My Sister's Shoes (Little Black Box, Book 1) (11 page)

Allie hit send and crossed her fingers. She counted on Adrienne’s contempt for her to cause her to show up at Zach’s door. She glanced at her watch.
What if she doesn’t see the text right away?
She needed help and Angelo was the only option left. She called to him.

“You rang?” He leaned against the wall, his hair hanging loose over his crossed arms. One leg was bent at the knee with his foot resting against the wall behind him.

Allie smiled. “Yes, I did. I need you to make sure Adrienne shows up here. I sent her a text, but then it occurred to me she could be occupied. I need you to make sure she shows up here very soon. Can you do it?”

Angelo studied her suspiciously. His smile faded, and his eyes flashed with indignation. He pushed off the wall and approached her. He tilted up her chin and with the pad of his thumb and cleaned off the smudged lipstick from around her lips. He was rough as he rubbed the mess off her skin. “Sorry. Maybe you wanted me to leave it that way? For Adrienne, I mean. She can see how you won the heart of the man she wants.”

Allie placed her hand over his. “That’s not what this is about.”

“You could’ve fooled me.”

“This isn’t the time to discuss it. You just told me I owed you nothing, and now you act as though I belong to you.”

He let her go with a gentle nudge. His eyes told her she hurt him, and he sighed, “Fine. Have it your way. Adrienne has just arrived.”

“Wow. You work fast.”

“Get ready. The party is about to begin. Oh, one more thing. I guess once she sees you, you’ll exact your revenge and you’ll be happy. That means my job will be done.”

She shook her head, “No. That’s not true.”

There was a loud bang on the door. “Get out here and show your face.”

Allie sucked in a breath.
This is it.
“Angelo, please—this is not over. I need—”

“Whatever it is you need, Allie, clearly it’s not me.”

“Will you just listen—”

Bang!
A startled Allie looked toward the door. “Come outta there, you slut!” Adrienne shouted.

Allie looked around and Angelo was gone.

* * * *

Adrienne stood with her hands on her hips. Her mouth twisted with resentment as she narrowed her eyes in her direction. “I want you outta my house! Tonight, Allie!”

“Let me explain.”

“No! I spent enough time on you. I’ve tried for months to become your friend, and all you’ve ever done was make it your life’s purpose to hate me. When we met, I tried hard to comfort you knowing you lost your mom, but right away you looked at me like I was some phony.”

“Comfort me? How? By trying to get me to go out and meet men? Is that your idea of comfort?”

“It’s all I know, Allie. I would’ve given anything to have a mother like yours, but I didn’t. I made the best of it. What I offered was all I knew how to give. But I’m done now. This is the final straw. For months now you’ve looked down on me, and I’m sick of it.”

“I look down on you?”

Zach was watching the exchange from the sidelines. “Ladies? What am I missing?”

Adrienne glared at Allie as she spoke to Zach. “I’ll fill you in later, Zach. Right now I want her outta here.”

Zach looked between the two, hesitating. Adrienne added, “By the way, I have your check in my purse.”

That seemed to help him along. “Goodbye, Allison. Sorry it didn’t work out.”

Allie nodded her head at Adrienne. “Don’t give him the money, Adrienne. It’s all he’s after.”

“Oh pu-leeze, Allie. Give me some credit. Don’t you think I can spot a con when I see one? I want to be on Zach’s arm. I don’t care how much money it takes to get me there.” She waved her toward the door. “Outcha go.”

Barnabus growled as she collected her things and nipped at her heels all the way to the door. When it slammed behind her, Allie heard Adrienne turn her wrath on Zach. What did it matter anymore? She really didn’t care.

After returning home for a few things, Allie checked into The Plaza Hotel. One last night of luxury before she would be tossed into the street and out of Manhattan. She received a room with a view of Fifty-Eighth Street. The real luxury would cost a month’s rent. Once inside, she opened her window. The night air carried with it a touch of balminess. Small droplets of rain gave way to the smells of springtime. It had finally arrived in New York City and along with it the freshness of things reborn from the cold bitterness of a long, dark winter.

