Share

The return

Author: Karen Moon
last update Last Updated: 2024-10-29 19:42:56

When Johnny goes upstairs, he sees Emanuele sitting with her cell phone in her hands, still without the courage to move, do or say anything. He notices her frightened physiognomy and is immediately concerned:

"Hey. Is something wrong?"

Her eyes are genuinely frightened and alarmed when she says in a thread of voice:

"Alexandra is coming back from her trip."

The boy crosses his arms:

"I thought she was never coming back. Carlos and I were even betting on when she would break the news that she would be sticking around, wherever she is."

"You guys don't know where she went?"

"No, no one. But you said she went to see a distant relative, a family member, right?"

Emanuele nods and looks once more at the cell phone screen, still not having the courage to read those two sentences so short and precise, but still so shocking.

"I'll be there tomorrow morning. I have to get my brother ready for the funeral."

The man who haunted Joshua's dreams, who made him go to juvie, rise from nothing, and car
Locked Chapter
Continue to read this book on the APP

Related chapters

  • My (Delicious) Roommate    Alexandra

    Johnny's car stopped in front of Emanuele's building. Pained, the girl leaned on her broken nose, still bandaged with the special dressing. She looked at the boy behind the wheel, frowning in tension."Do you want me to get in with you?"The girl nods her head in the negative."Better not."He kisses her gently and holds her face, protectively and securely."Anything, Emanuele. Any screams, any threats or arguments, call me immediately.""I will, yes. I will."She makes mention of opening the car door, but he stops her by placing his hand on her shoulder."I'm very serious. Don't hesitate to call me.""I know. It's okay."After one last kiss, she finally puts her feet out of the automobile. Still, Johnny only starts it after the girl climbs the small steps up to the huge double doors of the building.Inside the elevator, Emanuele felt her heart racing, her skin sweaty, and her breathing difficult. So the girl began to do breathing exercises, trying to concentrate as much as possible o

  • My (Delicious) Roommate    Outrage

    Alexandra is very similar to what Emanuele saw in the photos, but different at the same time. In the perfectly calculated and angled images on social media, she is just a pretty woman with a serious air. But there, standing in front of the two, the former bride perceives a tremendous air of authority.It was explained why she simply rushed out of the apartment for a long trip, caring little for the feelings of others in the process. She did what she wanted, and probably did not accept being contradicted. She was wearing jeans, a long-sleeved blouse, and short boots. A small bag was in her left hand, and in the other, her key."Good morning," she greets them, absolutely surprised that they were both up so early.The dark-skinned woman with long, curly black hair caught in a bun and sparkling eyes takes a closer look at Emanuele's appearance and almost drops the bag."Good heavens! What happened to you?"She stares at Joshua, who holds his hands up in a defensive gesture:"Hey, come on

  • My (Delicious) Roommate    Ousted

    Emanuele watches Joshua's features change dramatically: first he tries to laugh, as if he were hearing a joke. Then it goes to sadness, a kind of endless anguish. Finally, the strongest emotion takes over and stands out: indignation. His voice is not as loud as before. He clenches his fists before asking in a very low tone:"What do you mean, he cut me out of the will?"Alexandra sighs and starts picking at her fingernails as she speaks:"Before he almost completely lost his cognitive functions, one of his last acts was to remove your name from all official documents. The house, the farm, and the small shares of the company are in my possession now."Although he says nothing, Joshua's very silence is threatening and oppressive. It is as if Emanuele can feel the aggressive aura emanating from his motionless body.Apparently, Alexandra herself could not see or feel this, for she kept talking:"Of course I think that's unfair. And so I had to stay there a little longer, trying to see wh

