Don’t Let Go

4. Aurora

4

Aurora

The eggs sizzled in the pan. Everyone liked their eggs cooked differently, but today, I was only serving them one way. When I woke up, my thigh had a hand-sized purple bruise, and add that to a lack of sleep, I didn’t have the patience for what my siblings wanted this morning. They were lucky to be eating at all.

“I wanted sunny side up,” my fifteen-year-old sister, Carmen, whined. She poked at the scrambled eggs like they were caviar.

Franco and Lorenzo frowned at their fluffy eggs. They liked them poached, but they shoveled the food into their mouths all the same. They were good Italian boys who knew not to argue with the cook.

My six-year-old baby sister, Elizabeth, or as we called her, Lizzy, loved anything I cooked. She was my biggest fan and wanted me to open a restaurant. Though I was sure it was so I could always give her something to eat.

“Shut up and eat. We’re leaving in thirty minutes.” I pointed to my brothers. “You’ll be late to work if you don’t leave soon.” I placed a giant plate of bacon in the center of the table before sitting down.

Everyone attacked the bacon. I was smart enough to put three pieces on my plate before giving the rest to the hungry wolves.

“You’re always so bossy,” Carmen muttered, taking a bite of bacon, and crumbs fell all over the ivory tablecloth.

“Don’t sass me. You know when Mamma is gone, I’m in charge. Do you want me to—”

Carmen’s brown eyes widened in horror as she poked out her lower lip. “Please don’t tell Mamma. I’ll be good.”

“Stay on your best behavior, and I won’t.” I flashed my sister a mocking grin.

The threat of telling Mamma always worked. She was the one you feared the most after the wrath of God. The entire community looked up to our mamma; she was the backbone. She’s the Carbone’s cleaner, and it has nothing to do with being a maid. For the past two decades, my mamma has overseen cleaning crime scenes, washing away blood, brain spatter, and bone fragments. She made a crime scene spotless, and the bodies disappear. It was as if nothing ever happened.

I didn’t mind taking care of my siblings. They were my heart. The only issue was I wanted to figure out myself without being at their beck and call. I did story time with Lizzy. I helped Carmen with her homework. I made sure my brothers didn’t get into trouble. Then I had band practice and my boyfriend, Paolo. Life got tiring after a while.

Everyone left the table. Franco and Lorenzo snagged another piece of bacon as they ran out the door and hopped into their truck without so much as a thank you or a goodbye. Carmen went upstairs to finish getting ready and Lizzy disappeared into her room, shoving homework into her backpack like she always did in the morning.

I sighed and ate my last bite. The next thing I needed to teach my siblings was to take their dishes to the kitchen after I cooked for them. They never did this to Mamma; the boys dashed to clear the table, and Carmen hand-washed the dishes without any sass because Mamma didn’t trust the dishwasher. As for me, I was a servant girl who had to do everything.

I loaded the dishes into the dishwasher and turned it on because there wasn’t enough time in the day to do everything how our mamma liked things.

After putting away the carton of eggs I forgot by the stove, I ran upstairs to grab my jacket and backpack. Thankfully, I was ready for school before cooking breakfast.

The horn of my Charger made me jump after grabbing my metal water bottle from the fridge.

I locked the front door and cursed under my breath. Of course, my sisters were in the car waiting for me. They didn’t cook and clean up.

Carmen leaned over from the passenger’s seat to lower my window. “You’re so slow, Rory! Come on! I have a test first period. I can’t be late.”

I opened the driver’s door and slammed it closed. “Well, if people could help clean the table after I made breakfast, maybe I could get my crap together faster.” I turned over the engine. “And I thought someone would load the dishwasher for me.”

“Sorry. I’ll help you tomorrow,” Carmen grumbled, looking at her phone. She put in her headphones and was lost to the rest of us.

“Play my Disney princess playlist. Please, Rory?” Lizzy begged from the back seat, hugging her well-loved brown bunny to her chest.

