In a Heartbeat (Heartbeat #1) (32 page)

“Come on, guys, I’m starving,” Stella yelled, just as they walked back into the kitchen.

“Jeez
– loud much?” said Lisa and took her place at the table.

“I’m hungry; don’t mess with me right now.” Lisa raised her hands in front of her and rolled her eyes.

They all looked starved and tucked into their food, which was delicious. Max had a talent for cooking, just like his sister. When they’d finished their
primo
, and had some food inside them, they all relaxed and the conversation started flowing.

When dinner was over, Niki and Lisa volunteered to clean up, since Stella and Max had cooked, and after a half-hearted objection, they agreed. It was too early to go to bed, and as much as Stella wanted to lock Max in her bedroom and have him all to herself, she felt it would be rude to her aunt and Lisa. She led him to the sofa and, snuggling beside him, started flipping TV channels until she found a film to her liking.

“Lis, hurry up; ‘Step Up’ has just started,” she yelled towards the kitchen, a bit too close to Max’s head.

“Ouch!” he said, rubbing his ear.

“Sorry, babe! I just got excited. You OK?”

“I think I’m hurt badly; can you take a closer look and maybe
– I don’t know – give me a kiss? Or five?” He grinned as Stella leaned in for a kiss.

“OK, I so don’t want to see that. Can you please limit the PDA until the film’s over?” Lisa said, storming into the living room and flopping onto the beanbag next to them.

“Actually, no, I don’t think so,” Max replied, kissing Stella again and winking at her when she pulled away.

Lisa rummaged through the shelf underneath the coffee table and took out her sketch book and a couple of pencils. Stella had noticed before how, when they all gathered in the living room to watch TV or talk, her cousin would sit and sketch, while at the same time fully taking part in the conversation.

“Which part is that?” Lisa asked.

“I think it’s three.”

“You’re serious about this? We’re going to watch a dance movie?” Max asked.

“Yeah,” they both answered in unison. Max let his head fall back onto the sofa as he exhaled loudly, letting them know he wasn’t happy about that.

*

“Max, wake up,” someone whispered, and nudged him in the upper arm. Opening his eyes halfway, he realised it was Lisa. The TV was switched off and Stella was asleep next to him. “I think we should all go to bed.” She pointed towards Stella.

“I’ve got it. You go.” Lisa nodded and went up the stairs.

Max didn’t want to wake Stella up. She looked so peaceful and lovely when she slept. Instead, he got to his feet and, as gently as he could, scooped her up and took her upstairs. He managed to open the door to her room without waking her up, and put her on the bed. She mumbled something softly but didn’t wake up. Snuggling beside her, Max pulled the covers over them and slowly tugged her to him until every contour of her body fused with his.

When he woke up, the sun was already high, shining through the windows in Stella’s room. He’d forgotten to close the curtains last night. Stella slept curled on her side, pretty much in the same position as she’d been last night. Yesterday must have been as exhausting for her as it had been for him. Not wanting to wake her up yet, he slipped out of bed and headed for the bathroom.

By the time he’d finished with his shower, Stella was lying in bed, wide awake, but seemed as though she didn’t want to get up just yet.

“Hi,” he said, as he stretched next to her and tucked her head in the crook of his arm.

“Hi,” she said. He was getting used to her single-word replies in the morning.

“Today’s the day, eh?” He didn’t have to clarify that he meant following Lisa. Stella nodded. “We have to come up with a plan. We can’t just run after her. She also knows my car and will spot us a mile away.”

“Coffee first; plan second,” Stella grumbled and Max laughed.

“OK, I’ll go and make some coffee and bring it here You go and have your shower and wake up. I want the nice, articulate Stella back.”

After considering at least half a dozen possible scenarios, they found some flaw in each one. In the end, Stella came up with something very simple, yet, Max thought, quite possibly the most effective. They would pretend to have plans, kiss a lot so that Lisa would refuse to join them when they asked, get in the car and drive off. They’d park close by, so that it wasn’t obvious where they were but where they could still see the house. If Lisa thought they’d gone, the chances were that she’d be much less careful and they’d be able to follow her easily, keeping a safe distance.

Part one of the plan worked like magic; Lisa declined to join them after she’d witnessed several particularly steamy kisses. They parked less than a hundred metres down the street, in a row of cars that made them invisible if you weren’t particularly looking for a silver BMW. It was lunchtime by then and, as Stella had predicted, Lisa left the house a bit after 12.30 p.m. Waiting for her to turn round the corner into the main street, Max started the engine and eased the car after her. When they reached the main street, Lisa was just getting into a taxi

Perfect. They high-fived each other, and Max followed the cab at a safe distance. Soon, the taxi pulled into the ‘Giuseppe Mazzini’ medical centre’s car park.

“What the hell?” Max mumbled as he pressed on the accelerator and parked the car, killing the engine before Lisa could notice them as she got out of the cab. She hurried towards the main entrance without even glancing backwards.

“What is this place?” Stella asked, getting out of the car.

“It’s the best private clinic in town. What the fuck is she doing here, Stella?” Max was frowning and getting seriously pissed off.

“I have no clue. How do we find out? I bet they’re not very chatty at the reception.”

“We wait. She’ll come out sooner or later. Then we confront her right here until she spills everything.”

Max leaned on the hood of the car, crossing his ankles. Stella went to him and leaned against him, her back to his chest. He crossed his arms over them both and they waited.

In about fifteen minutes Lisa reappeared through the main door. She wasn’t alone. She was pushing someone in a wheelchair. A man. Max pushed Stella gently away so that he could take a closer look at the man.

“Dear God!” he exclaimed, realisation flooding his veins and draining his face of colour.

“What? What’s going on, Max? Who’s that?” His panic was rubbing off on Stella, because the look in his eyes was frantic.

