Mila's Reckoning

Chapter 14

Gino

I was standing in the grocery store parking lot, staring at the burning car. I saw the manager on his knees one row over, his face red with terror. I took a step closer, my face sweating from the fire. I was so close. I wanted to get closer, to see.
One more step, and I could hear the screams. The screams of the man burning alive inside the car. But I didn't want to just hear, I wanted to see. I took another step closer, my skin feeling as though it were on fire, but I didn't care. I leaned down, peeking through the window. And then I saw it. I saw her.
Mila was in the car. Mila was the one on fire.
I woke up in a stupor, my clothes completely drenched in sweat. I looked to my left and right, panicking. Where was I? I looked at the coffee table and saw a picture of five year old Mila.
I tried thinking to last night, how did I end up here? I remembered panicking and fleeing to Mila's, it was all coming back to me.
I clicked the center button of my phone, but it was dead. I sat up, listening for any type of noise in the house. My shirt was laid across the loveseat. I stood, and slipped it on and buttoned it. I could see the clock, it was almost 5 in the morning. Shoot, Bob would be up any minute.
As quietly as possible, I snuck my way into Mila's room. She was buried in a mound of pillows and blankets, all I could see was her hair peeking out. I flashed back to the image from my dream, but quickly shoved it to the back of my mind.
"Mila," I whispered, leaning down close. "Mila, wake up."
She poked her head out just enough for her big blue eyes to look up at me. "No," she said sternly.
"No what?"
"No, you don't get to see me looking like this in the morning. No," she said.
"You're as beautiful as ever, Mila Thompson," I said, fighting the urge to jump in bed and rip back those covers. No doubt she would do the same if the situation were flipped around.
"What're you doing up so early?"
"Couldn't sleep. Plus, I don't really feel like waking up to Bob standing over my shoulders," I said.
She pulled the blankets back slowly, covering herself from her shoulders down. I turned, not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable. Fighting my guy instincts, I squinted my eyes toward the door.
"I'll call you later," I said, facing the door.
"No, Gino, we need to talk about last night," she said, I could feel her hands on my back.
"You know I can't, Mila."
She sighed in defeat, and sank back down to the bed. I turned around, and she was wrapped in the same jacket that she was in the night before.
"Can I sit?"
She nodded yes, scooting back and making room for me on the bed.
"Someday, Mila, someday," I said, and I meant it. I wanted to tell her everything, but I knew she'd run. I wanted to live in this world with her for a little longer. It was so nice, so normal. I wanted more. "But not today."
She avoided looking at me, and I knew that I should leave.
I kissed her forehead, and stood. "I'll call you later, babe."
She still didn't respond. Her face was white, and the tears were filling in her eyes. I didn't want to leave her, but I knew that I needed to. I turned, and snuck out of the house, my heart in my stomach.

***
Mila

I couldn't sleep after Gino left. My stomach was in knots, and I just felt uneasy about everything that had happened. Gino was like this itch that I had to scratch. I knew that he was a box of secrets, but I didn't want to, nor could I, stay away.
It was 9 o'clock when I finally decided to get out of bed. Papa would have expected me to be sleeping in since it was a Saturday morning, so I didn't want to throw him off. I rolled out of bed, and threw on some yoga pants. I knew everyone was on the legging trend right now, but to me, nothing felt better than a pair of silky smooth yoga pants.
"Hey yo Papa," I called, coming around the corner. He was plopped in his recliner, reading the newspaper. George was purring and kneading the couch.
"Good morning." He was awfully terse, which was odd for the mornings. "How is Gino?"
I stopped in my tracks at his question, knowing that I had been caught. It wasn't like I was hiding it from him, obviously I was prepared to explain a sleeping Gino on the couch. But with the way things had played out, I was just going to avoid the conversation altogether.
"Papa, I'm sorry, I was going to tell you."
"Mila, you're 22. I'm not angry, just curious. He sounded upset."
"You heard him," I asked, panicking. Gino not only needed to explain himself to me, but now to Papa. And I knew that it would eat away at him that he had let Papa hear him last night.
"Call him," he prompted, "sounds like he needs a friend."
I had told myself that I would wait for him to call me because he was the one who needed to talk, not me. But Papa was right. Regardless of the secrets he was keeping, he had always been there for the two of us. And we owed that to him. Or at least I did.

***
Gino

I had been driving aimlessly for hours, trying to erase the thought of Mila burning alive from my head. My phone buzzed, it was Mila. I sighed, knowing that she was going to be pressing for answers sooner rather than later.
"Hey babe," I answered.
"Pick me up?" Pick her up? What did she mean?
"What," I asked, needing clarity.
"Come pick me up," she said, her voice straight.
"Be there in 10."
Mila was sitting on Bob's tailgate when I pulled up, dangling her legs. When she saw me, her face lit up with a smile. I parked behind the truck, and jumped out. I know that she's mad at me, and I should be nervous about what she wanted to see me for, but I couldn't help but be excited to see her.
She hopped off the tailgate, and met me halfway. She was smiling as she approached, and instantly draped her arms around my neck. Just her touch sent a wave of serenity through my body. She kissed my cheek, and whispered into my ear, "We're okay."
I leaned back so that I could see her face, wanting to make sure that she wasn't bluffing. Her eyes were sparkly, and her smile was genuine. In that moment, I wanted to tell her everything. I wanted her to know the true Gino Goretti so that she could be scared and run the other way. But the thought of not seeing this smile everyday shattered me, and I knew that I couldn't let go of her. Not now, not ever.