  • My (Delicious) Roommate    Hopelessness

    When Emanuele enters the room, Joshua is already opening the closet door and removing all his blouses, pants and other clothing items from there. The girl says:"Joshua, wait."The man doesn't even look at her as he replies, still focused on removing his clothes from the cabinet."I don't have anything to wait for. You heard.""You guys just lost your minds, I'm sure you can come to an agreement."Alexandra's voice sounds behind her:"There is no deal. I'm sorry, Emanuele. You seem like a sweet and kind person, and I see that, but my brother and I obviously have too many problems.""But that trouble is over, isn't it? Your father is dead. There's nothing left to fear or argue about!" Emanuele looks from one to the other, gesturing wildly. "Please don't do this, don't let yourselves get carried away by hurt and hatred."Joshua replies once again:"It's not that simple.""It is simple, yes. You just need to sit down and talk. Guys, you are brothers! You've been through so much, suffered

  • My (Delicious) Roommate    Bye Bye

    It all ended in the most disastrous way it could. Or almost.Alexandra did not go back on her decision, quite the contrary. She said that Joshua had two hours to collect all his belongings and return to where he came from. Emanuele noticed for the first time that she never knew where the home of her now former roommate was.Despite his requests to be left alone, the girl could not let him organize and pack without any help. While Alexandra took a shower and made important calls, probably to the lawyer or people from the company, Joshua folded clothes, shirts and pants, all with Emanuele's help.The silence bothered them, but there was absolutely nothing they could say to each other. There was no comfort or advice that made any difference at that moment."I wanted to stay longer," he murmured.She stopped the motion of putting away her clothes, surprised that he was speaking.Joshua clarified:"You look pretty bruised, I wish I could help with that.""... I'd like to help you too.""Ah

  • My (Delicious) Roommate    Pie

    Amanda opens another can of beer. Emanuele stopped at the first one, and now all she wants to do is drink water and eat snacks. The two are on the balcony railing of the twins' apartment, and Amora is inside cooking something.It had been two weeks since Joshua had left, and there was a strange, horrible emptiness in Emanuele's heart.The week before, the group had wanted to propose a sort of collective lynching against Thabata, but the former bride begged them not to do anything to her. Despite being hurt, the girl with the honey-colored hair only got some peace and quiet when she fought back. She didn't want to restart the cycle.After taking a sip of her drink, Amanda mutters:"Can you have alcohol? I thought it would be harmful since you still take some strong pain medication."Emanuele shrugs."We all have a day when the rules don't apply. That's my case."The twin laughs."I can't believe someone as nice as you joined our group. I mean, we lost a mocre, swindling snake, and gain

  • My (Delicious) Roommate    Oficialization

    A movie played in Emanuele's head.Johnny was smiling, hopeful, even a little dull despite drawing attention to himself. He had been waiting for this for a long time.The girl with the honey-colored hair didn't know whether to run out immediately, discreetly interrupt the boy's speech, or simply stand there without saying anything.Of course she would be very happy if he actually asked her to marry him. The two of them were seeing each other quite often, they confessed their feelings, they had mutual trust and a lot of respect, of course. The friends gathered there already thought of them as an official couple.Emanuele never thought she would actually have a serious relationship. The first and only time she got involved with someone, it was more of a fling than anything. Mainly because the man himself avoided showing others that he had any involvement with her, probably to protect her from some reprisal.Although the path she followed had a more than obvious destination, the girl sti

  • My (Delicious) Roommate    Pre-consumption

    He doesn't see her. For the milliseconds that the girl can clearly see that this is her old roommate, Johnny takes her hand and they both go inside the building together.This could only be a joke in very bad taste.How could the two of them not have met yet? How could her then-boyfriend live in the same building as Joshua and neither of them be aware of this?Inside the elevator, the young man says:"Are you worried about something?"Damn. She had always been very good at hiding her own emotions. If it came to the point of failure, it was because they were indeed very much on display.Emanuele took a deep breath, calming her own thoughts. That night should be special, and not just another one of those difficult early mornings full of worry and torment. And besides, they were there to celebrate making it official.She could put that aside, at least for the time being.Not least because Joshua being there was the least of her problems. Sooner or later she would have to tell him about

Latest chapter

  • My (Delicious) Roommate    THE END (Epilogue)

