Pieces (13 page)

The phone rang and she answered before the ringtone could finish.

Her voice shook as she said in a scratchy voice, “Hello?”

“Hi, Naomi.” He sounded different over the phone, his voice deeper. It struck her as funny that she had never spoken to him over a phone before.

“So, Italy? What do you mean by Italy?” she asked, wanting to get that answered right away.

Jesse took a breath so loud she could hear it on the other end. “Well, I’ve been toying around with the idea of going to Italy. With you.”

“Like a vacation?”

“No, like moving there.”

She stared at the Java Lounge sign. It was a tacky glowing purple, but somehow it worked with the design of the building and the atmosphere. Move to Italy. Who up and moved to Italy? She had no idea how to respond to that.

“I have school,” she said, pronouncing the words as if they were an obvious fact he shouldn’t have missed.

“I know, and I don’t want to take you away from that if it’s what you want to do, but I was thinking about a few problems that might arise when we’re together. Italy is far enough away that, well, it would be a good place for us to start over.”

The purple sign started to blur. “Problems? Like what?”

“They wouldn’t be permanent, but I know you, Naomi, and I don’t think you’d deal with it very well. I want to protect you from things like that.”

“Things like what?”

Jesse didn’t answer right away, but it was beginning to play out in her head. If her relationship with Jesse went as far as she had dreamed, she would marry him. And if she thought Professor Carlisle knowing about her past had been awkward, she couldn’t imagine what it would be like to deal with everyone judging her for marrying her kidnapper. The stories. The rumors. The looks.

“Never mind, I think I know what you mean,” she finally said. “Maybe we can find a small town to live in and everything will die down. Nobody will care for long.”

“Do you believe that? Do you really believe we can live a normal life together here? How has it been these past few years for you? Have people forgotten?”

She shut her eyes. “Kind of, but I try to avoid it as much as possible. It’s still—”

“We’ll be defined by it, Naomi. You don’t have the personality to deal with that kind of shit for very long. It would tear you apart.”

She knew he was right. She couldn’t even deal with her classes right now.

“Italy would be perfect for us.”

She remembered the picture of Evelyn’s house in Italy. The olive trees. The blue sky. “Why Italy?” she asked.

“Several reasons. First, because you wanted to go so much when the others planned it, and second ... I found a job there.”

She straightened. “A job? Architecture?”

“Yes,” he answered, his breathing a little faster as he continued. “It’s amazing—what I’ve always wanted. In
Rome.”

She grinned. “That’s great.”

“It is, but it’s a little complicated. I already have a flight booked out there in two days so I can visit the company, figure out work visa crap, residency, and find a place to live. And there have been issues with my criminal record, of course. It’s taking forever to get through everything.”

“So, you did get the job?”

“Not yet, but I’m one of the top choices. They want to meet me. There’s a lot of paperwork to get through before anything can be decided. I’m still working the construction job here, but they’re letting me take some time off.”

Naomi closed her eyes, excited by the possibilities opening up for Jesse and for her. It was becoming clearer why Jesse wanted her to choose Italy.

“If I get the job, Naomi, it pays really well.” There was a strain in his voice, almost a pleading tone that tugged something inside her. She leaned forward and held on to the steering wheel with her other hand as he continued. “I’ve been thinking about this for so long. When I saw you back in July, I could tell you still want to be with me. Could you ... are you willing to do this?”

The car felt as if it might be filling up with water. She took a few gulps of air and blinked hard. “Jesse, this is huge. I can’t back out of some stuff. I lost my scholarship and my parents are covering my tuition. I can’t disappoint them. I think my mom would freak out if I told her I was moving to Italy with you. If I quit school, she might—”

“You can’t tell your parents any of this,” he interrupted, his voice rough.

Naomi sat up straight. “What? Why?”

“Because you know they’ll try to stop you. No matter what you end up deciding, promise me you won’t tell them. Not yet.”

She took another deep breath. “Okay, fine.”

“Promise me.”

“I promise.” She let out a sigh, unsure of everything. The car seemed to fade around her. The purple sign wavered. “You wouldn’t go without me, would you?” she asked. “If I decide I can’t go?”

“I ... I don’t know.”