“Of course.” I connected her phone to the car and selected the playlist. The first song, “Under the Sea,” came over the speakers. Carmen moaned and made a point to lift her phone to show she turned up the volume. Little did she know, I didn’t give a damn about her hearing. I wasn’t her mother. I couldn’t help but laugh and sing along with Lizzy. She was my favorite as soon as she was born.

The routine consisted of taking Lizzy to the elementary school a few blocks from the high school. Lizzy always turned back and waved at me before going into her school. I, in turn, would blow her a kiss, and she’d pretend to catch it as she laughed. At least someone appreciated me.

The drive to South Ridge was quiet. I parked in the student lot, and Carmen muttered a quick goodbye before ditching me for her friends. “Love you too,” I said under my breath as I walked toward the senior building. We always went our separate ways until the end of the day when she needed a ride back home.

Paolo didn’t see me coming down the hallway. He was too busy scrolling through his phone as he leaned against my locker. I cleared my throat, and his hazel eyes met mine. He shoved his phone into his back pocket. “There you are. Jesus, you’re slow.”

I gestured for him to move aside. “Hello to you, too,” I replied, opening my locker to grab my science textbook.

Paolo hooked his arms around my torso, kissing my collarbone. His foul morning breath wrinkled my nose. “Paolo, please,” I protested, wiggling out of his grasp.

The bell rang, warning us there was only a minute before the late bell tolled. It usually freed me from Paolo’s control.

He held out his left arm, caging me between his body and the lockers. I glared at the dragon tattoo curling its way up his wrist. How its claws dug into his flesh like I knew he wanted to sink his fingers into my skin and destroy the fabric of who I am.

“Rory,” he murmured, annoyance on his tongue.

I gently touched the dragon tattoo, trying to be kind so he’d release me. I always hated that damn tattoo with its red scales and green belly, holding a blue world, like a marble in its paw with a golden eye that always followed me.

I dared to stare Paolo in the eye and stood straight like an arrow, keeping my back from slouching. I needed to be strong.

He took a step back and dove one of his hands into his perfect dark locks. “I wanted to talk, but guess it’ll wait until lunch. See ya.” He kissed my lips, but it was so quick that it was more like a peck.

“Bye.” I rolled my shoulders and shut my locker. I hustled to class, and the bell chimed as I walked to my desk.

Chloe tapped her pencil on the desk next to her and motioned to a boy in the front of the room. “What do you think of Peter?” she whispered.

I glanced over at Peter as I sat beside Chloe. “He’s okay.” He was a typical boy with short brown hair and a goofy grin.

She bit the end of her pencil. “I heard a rumor he wants to ask me out.”

Of course, she did. She swore every guy wanted her. I loved Chloe, but she had an ego bigger than a pop star. It was crazy to think we’ve been friends since we were toddlers. Her mother was one of the money launderers for the Carbone family using a hair salon as a front, so she understood some of my family turmoil.

Mrs. Myers began drawing on the whiteboard. I opened my textbook on the Earth’s core and put my pen in the binding.

Chloe put a hand on my arm. “Take a deep breath. How’s your leg feeling?”

She always saw through me and knew how I felt no matter what mask I had on.

I let out a breath. “It stings, and my jeans are not helping.”

“It gets better. It must.” She gave me a sad smile and opened her textbook.

“If only,” I muttered.

Lunch consisted of burgers and fries, my favorite. I grabbed my tray and strolled outside to sit with my friends at our usual picnic table on the side of the cafeteria. We were out of sight and out of mind from the congestion and the drama that ensued during lunch, which usually involved a fight or two and some mild to extreme bullying.

Chloe sat on the end of the bench, smoking her vape and smiling when she spotted me. Maria and Gabriela sat across from her. Maria only ate her fries and always gave her burger to Gabs.

“I wish my siblings weren’t a pain,” I said, dipping a fry into a pool of ketchup.