Max raked his hands through his hair, pacing back and forth, unable to answer the question. Stella was going to freak out; she’d lose it the moment he told her. But how could he not? Lisa, oblivious to everything around her, pushed the wheelchair along a paved path towards what looked like a lake in the distance.

“Max, stop pacing and tell me who the fuck is that and why are you so pale?” she demanded.

Max stopped and looked her straight in the eyes before he spoke.

“It’s Gino Batista. The man who crashed into our car.”

*

Stella felt her blood freeze and chills broke all over her body.

“What?” she whispered.

“You heard me. That’s the bastard who skipped a red light and slammed into our car. He was left paralysed after the accident. It was in the papers.”

“Why was it in the papers?”

“He’s the son of Gennaro Batista – a billionaire who owns half of Genoa.”

Stella’s brain refused to process the information. She felt sick.

“Why is she here, Max? Why is she taking that goddamn piece of shit out for a walk?” Stella knew she was getting hysterical, but she couldn’t help it. Everything she knew about her cousin was crashing down, and she didn’t know who that person was anymore.

“I don’t know, baby. Please, calm down. I’m sure there’s some kind of explanation ...”

“Unless she’s going to push him head first into the lake, I don’t want to hear any other explanation! How could she do this, Max? After what happened? How could she have any compassion for someone who ...” Stella trailed off as a sob escaped her throat, and she leaned on Max for support.

Acid flooded her stomach and she couldn’t hold her breakfast any longer. Running away from him as far as she could, she bent down and threw up, her whole body convulsing. She felt Max’s hands pulling her hair up and he patted her back until she was finished. Then he led her back to the car and gave her a tissue and a bottle of water.

They left without looking back.

“Text her; tell her something important came up and she needs to get back here,” said Stella, as they walked into the house. She hadn’t said a word in the car, trying to calm down, force some rational thoughts in her brain and think how to handle the situation.

Max took out his phone and did as she told him. Immediately he received a reply and read it aloud.

Lisa: Why? Is everyone OK? What happened?

“What should I tell her?” asked Max, as he read the text to Stella.

“I don’t know
– whatever. Just make her come here.” Stella went to the kitchen and poured herself a huge glass of lemonade.

“She’s coming,” said Max as he joined her in the kitchen. He probably sensed that Stella didn’t need anyone telling her to relax or trying to calm her down in any way, because he kept his distance and sat at the table. He didn’t ask what her plan was: what she was going to say or do. He just sat there, a strong, unostentatious support wall Stella could always lean on, if she needed to.

They sat in silence until they heard the front door open. Stella immediately tensed, bracing herself for the confrontation. Thinking she had her anger under control, she walked into the living room, meeting Lisa halfway. The moment she saw her cousin, though, her rage bubbled to the surface, suffocating her.

“What’s going on? Is everyone OK?” Lisa asked.

“No, Lis, I’m not OK,” Stella said through clenched teeth. She felt Max come into the living room as well, standing at a safe distance, giving them space.

“So ... Why did I have to rush back here?”

“I know you’d rather be with your
boyfriend
, the one who got drunk, got in a car, skipped a red light and crashed into you. Remember him?” Stella’s words were clipped and dripping with betrayal and disappointment. Lisa paled in a flash. She lost her balance and had to grip the edge of the sofa’s back for support. No one moved towards her. Stella glanced at Max, who was perched on the armrest of the other sofa, arms folded in front of his chest, frowning.

“How did you find out?” Lisa’s voice was little more than a whisper.

“Does it matter?” Stella shouted. Lisa didn’t respond. She gripped the sofa’s cushion and her knuckles were white from the effort, but she didn’t dare meet Stella’s eyes. “Aren’t you going to say anything?”

“I can explain ...” Lisa began, her voice shaking.

“Oh, can you? I’m very interested to find out why
the fuck
you’re playing nurse with that scumbag.”

“It’s not like that ...”

“How could you, Lisa? How can you be such a hypocrite and have compassion for him, when your life was torn apart by someone like him?” Stella’s eyes were shooting daggers at her cousin, but she wouldn’t know because she still couldn’t look at her.

“He’s not like that man; it’s different ...”

“How? Because you didn’t die? Well, there’s always next time!”

“There won’t be a next time with him
– he won’t talk, he won’t walk, he’ll never drive a car again.” For the first time Lisa looked Stella into the eyes, raising her voice and seeming determined to stand her ground.

“Good! I’m glad something positive came out of the situation!” Stella yelled and balled her fists at her side. She was vaguely aware that Max had left his spot on the sofa and moved closer to her.

“How can you say that! He’s as good as dead, and there isn’t even a scratch on us!” Lisa’s eyes welled up, and Stella’s mouth fell open in shock.

“Are you going to cry for him? Really? What’s wrong with you?” Stella shouted and took a few steps towards Lisa, intending to shake her out of her delusion, when Max grabbed her by the upper arms and pulled her back. She didn’t resist.

“I’m in love with him! That’s what’s wrong with me!” Lisa yelled back, and tears spilled down her cheeks. Stella stepped back in Max’s arms as she shook her head in denial. He wrapped her in his arms as she started sobbing.

“Stella, please, I’ll tell you everything; just calm down and listen to me,” said Lisa and tried to approach her cousin.

“Don’t you dare come near me! You’re crazy: clinically insane! How can you forget, Lis? How can you forget what he did to us? How can you forget the three graves he left behind?” Stella was shaking and crying, and if it wasn’t for Max who held her she would have been slumped on the floor.

“Gino is not
him
!” Lisa cried, getting angry herself.

Stella shook her head, unable to even begin to understand where her cousin was coming from. She turned to Max and said,

“Please, get me out of here. I can’t stand to be near her a second longer.”