Page 208 of I Will Mend You
But when I reach their caskets, it’s nothing like I dreaded. Mom looks softer than I remember, without the perpetual pinched annoyance. Dolly looks like a wax figure, made up to resemble a sleeping angel.
I pause, waiting for an outpouring of grief or fury or even numbness, but all I feel is relief. The weight of their animosity lifts off my shoulders, making me stand taller.
Taking in a deep breath, I step back to address them both. “I understand why you did what you did,” I say, my voice wavering. “Not that I agree with the way you made me a scapegoat, but I’m moving on.”
I pause, giving them a moment to absorb my words. It’s futile, since they’re dead, but I still can’t deny the primal part of my psyche that was forced to believe in ghosts.
“You two made my life hell, but you also led me to my soulmate. I guess that makes us even.”
There’s so much more I could say, but they were really just pawns. The key players are still awaiting us in Xero’s interrogation rooms. Besides, I don’t want to waste any more time on two people who treated me as if I were a problem that needed to be eliminated.
“Safe journey to the other side, and I hope you both rest in peace.”
I walk out of the room, the marble floor echoing my footsteps. Elania rises from a bench in the hallway, her features flickering with surprise.
“Finished already?” she asks.
I nod. “Is there a place I can store their ashes?”
“Of course.” Her brow furrows. “You don’t want to keep them?”
“I want to start afresh. That includes giving back the house on Alderney Hill,” I say.
Her brows pinch. “But you’re my brother’s only child. This is your inheritance.”
She walks me back to Xero, explaining that my birth father was the only sibling in the family with a surviving child. Neither Salentino sister wants to get married, so if I don’t take over the house and businesses, then their assets will revert to their cousin, Cesare Montesano—Myra’s former boss, and the younger brother of Xero’s fellow cellmate on death row.
This time, when she invites me over for dinner, I don’t refuse.
It’s strange to have family members who don’t want me disconnected or dead.
Xero waits for me at the reception with Aria, who gives me another hug goodbye. She’s the warmer of the pair, despite her tough exterior.
“Ready to go?” he asks with a soft smile that makes my heart melt.
“Yes,” I reply and take his hand.
As we exit the crematorium, Xero leads me to his car and opens the passenger side door. My phone rings, and we lock gazes.
“Hello?” I ask.
“It’s me,” Myra says. “Do I have your permission to publish the Rapunzelita trilogy?”
I frown. “Yes. Why?”
“Your death drove a lot of traffic to my videos. Publishers are clamoring for your unfinished manuscripts.”
My heart skips several beats. “Okay,” I reply, my voice breathy. “I want to tweak the sequels, but the first book is ready to go.”
“What about the erotic ghost story?” Myra asks.
Xero steps closer, his hand resting on my lower back, his fingers grazing the base of my spine. His breath warms my ear, making me shiver.
“Give us a few more weeks to fine-tune the spicy scenes,” he murmurs.
Myra squeals, promising to negotiate a hefty advance before she hangs up. As I slip my phone into my pocket, I turn back to Xero.
His gaze locks onto mine, filled with an intensity that makes my knees weak. He pulls me close so we’re standing chest to chest, his mouth brushing against mine in a slow, deliberate kiss.