    . . . . . . . . FIVE MONTHS LATER . . . . . .Emanuele looked at herself in the huge full-length mirror. The girl hardly knew where to look, which detail to care about first.She didn't know whether to look at the beautiful hairstyle in her now dark brown hair; her natural color.She didn't know whether to look at the impeccable makeup on her face, which made her even more beautiful and radiant than she was feeling.And I also didn't know whether to look at the beautiful white dress, simply cut, adorned with small mother-of-pearl beads. Despite the simplicity of the outfit, it was undeniable to say that the bride looked divine that day.Smiling, she turned around in front of her own reflection. Her heart was pounding with happiness, and she felt the stars in the night sky outside wishing her good luck. The curtain behind the door opened. A short, pudgy girl smiled sympathetically as she entered the room, openly admiring her."Miss Parker, you look beautiful!"Emanuele smiled."Thank

  • My (Delicious) Roommate    Lullaby: The Story Behind

    The old man falls to his knees at the same instant. Emanuele runs to him and hugs him tight, but Joseph does not respond. Instead, he seems to be doing his best not to scream as loud as he can."Dad!" The girl says."Adriele died? I had two daughters, and one of them died? Is that it?! Is that what you are telling me?!'Emanuele tries to hold back her sobs, but she can't. Instead, she says:"Yes, Dad. I'm really, really sorry. It all happened so fast! I lost my mother, my sister, and now... Now you are all I have left. You are literally all I have as family!"Joseph can't say anything for a while, only cry. The two of them are shaking very hard. Sarah, when alive, said that Morgan couldn't get the proper reaction, that he was too broken inside. But now he seemed quite emotional. I wonder what had happened.The smell of her father, enveloping Emanuele's nostrils, is soothing and familiar. In a snap, she remembers that the same scent enveloped her when she was in the arms of death, tra

  • My (Delicious) Roommate    A painful reunion

    Convincing Crimson to enter the police database to find her father's address was not that difficult.In fact, Emanuele was quite surprised when she had to use only one of the six rehearsed arguments. The old man shrugged and said that at that point it was no longer worth trying to pretend not to act unofficially from time to time.What really took a lot of lip from the redhead was convincing Joshua not to go with her. The girl knew that he only wanted to protect her, but Emanuele was very assertive in her arguments. She needed to do this alone, face that part of her past, and see if there was any possibility of fixing it in her future.Sarah had said that he was in a depressive spiral, and that when he saw her he could not react properly, and that it hurt her.Emanuele then prepared herself emotionally. She would not be disappointed or resentful if, by some chance, the man who at one time taught her a beautiful lullaby did not remember her... or was not touched by the moment.The youn

  • My (Delicious) Roommate    The Second Proposal

    For a few seconds, all Emanuele can do is stare at Joshua. The two of them are still naked, and the distance between their bodies is as minimal as possible. "What?" she asks, softly. I wonder if she had heard right. Had her emotions stunned her enough for her to hear such a request?He gives a quiet laugh, then opens a confident, sentimental smile."Will you marry me?"The girl immediately sits up, leaning against the headboard of the bed. She covers her own nakedness with the blanket, still looking at the man, who also sits down."I..."Several things go through her head.The first was that no, she could not get married. Not in that life and not ever. All the misfortunes that had happened to her, all the horrible and unfortunately scarring traumas that were etched into her skin; all that made marriage itself a terrible idea.According to the books that the young woman read, especially during her teenage years, marriage was the union of two people. Total commitment to each other, com