Chloe nudged me with her shoulder. “You can always move in with me. It’s quiet at my house, especially when my mom works long hours at the salon.”

I gave her a side hug. “Thanks.” Chloe was an only child, but growing up together, we considered each other family.

Maria pulled out a bottle of pink nail polish and went to work.

Gabs took a bite of her burger and chewed noisily. “Don’t worry. Your brothers are in the family business and saving money to get their own place soon, right? Plus, we’re graduating in a few months and leaving all this behind.”

“Yeah. True.” My brothers were saving for an apartment closer to the office. As for life getting better after graduation, I didn’t think much of it. I was the daughter of an important woman in the mafia, not to mention Paolo was the grandson of the mob boss, Stefano Carbone. Some people called him Lucky Carbone since he has never been charged with a crime. I dug my own grave by dating a blood relative of the man behind it all.

“I’d love to think of the future, but it’s a little murky with Paolo lately,” I said, ripping a fry in half.

Chloe coughed and flicked her eyes to the sidewalk. “How quaint. Here comes that motherfu—”

I elbowed Chloe, cutting her off. “Shh…”

“There you are.” Paolo waved his hand in front of his face and glared at Chloe. “Right next to smoky. What is that — cherry flavored?”

“It’s you’re-in-my-space flavored,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest. Paolo may be a Carbone, but Chloe only saw trouble and she wasn’t afraid to treat him as such.

His nostrils flared. “Can I talk to you, Rory?”

“Yeah.” I stood, and we walked a few feet away to the picnic table toward the back corner of the building that was covered in spider webs. “What’s up?”

“My cousin is getting married in Hawaii next month and I want you to be my date.”

“Oh, that sounds nice.” I didn’t want to go to Hawaii for some stranger’s wedding.

“Will you be my date?” His eyes pierced into mine. He always made saying no to him hard. He knew how to hurt me not only emotionally but physically, like the hand-sized bruise on my thigh.

“I should ask my mamma. She expects me to help with my siblings and the housework while she’s at work.” I tugged on my long sleeves, balling the cotton in my hands.

“I see.” He kicked the dirt and ran a hand through his thick black hair.

“I’ll let you know, okay? It’s a sweet invite though.” I kissed his lips, trying to ease the tension building between us.

“Yeah, fine.” He wrinkled his forehead in frustration like I was an annoying child. “Do you want to chill after the game tomorrow night?”

By chill, he meant putting on sleazy music in his bedroom as he felt me up.

I swallowed the lump creeping up my throat. “Umm… sure.”

He squeezed his eyes shut. My answer wasn’t to his liking. “Alright. I’ll see ya later.”

I returned to my friends and put my arms on the table, resting my head upon them.

“He used to be so nice,” Maria said, eating another fry.

Gabs patted my hand. “Hang in there. Once we graduate, maybe he’ll wander off and no longer be your problem.”

If only, but the Carbone family loved the idea of Paolo and me together, especially the crime boss. It was horrifying to think of.

Chloe’s eyebrows drew together in concern, but she didn’t say a word. She understood what it meant to be in bed with a Carbone. She warned me, but I didn’t listen. I should’ve known it was foolish and dangerous. Maria and Gabs didn’t understand how powerful the Carbone family was — how they controlled everything around us like a giant chessboard.

After dropping my sisters off at home, I stopped by a house in Carefree to help my mamma with a job. I parked my car two blocks from the house on my phone’s map and walked the rest of the way. Mamma never liked to draw more attention than needed to her assignments.

I walked up the stone walkway and found the front door unlocked. As I entered, I saw my mamma with a mop in hand. She wiped her brow and motioned for the door. “Close that and lock it,” she ordered.

“Sorry,” I mumbled, closing the door. It took my eyes a moment to adjust to the dim light.

“Grab a mop and finish the kitchen, per favore.”

“Okay.” I walked to her cleaning station by a marble archway to put booties on my shoes and slip on a pair of elbow-length gloves.