“You wouldn’t wait for me? We could live here at school together and you could find another job in Italy when I’m finished.”

“Naomi, there are only so many work visas granted every year. I was lucky enough to get one because I’ve had my eye on Italy for so long and planned it all right. There’s so much tied up in this,” he said, his voice faltering. “I don’t know if I can give it all up to wait ....”

There was a long pause. Naomi wished she could see Jesse and his reactions. This was too much. She looked from the purple sign down to the plate glass window of the café and caught a glimpse of Finn talking with the cashier at the front. Looking at him now, she realized he and Jesse were two weights on a scale and that her feelings for Jesse far outweighed those for Finn. She was attracted to Finn. She admired him. She wanted his friendship, but she wondered how deeply all of that went. If Finn asked her to quit school and move to Italy with him, she wouldn’t do it. Not at this point in their relationship. Jesse had done so much for her. Nothing could replace that.

“Naomi? Do you understand what I’m saying? I can’t guarantee I’ll find another position like this. Moving to Italy will help us avoid what we’d have to deal with here.”

She thought about Jesse moving in with her at Harvard, if he would ever agree to such a thing. She thought about how her friendship with Finn would fall apart, about how awkward it would be telling people who Jesse was and how she had met him. Maybe she could own it and not give a crap what other people thought. Maybe she could lie. Or be vague about everything. Who was she kidding? People would know and news would spread. The extra stress would keep her from excelling in school.

“Naomi?”

“I’m sorry, I’m just thinking. This is all so fast. I want to see you. Can you come out here?”

“Yes, probably when I get back from Italy.”

“How long will that be?” She watched Finn laughing with the female cashier. She had blonde hair with peacock-blue streaks through it.

“A few weeks. Do you have a webcam? We can talk that way until then. I want to see you too.”

“Yeah, I’ve got it on my laptop, but I’m not home yet.”

“Then tonight?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s great to hear your voice, Naomi. I miss you.”

“I miss you too.”

“This number I’m calling from is mine, if you want to program it into your phone. Why don’t you call me in a few hours when you’re ready?”

“Okay.”

She expected him to say goodbye, but he held on, waiting.

“Naomi, are you okay?”

She nodded, as if he could see her. “I’m great, really. I’ve waited for this forever. I guess it doesn’t seem real now.”

“Try to take it easy, okay? I love you.”

“I love you too. I’ll call you in a bit.”

She hung up and kept looking at the café window. Finn was gone, but she knew she had to go in and tell him not to come over tonight. Grabbing her purse with trembling hands, she stepped out of the car and walked into the café. The cashier looked up and smiled.

“Is Finn here?” Naomi asked.

“Sure, I’ll get him.”

“Thanks.”

Naomi walked to a table and sat down. Sitting in the familiar environment triggered her desire for iced tea and cake. She looked up as Finn came to her table and sat down.

“Hey, what’s up?” he asked, his smile big enough to make it clear how happy he was to see her. “We still on for tonight?”

She shook her head and grabbed the nearest object she could—a saltshaker. Turning it around and around, she stared at the holes on the top. “Something’s come up. We’ll have to reschedule.”

“Alright. When is good?”

“I-I don’t know.” She looked up and stopped spinning the shaker. “He’s free, Finn.”

His smile fell and he leaned back in the chair. She looked at his nametag and felt heavy all of a sudden.
Finn Giachetti. Assistant Manager.
She wondered how it must feel to earn money and know it came from her own efforts. Jesse wanted the job in Italy so he could be independent and happy. Finn wanted to make his mother proud and prove to himself he could succeed. But what did
she
want? It had been months since she had pulled out her sketchpad or sat down at her computer to work on a film or a photograph. When she looked at Finn’s nametag something withered inside her. Maybe it was determination. Maybe it was hope.

“I expected you to look a lot happier,” Finn said, interrupting her thoughts. “I’m confused. How can he be off parole so fast? Is that normal?”

Her focus drifted to his face. “He got a shorter sentence for his plea bargain, so I guess his parole was shorter too. I don’t know.” She paused, trying to decide how much she wanted to tell Finn. “He wants me to move to Italy with him.”

