“Your sister’s car just pulled into the drive. She’ll be in the house at any minute. She’ll want to talk to you. You must get up,” her mother continued, sounding frantic.
“Come in,” Cat encouraged. “The door isn’t locked.” She rarely locked her bedroom door.
Her mother rattled the door handle. “It is locked, my darling. Your sister locked you in.”
Wait…what? Why would Annalisa do such a thing? “Hold on.” Cat sat up, her head spinning, her stomach cramping. She felt like she’d been asleep for days. In fact, she could lie right back down, close her eyes and fall back to sleep.
“Hurry, Cat! She’ll be inside in minutes!”
Her mother’s behavior was troubling. Why the panic? Why did her mother need to see her? Why was it so important that she wake up? Too many odd things were happening and Annalisa seemed to be right in the middle of it. Now Mama acted as if she was almost afraid of her oldest daughter, and they’d always been so close.
The door suddenly swung open, her mother stumbling in, nearly falling on her face. The look of shock she gave Cat before she broke out into a smile shocked her. When was the last time she’d seen her mother smile like that?
“I unlocked it!” Mama announced proudly, holding up a skinny key. “I found it on top of the doorframe.”
“Good job,” Cat said weakly, feeling like she was talking to a child.
Her mother rushed toward the bed and sat on the edge, reaching out to smooth Cat’s hair away from her face. “You’ve been asleep for hours.”
Cat shook her head. “I don’t understand why I still feel so sleepy, then. And how did I get in my bed?”
“Annalisa put you here.” Her mother’s face was grave, eyes full of sadness, mouth turned down at the corners. “She drugged your tea. I saw her do it.”
“What? What are you talking about?” Shock coursed through her veins, rendering her skin ice cold.
“She did it on purpose. Slipped a few of her sleeping pills into your tea so she could knock you out. I left so I wouldn’t have to witness what happened to you.” Mama shuddered.
So her own mother knew that Annalisa had slipped sleeping pills into her drink and then left so she wouldn’t have to see what happened? What about defending her? What about grabbing the tea and not letting Cat drink it?
What the hell was wrong with everyone she lived with? Her family? She felt like they’d both lost their minds.
“So you left me there alone with Annalisa so she could do whatever she wanted? Like drug me?” She was incredulous. None of what her mother said made any sense.
“I didn’t know what to do! And then I grew afraid that she’d given you too much. She put three sleeping pills in your tea. So I went to her and she told me you only had a few sips and that was all it took. Thank goodness.”
Cat stared at her mother in disbelief. Her life was starting to feel like a bad movie.
“Once Annalisa brought you up here, she left. Ran off to go pick up that…man. Now they’re back here. In her car. Together!” Mama shook her head. “It’s disgusting, their behavior. Too soon, I tell you.”
“Whose behavior?” Cat could hardly keep up. She couldn’t recall seeing her mother so agitated yet excited like this before.
“Your sister’s and Rafael Renaldi’s behavior. They’re together, you know! Already, and it’s so shameful. You ended it with him and now they’re a couple.” Mama snorted. “The man is fickle, jumping from one Campioni girl to another. His father would be ashamed.”
“He’s not with Annalisa.” The idea was downright laughable. She hadn’t a doubt in her mind what her mother spoke of was false. “He’s with me, Mama. I broke it off with Rafe, but then I left with him to New York City, remember? I let you know where I was. Well, I told Annalisa.”
“Annalisa said you ran away with some boy you just met. Some stranger who wanted to show you the city. I thought you wouldn’t return to us ever, and I cried and cried. That’s why I was so worried, darling. You were all alone in the States with a strange man far too eager to show you the sights. Annalisa told me she thought you’d lost your mind, all over a man.” Mama shook her head, the disappointment on her face clear. “You need to be more careful.”
Confusion swirled. Cat could hardly keep pace with what her mom said. Annalisa claimed she and Rafe were together? And that Cat had run off to New York with a complete stranger, like a complete idiot, and somehow convinced their mother the story was true? No wonder Mama had been so worried.
“I didn’t go to New York with a stranger, Mama, I promise. Annalisa lied. I’m not that stupid. I went there with Rafe. I spent time with him, remember what I told you? I met his sister who I’d never really talked to before. It was wonderful. We’re going to get married after all. He’s the perfect man for me. I know we’re going to be happy together.”