“How was school?” Mamma asked as she stared at the floor to examine her work.

I grabbed the extra mop, squeezing the extra water with the device on the bucket. “It was good. We’re learning about the core of the Earth. It’s interesting. I never thought about how the planet worked before.” I eyed a jade statue of a cat on the kitchen counter sitting on some paper towels. Perhaps it was the murder weapon. I cast my gaze to the floor. I shouldn’t be nosy.

Mamma nodded as she wiped her brow again. “Can you throw me a sponge? I don’t think the mop gets the cracks clean enough. Blood is stubborn.”

I leaned my mop against the fridge and located a sponge on her cleaning cart. “What happened here?” I said without thinking while handing her the sponge. I inspected the tile as well, then made the poor decision to look at the ceiling, also seeing blood splatter there. “Never mind. I don’t wanna know.”

Mamma patted my yellow-gloved hand with hers before taking the sponge. “Fiore mio, remember never ask questions. That’s how you end up like this.” She sniffed, wiping her nose on her shirt sleeve. “You never get used to the chemical burn in your nose.”

“I can open a window or prop open the back door.”

She glanced at the blood and brain matter on the ceiling. “Sì, per favore fallo.”

We worked silently for the next hour. I drew the short straw and climbed the ladder to scrap the pink matter off the ceiling and wipe it until nothing was left.

“Time for the blacklight,” Mamma announced as she grabbed the blacklight flashlight. “Turn off the lights and close all the curtains tightly.”

I rushed around the house until we were cast into darkness. She switched on the flashlight, looking for any traces of blood.

Nothing showed up anywhere. It was magically all clean. There were no signs of a deep clean, like bleach spots. After the strong chemical smell faded, there would be no evidence whatsoever of a crime occurring in this house. Not even the best CSI team could find a speck of blood or piece of hair here.

Mamma grabbed the jade cat statue from the kitchen and placed it back on the bookshelf in the living room. She looked around one last time, wiping her hands on her pants before packing up her cleaning cart. Her cleaning supplies broke down into two black cases. With a garbage bag in hand and a pair of mops, we were ready to go.

“Since we worked so hard this evening, why don’t we order a pizza for dinner? You know everyone will starve if neither of us cooks,” she laughed. Mamma was tough on us kids, but she was also soft. I think too soft sometimes on the others.

“Sounds good to me.” I grabbed the two black cases. “Are we walking out of here together?”

She looked at her watch. “We can. I’ll give you a ride to your car.”

As we loaded her car and got inside, she gave me a faint smile before backing out of the carport. “How’s Paolo?’

I flinched as if she slapped me. Mamma didn’t like that I agreed to go out with Paolo, and I wished I had taken her advice. Everyone saw how bad a guy he was, but I didn’t until it was too late. “He’s fine.” I licked my lips. “He wants me to go to a wedding in Hawaii for his cousin.”

Mamma clicked her tongue and looked into the rearview mirror, checking no one had spotted us. “Do you want to go?” There was a sharp tone in her voice; she wanted to protest.

I picked at my chipped nail polish. I knew cleaning would ruin my pretty nails. “No. It would be too awkward. Besides, I’m needed here.”

“Oh, fiore mio,” she said, squeezing my thigh. I let out a cry before I could stop it. She touched my bruise.

“What’s wrong?” She glanced at me while slowing for a stop sign.

“Nothing.” I flipped my hair over my left shoulder to shield my face. Mamma studied me—she knew something was amiss. “There’s my car. I’ll order and pick up the pizza. See you at home.” I opened my door before she came to a complete stop.

“See you soon,” Mamma said, sounding tired. She knew what my wince meant and who did it. She also knew there was nothing that could be done.

She waved as she drove past me. I sank in my seat, taking a moment to collect myself before opening the pizza app and ordering.

I was in over my head, and at this point, I think I was too far out to sea for anyone to save me.