“Rosie, I know right now you’re probably wondering how you’re going to get through the next few years without him, but I really think that you should consider the possibility of letting him go for good.”

Rose’s mouth dropped open. She was going to hyperventilate. How could Grace even be suggesting this?

“Honey, Sal had to go with Vince back to that man’s apartment to get the drugs he’d left there. He explained to Sal why he needed to. The people—the drug dealers he dealt with, would come after him or his family if he didn’t. It’s so dangerous to involve yourself with someone like him. I’d be worried for you.”

Before Rose could even attempt to put a coherent string of words together, Sal walked back in just as his phone rang again.

Frowning he looked at the caller ID. “My uncle.”

He began walking away with the phone to his ear when it hit Rose. Vince’s dad? She rushed out of the kitchen behind Sal, listening to his every word.

“Yeah, Romero said they’d say minimum two weeks to get him in, but he knows some people that can put a rush on that. The attorney said it was best to get him gone ASAP before that ass**le changes his mind or starts asking for more money.” Rose stared at the back of Sal’s head, her lip quivering uncontrollably now. This was really happening. Vince had really done this to them. “Don’t worry about that. I’m just glad he’s not going to jail. Everything else will work itself out.”

“Can I?” The words squeaked out, and Rose stopped to clear her voice—take a deep shuddering breath. Sal turned around, only then realizing that she’d been standing behind him that whole time. “Is Vince there? Can you ask him if I can speak to him?”

Sal said nothing for a moment then spoke into the phone. “Is Vince around?” he glanced up at Rose again, his lips firmly pressed together. “Yeah, let me talk to him.”

In the next second Sal’s expression went hard, and she knew Vince was on the line with him. “Rose wants to talk to you, but listen to me, Vince. We talked about this last night. This is already hard enough for her. Don’t bullshit your way out of this. She knows everything. I didn’t sugar coat any of it for her. What’s done is done.”

He handed the phone over to Rose who reached out a shaky hand and spoke into the receiver. “Vincent?”

“Rosie, I’m so sorry.”

The moment she heard his voice, the knot in her throat exploded. “So it’s true?” She could barely breathe now. “All of it? The drugs? The girl?”

“Yes, but it’s not all like what it seems.”

Squeezing her eyes shut, she felt her insides ripping apart. “Then how is it?” Rose held her hand against her chest in a futile effort to hold her heart together. She literally felt it tearing apart.

“I f**ked up with the drugs, but Anita…it’s not at all what it looks like. I promise you that. She’s just my friend.”

Feeling a sudden wave of anger, she raised her voice. “Anita? She’s the one that called you her boyfriend?”

“Yes, but it’s not…I swear if I could explain, you’d understand.”

“Well explain it, Vincent!” she was yelling now and Grace walked into the room holding the baby in one arm, her free hand over her mouth, her own eyes teary now, “because if there is an explanation for this, now is the time to do it. They wanna send you away!”

“I can’t,” he whispered, defeated.

Rose blinked, the reality really hitting her now. “Really?” The voice had turned into a squeak again. “You’re not even gonna try to fix this? You’re just leaving?”

“I wish I could fix this but…Anita.”

“What about her?” Grace’s words came to her suddenly, the girl begged in tears. Rose gasped. “Are you in love with her?”

“No!” his voice was loud and deliberate. “I love you and only you, Rosie. There’s no one else—never will be. Remember that always.”

As much as she wanted to believe him, there was still one thing piercing in her mind. Something she just couldn’t understand. “But you won’t even try to fix this because of her? Why?” She could hear his dad asking him for the phone back. “Call me on your phone. We still need to talk.”

“I can’t, babe. I don’t have a phone anymore.”

Romero walked in the room, and he and Sal talked in hush voices as Grace walked out of the room again wiping her own tears away. Just like it had killed Rose to see Grace so miserable, she knew this was killing Grace. Rose tried to calm herself for Grace’s sake, but it was impossible.

“Rose, can I talk to him for a minute please?” Sal asked.

She handed Sal the phone without so much as a goodbye. Just as she numbly walked out of the room, she heard the words that hammered the last excruciating nail into her already dead heart’s coffin.

“If you get your shit together, you’re out of here in few days. Don’t ask. I told you Romero had connections. I’ll call you again when I get more details.” And then, just as she dragged herself like a zombie into her room, she heard, “Nah, she’s done talking to you, dude. You blew it bad.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Vince

Vince should’ve known Sal wouldn’t mess around. The days following that nightmarish night had been mind-spinning. Everything the recruiter had said would take weeks to happen was done in record time. Vince had barely had a moment to think, let alone dwell on how badly everything had gone down.