“Italy?” Finn’s eyes widened. Naomi thought she noticed a spark of panic in them, but couldn’t be sure. “How is that possible? Even if he’s off parole—”

“I don’t know, but I had to tell you. I thought—”

Finn put up his hands, defending himself. “Listen, if this has anything to do with me, relax. We’ve talked about it already and you know I’m fine with whatever you choose. I want you to be happy, Naomi. We’re friends. We’ve never been lovers. You don’t owe me anything. I’ll always be your friend no matter what.”

She pushed the saltshaker away and felt her shoulders drop a little. “Thanks, Finn. I guess I was worried about that, but mostly I’m worried about making the right decision. I don’t have to go to Italy.” She looked up and forced a weak smile. “I guess I want your advice. You always give such good advice.”

He lowered his hands. “That’s a huge decision. I don’t know.” He searched her face and leaned forward to take her hand. When he squeezed, she relaxed at his touch. “I guess all I can think of is to tell you to listen to your heart and be careful. I trust you when you say Jesse is some amazing guy who can make you happy, but remember why you fell in love with him. Remember what it is
you
want first. He can’t make you happy if you don’t know what you want. The same goes for him. Remember what you said when you told me to figure out what I want? The same goes for you too.”

She looked down at Finn’s hand holding hers. “You should be a counselor or something,” she said, laughing.

“Maybe I’ll go to some smaller university and pursue that, then.” He grinned and let go of her hand. “All I know is I’m going to miss learning how to make that pasta dish tonight. I already bought the cream and thyme. I was waiting to get the mushrooms until tonight.”

Her mouth watered at the thought of the dish. Evelyn had taught her how to make it and it was one of her favorites.

“I’m sorry. The cream and thyme should keep for a little bit. You can get the mushrooms later. We’ll make it soon,” she said. “I’ll let you know.”

Finn’s smile turned lopsided. “I have a feeling you’re going to drop off the face of the planet.”

“You have my number. Call me or text me.”

“And Jesse is okay with that? You hanging out with me still?”

“Um, I don’t know. I can ask.”

“Alright.” The skepticism in his voice was thick and Naomi knew she had to leave. She needed to be alone. To drive somewhere. Anywhere. And think. She grabbed her purse and stood.

“I gotta go. See you later, Finn.”

“See ya.” When she was back in her car, she looked up and saw him still sitting at the table, his chin resting in his palm as he pushed the saltshaker in circles.

XIII

N
AOMI STARTED UP HER COMPUTER AS SHE
sat at her desk with a bowl of ramen noodles. She winced as she chewed, knowing Finn would laugh if he saw what she was eating. The noodles were quick and easy and she was craving sodium. She sent Jesse a text message.
I’m ready. You online?

Two minutes went by.
Yes, what’s your e-mail address?

Wow, she was considering living with this man, running away with him to Italy, and he didn’t even know her e-mail address. She had seen his address a few times when he had helped her download music into her iPod at the house, but she couldn’t remember it. She set down her fork and texted him her address. Five minutes later, she received an e-mail from
swiftsully128
inviting her to video chat with him. She clicked the link, and it took her to a window where she clicked the call button. As it rang, she snatched her bowl of noodles and shoveled a bunch into her mouth. Of course, just as she was chewing, Jesse answered. He smiled and waved to her.

“Catch you at a bad time?” he asked, laughing as she chewed and swallowed.

“You answered too fast!”

“What are you eating?”

She blushed. “Ramen noodles. I don’t eat them very much, but I’m out of leftovers. I usually cook. You know, because of Evelyn.”

His smile widened. “I’m happy to hear that. She made the best food.”

“Yeah, I still make that mushroom pasta dish. Remember that one?”

Jesse’s eyes grew dreamy at the mention of the dish. “The one with the shiitakes and that thyme-cream sauce?”

“Yeah.”

“Damn, I miss that one. The food in prison was awful. Dad cooks, but it’s not the same as Evelyn’s food.” He leaned forward. Naomi noticed he had cut his dark red hair since she had seen him last. It looked nice. Clean. He had shaved too. He wore a button-down shirt that looked like it was new, the top buttons undone. All of this made her warm inside. She had kept her hair down and put on a lacy camisole she thought he might like.