rode along the side of the street and just stared at all the stores that were already closed or were closing because it was late.

I kept going and stopped in front of a bus stop. I saw her sitting there with her head down.

I parked on the side and got out to walk to her. She heard my door close and looked up at me.
Seeing her eyes damp like this feels like a punch in the gut. She cried again and I took the seat next to her.
I pulled her head to my shoulder and she laid there as her tears ran. I kissed the top of it and just stared at the road and the cars that drove past.

~~~

"Do you want me to bring you home?" I asked as we sat in my car.
"No...he knows where I live and that scares me."
I sighed.
I'll kill that prick.

I made a u-turn.

"Did I call you while you were busy?" she asked.
"Call me when you get scared."
"Really?"
"Yea."

I watched her look out of her window.

"I'm still mad at you." she stated.
"I know."
"Why would you do that?"
"It's not what it looked like."
"Then what was it?" She looked back at me.
"She crawled into my lap and kissed me the second before you walked in. I didn't kiss her back. I told her to get off me."
"Is that true?"
"I don't lie."
She looked out of the window again.

"Are you hurt?" I asked.
"No. I was just scared and sad."
"He didn't touch you?"
"No further than the outside of my underwear."
"That's too far."

She didn't respond.

I wish she knew how to take signs and stop forgiving people. This was the entire background of her relationship with him and she still forgave him and went somewhere with the two alone. I feel like I shouldn't let her out of my sight.

We pulled into Gabriel's driveway.

"Why here?" she asked.
"This about as safe as you're gonna get."