Page 36 of Blue in the Deep Blue Sea

“My uncle never forgave himself,” Isabella said. “And my aunt never forgave him.”

“I always asked myself why she did it.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “But I guess only she knew the reason.”

“No matter what the reason was, it drowned her.” She wiped away her tears, then cupped my face and brushed mine away with her thumb. “The truth is, she was drowning long before she jumped. We all thought she was strong, but even the strongest people drown when they can’t carry the pain anymore.”

“I know.” I sniffed.

Slowly, we made our way to my house. My mom stood by the window, a cigarette hung between her fingers as she stared toward the port. Then her gaze focused on us.

Her eyes were swollen from crying, yet her face was calm.

Too calm.

She had no reason to be, and somehow that frightened me more than if she’d been screaming.

“Is she okay?” Isabella asked.

“She is,” I said quietly. “Out of all of us, she’s more okay than we’ll ever be.”

The truth was, I didn’t know.

She never talked to me. She could have been carrying burdens none of us could see, but she never spoke about them. Not to me. Not to anyone.

We stepped inside and climbed the stairs until we reached the apartment door. The moment I opened it, my eyes landed on a worn brown leather suitcase waiting beside the staircase.

“Look who finally decided to show up,” my mom said as she closed the window shutters.

She walked over, her eyes sweeping over Isabella from head to toe. She didn’t know she was Gianni’s girlfriend. She had never cared enough to ask. Instead, she judged her like she judged everyone else, scoffing under her breath before saying, “The manager from Deep Blue called.”

My eyes widened.

My heart pounded so hard it felt ready to leap out of my chest and land at her feet.

“You never said you were looking for a job. And on a yacht, of all places.” She let out a dry chuckle. “Congratulations. You got the job.”

I blinked twice, then looked at Isabella, trying to make sense of what I’d just heard. The words didn’t feel real.

Before I had time to think, the answer escaped my lips.

“I’m not going.”

“You are.” She walked past me and sat down on the sofa, lit a cigarette, and took a long drag. “I asked for an advance because of the situation, and they already gave me the money.”

“You’re lying.” My hands started to shake as my voice rose.

“Call them and ask.” She exhaled a cloud of smoke, her voice calm.

Isabella squeezed my hand.

“Maybe it’s a good thing?” she whispered.

I gently pulled my hand free and stepped toward my mother.

“You’re only saying this because you want me gone.” The words burst out of me. “You don’t even care if I want this or how I feel.”

“Suck it up, Gabriella.” She said it as if she couldn’t care less, and maybe that was the harsh truth. “If I hadn’t taken the money, we would’ve lost the apartment.”

“No.” My voice trembled. “You don’t get to decide what to do with that money.” I was shouting now. “Give it back.”