  • My (Delicious) Roommate    The Second First Time

    As soon as he closes the door, Joshua gives warm, soft kisses on the sensitive skin of Emanuele's neck. The man sighs, almost intoxicated with passion, and murmurs:"I love the way you smell."With all the delicacy and romance in the world, Joshua props the redhead's torso on the bed, leaving her legs and feet touching the floor. He caresses her over her clothes. Emanuele moans."The last time we were together like this, I gave only a demonstration of what might come next. Remember?"He stimulates her further with the tip of his thumb, in subtle, gentle circular motions. "Those were the words of a man overcome with desire, and even lust, if I am willing to admit it. Today I may again have those feelings in my body, but... there is a difference. Now I am sure that I love you."Still with his thumb on Emanuele's clit, Joshua kisses her eagerly; the movement of his tongue is smooth and warm. Murmurs come out of her throat, as if the teacher is delighting in that moment.Emanuele's hands

  • My (Delicious) Roommate    Crisis of the Dawn

    The winter dawn is cold.A month has passed since Emanuele saw her sister die. One month, and even then, the memory was still latent and terrible.The girl had already been to therapy, but the nightmares continued to torment her. Joshua didn't know what to do anymore, since every night at two o'clock in the morning the girl's terrified screams woke him up.The teacher got out of his own bed in the dim light. The clock on his cell phone said it was one hour and fifty minutes, that is, ten minutes before the nightmares began.Standing up, taking care not to make any excessive noise, Joshua opened the door to his room, going towards Emanuele's door.But the door was open.Frowning, the man approaches the room. Her bed is empty.Still not making hasty decisions, Joshua goes to the living room, equally empty. His heart only slows down when he sees the girl sitting at the table, drinking a glass of water. She watches him without saying anything, then goes back to sipping the liquid.Slowly

  • My (Delicious) Roommate    The Last Lullaby

    Joshua immediately embraces Emanuele as soon as she, still very tearful and emotional, leaves the room where Sarah is being held. She clings to the man's clothes, sobbing terribly. Her eyes are swollen and red. "I am here," he murmurs. "I'm right here, my love." The girl can barely respond or say anything. A man wearing religious robes appears. He is middle-aged and wears thick-rimmed glasses. In his hand is a Bible. The man's voice is patient and docile, and he uses all his politeness as he approaches Emanuele. "May God's infinite mercy soothe your heart, child. I am so sorry for your loss." Apparently, the priest was already very well informed of the situation. The girl does not respond, only sinks even deeper into the chest of Joshua, who makes no mention of letting go. The policeman in charge of Sarah's surveillance accompanies the religious man. That was the protocol. Before being formally executed, Sarah would have the right to console herself and at least try to ensure a se

  • My (Delicious) Roommate    The last conversation

    The next day dawned gray, cold and absolutely silent.Of course, cars were still passing by, people were leaving their homes to go to work, and children were going to school. But the noise present, that typical sound that Emanuele's ears were used to, could not penetrate the enormous bubble of silence that surrounded her.The call from the delegate the day before was an answer she had been begging to receive, but now that she knew that her sister's last wish was to see her, an unbearable weight had taken over her heart. Sarah was going to die. And all they had together were brief, monitored, timed conversations.Emanuele looked at herself in the mirror. She was wearing a black overcoat and pants of the same color, as well as dark boots. Her dyed red hair was tied up in a tight bun, and no matter how hard she tried to disguise her swollen face, red from crying with makeup, it was still obvious to anyone paying a little more attention. Joshua appeared in the doorway, wearing dark soci

  • My (Delicious) Roommate    Call

    Emanuele could neither sleep nor eat properly in the days that followed.All the girl could do, and at the massive insistence of Joshua who took care of her whenever he could, was to take a few naps and, very begrudgingly, put food in her stomach. He always tried to be as close as possible, even though he needed to work.With the insurance money, Joshua was able to recover almost nothing from the old apartment, so he opted to buy new furniture and decorate Alexandra's apartment, or rather his apartment. Doing this, however, seemed pointless and even disrespectful, since the present moment was one of mourning, not of celebration.When the man apologized for his attitude, Emanuele just shrugged and continued to stare at some fixed point on the wall.They did not sleep together. Each stayed in his own room most of the time. Joshua tried to get close to her physically, but he was content to give her a respectful cuddle and caress to comfort her. It was not the time for them to get close l

DMCA.com Protection Status