She, too, felt as though she was rising up to meet the warmth of a new day and all of its possibilities. With her old life buried and her new one just beginning, Allie realized tonight proved to be the catalyst of the change she had long resisted. She was finally aware of who she was and what she wanted, all because of a man. Someone she would have never considered looking at, much less loving.

She called to him, but he never came. And so Allie stripped off her dress and hung it lovingly in the closet. Normally, she would have gone through every facet of her accommodations with glee, but not tonight. She stepped into a hot bath, barely noticing the beautiful marble and upscale fixtures gracing the eclectic motif, all the while calling for Angelo and never receiving an answer. She ordered room service, enough for two, and absentmindedly choked down what she could as she stared at the untouched food on the plate opposite hers. Allie called for Angelo again and again, checking the halls constantly for any sign of him, but there was never an answer.

It was just after midnight when the rain sped up. Allie stood at the window watching the stream of water drench the street below. The black top on the city street reflected the changing red, yellow, and green lights of the traffic signal. Allie watched the colors turn for what seemed like hours when, from sheer exhaustion, she succumbed to sleep.

* * * *

As the gray dawn ascended upon the city, Allie tied the laces of her running shoes. With determination in her stride, she forged ahead with her intention to run in the park. Feeling as though her mind had been trapped in the fog of indifference, the weather didn’t deter her plan. She stretched her limbs and called for Angelo one last time before leaving the room. Once again no answer came.

With silence surrounding her steps, Allie walked outside into the cool morning mist. Crossing the street, a feeling of déjà vu came over her as she tried recalling what was so strangely familiar. Her frustration mounted as she broke into a slow jog. Unable to chase away her thoughts of Angelo, the sadness of his absence overwhelmed her.

When Allie’s tears welled in her eyes, she made no attempt to hold them at bay. She allowed herself to feel the pain that was so fresh and new. And as they fell, slowly at first, a drizzle of rain began to blanket the running path. Allie’s focus remained steady as she ran forward without glancing back. But the pull of the memories of the last week had her spiraling out of control as she struggled to keep moving. Her tears came fast and steady now, as did the raindrops.

Unable to see through her salty teardrops and the unforgiving rain, Allie slowed down and wiped at hers eyes. Up ahead in the distance she saw a man jogging. His physique was familiar, his stride was recognizable, and his hair, pulled back under a black bandana, was memorable. She took off in a full run as the rain pelted down on her head. She watched him disappear around the bend in the pathway.

Allie ran faster through the drenching rain until her skin felt icy cold. Her heart beat as though it would fly from her chest, and the faster she ran, the farther she fell behind. Out of breath and crying, she ran, and even if it killed her, she would continue on. She wanted him, needed him. And to Allie the choice was clear. He was the one. She must find him and tell him so. It was then she remembered her dream, a premonition of this moment in time. Unable to recall how her dream had ended, she realized it was Angelo she searched for. It was him she must find.

Running as fast as her legs would carry her, Allie closed the gap between her and the man. With one eye on the jogger up ahead, she lost her footing and slipped on some wet leaves. Tumbling to the pavement, ripping her pants at the knees, her skin scraped against the pavement. The cuts were superficial, but the wound to Allie’s heart was deeper than she’d ever felt before as she watched the man disappear into the storm without looking back.

* * * *

Managing to hobble back to The Plaza Hotel, Allie used the side entrance. She received a nervous glare from the doorman as she tried to be unnoticeable. The doorman, dressed in a creaseless, dark uniform, tipped his hat and called out to her. “Miss? Miss, would you like me to have a first-aid kit sent up to your room?” Allie watched as his eyes traveled to her knees, avoiding her soaked clothing and swollen red eyes. She shook her head no and quietly passed through the lobby without too many questionable stares.

After trying to begin a new day with a fresh start, she felt herself fall back into a pattern of self-pity. She wanted nothing more than to tell Angelo her feelings, but she lost her chance. To her utter relief, the elevator car was empty. The thought of enduring any more looks of pity piqued her anxiety.

In a fog, Allie exited the elevator car and slowly walked the silent hallway to her room. Perhaps it was the weather that encouraged guests to sleep in, but whatever the case, she was thankful for the absence of people. As she entered her room, thunder rumbled outside, shaking the windowpane as an angry rain descended on Manhattan and her life.

