The Sicilian Affair

Chapter 17 - The Deal

Laurie sat on the comfort of the soft rug with a cup of hot chocolate steaming in her hands as she quietly watched the small flickering flames in the fireplace. And when Karma shuffled closer to her legs, she drew up a hand and stroked at its soft fur.

Tomas stretched his legs infront of him casting a look to his side, glancing at her sitting next to him and he shook his head. She seemed so far away, lost in her own thoughts that she didn't even take notice of him staring for what seemed like minutes. And when the silence finally felt like it was slowly suffocating him, he finally decided to break it.

"Where did you go?" He asked, leaning his head back against the couch.

Laurie blinked, turned and blushed when she saw him staring so intensively at her. "Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about my parents back home." She answered, setting her mug on the floor next to her.

Tomas shook his head and smiled, "That's - not what I was asking you." He said, "Silvia said that you went to explore our town. So where did you go?"

"Oh, I mostly wandered around looking for souvenir shops, then I had a late lunch at Vittorio restaurant." She replied.

"You should have let us know that you were leaving, you know? Would have made things a whole lot easier and we probably wouldn't be stuck here."He pointed out.

Laurie sighed. He was right, she should have but given the circumstances she didn't think that it would be a good idea to intrude on their private conversation. Not after she had been shamefully listening in on it.

"I uh- was going to tell Teresa that I was leaving but you both seemed busy and I didn't want to intrude."

Tomas frowned at her, "Knocking still exist the last time I checked."

Her cheeks flushed of deceit. She bent her head down and closed her eyes. The guilt was eating her alive, it made her stomach churn.

"I was ashamed." She admitted, cursing at herself the minute those three words left her mouth. "I overheard parts of your conversation and thought that-"

"You should make a run for it?" He suggested and she nodded in approval.

"How much of it did you hear?" He asked, flexing at his jaw.

Lifting her head up, she turned and gave him a quick glance, "Enough to know that it isn't my place to ask questions." She replied truthfully.

Tomas shifted and he sat back up. "In others words, you've heard the whole thing."He said in a dull tone.

"I didn't mean to."She said, "And honestly I'm good at keeping things to myself, so you needn't worry that I'll tell anyone about this."

A bitter laugh erupted from his throat, "Why?"He spat in a sardonic tone of voice, "afraid that the story of a grieving father and lousy ex-husband won't sell?"

Her heart twisted and pulled at his words. There was something in his eyes and the way that he spoke that made tears sting her eyes. But she had been right all along, both Tomas and Teresa needed to heal.

"Would you, that is, is it alright if I ask you how?" She asked.

"How what, Ms.Slade? How my son died or how my marriage fell apart?" He returned.

Laurie couldn't tell whether he was setting her up for a trap because his tone of voice had changed, he sounded so indifferent and looked as though talking about it with her, didn't affect him at all.

"Your son," she uttered in a soft voice,"How did - What happened to him?"

His eyes held hers and his lips pulled into a bitter sneer. "For me to answer that, I'd have to tell you everything." He said. Yes, he would have to start at the very beginning.