The room was dark, and a chill went straight through to her bones. A cold breeze rushed through the open window as if it too was seeking warmth and comfort. A hot shower was the only thing on her mind before she noticed the bathroom door was ajar. Another cold breeze made its way up her spine, much like the night she met Angelo, when the wind picked up and swirled trash through the air in Little Italy.
Could it be?

She stood frozen, wet clothes and bloody knees no longer a thought. What mattered now was the hope she felt way down deep in the pit of her stomach. Allie barely moved as her eyes looked for any movement in the bathroom. The light was on, but she swore she had turned it off. Her feet, weighted down by tension, scarcely inched forward. Allie silently pleaded,
Oh, please. Mother of all the fairies in fairyland or whatever, please let it be him.
As if in an answer to her plea, the door swung open and Angelo appeared in the doorway, resting his shoulder against the door frame. He wore stonewashed blue jeans and a white, button-down shirt. His hair was pulled back, and he looked rested. Her voice was caught somewhere between her throat and her mouth as her eyes welled with tears.

Angelo smirked at her. “How you doin’, sugar?”

She sucked in her lips and nodded her head as she returned his smirk with an emotional smile of her own. “I-I’m better. Now … that … you’re … here.”

“Glad to hear it. So—you happy now?”

Allie quickly shook her head no. “No. I’m not. But I know a way I could be. How long can you stay?”

“Long enough for you to get out of those clothes and dry off.” He walked into the room and sat on the chair by the window.

Allie glanced down at herself and let out a nervous giggle. “Oh—I got caught in the storm. I went jogging this morning.”

“I’m glad. You should start caring about yourself, Allie. You deserve it.”

“Thank you. I mean for everything—I, well—how long did you say you could stay?”

“I didn’t. But I think my time is limited now.”

The need to cry at the thought of him disappearing again overwhelmed her. She had to tell him the truth. Hurriedly, Allie kicked off her running shoes and peeled off her socks as panic set in. “Please don’t leave. What I have to say is very important.” Allie rushed into the bathroom, closing the door behind her, and stripped. Grabbing a towel, she dried her body and put on a plush robe, compliments of the Plaza. Twisting the towel around her head in a turban, she called out, “Are you still there? Don’t disappear on me, I’ll never recover.” She glanced in the mirror and gave herself an eye roll.
Quite the seductress!
She splashed water on her face and reached for her toiletries. “Don’t leave, I’ll be right out.”

She applied some moisturizer and pinched her cheeks for a little color. She grabbed the towel from her head and shook out her hair. “Are you there?” She held her breath.

“I’m here.” She heard his reply and smiled, but her smile quickly dissipated when she heard him say, “How’s Zach? Is he everything you want?”

Allie was shaking for fear he would disappear again. She pulled the door open to the bathroom and yelled, “I don’t want him. I want you!”

Allie pulled in a breath, almost afraid to let it out as she stared at him. Feeling the tension leave her shoulders as the air left her lungs, she realized how good it felt to tell the truth, but now she had to deal with the consequence. She sucked in her top lip and bit down.

He stood up. “And?”

Allie closed her eyes tight. “And…” She opened her eyes and glared at him. “Why do you need me to say the words?”

He took a few steps toward her, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “I don’t need to hear it. But you’re wondering if I will reject you if you say it. You need to hear yourself say the words and trust what you already know to be true in your heart.”

Allie pressed her back against the wall for support. “When we met, I felt something stir deep inside me. I shied away from the developing feelings for you because they had no place in my life of disappointment and despair. But I know the love … loveliness you have inside of you has changed me. I want to be happy, and I think I know how to do that now. I am in love with you.”

“You were going to say the love inside, weren’t you?”

She nodded her head yes.

“Then why didn’t you say it?

“I don’t know. I don’t want to assume you love me back.”

He stepped closer. “For fear of disappointment?”

She nodded her head yes.

“I see. Let me clear the air then. I love you, Allie Adams, with all my heart.” He stood within her reach. Extending his arm, he put his hand out to her. “My name is Victor, and it’s a pleasure to meet you.”