CHAPTER 1

                                                        AN UNWANTED TRIP

Four years later…

I open my eyes reluctantly and look towards the night table where the alarm clock lies, the glowing numbers mark 5:30 am. I turn off the noisy device and let out a grunt of annoyance. I want to sleep a little bit more, but I know that if I don't get up in the next few seconds, Gloria will come and force me out of bed. Just at that moment, the door to my room opens wide, and light comes on.

“Noooo! I'm melting! I’m melting!” I cry out as I cover my head with the blanket.

“I've always known you're a vampire” she replies playfully. “Come on! Get up! You must be at the airport at 7:00 am, your flight leaves at 9:00 am, you will have plenty of time to nap on the plane” I sit on the bed and stretch like a cat, as soon as Gloria leaves the room I will go back to my beloved dream state “You know I won't leave the room.”

“Why? Why do you insist in make my life miserable?” I protest sulking like a five-year-old.

“It's not my fault that getting up early isn't on your list of achievements, so come on, the clock is ticking.”

“Tell me, why do I have to go?” I ask, crossing my arms.

“Because it's a very important family event. For God's sake Christie! it's your sister's wedding!”

“Right!” I get up with regret from my comfortable bed “damn it! Why didn't I schedule a bussines trip or a meeting?” I mumble as I walk to the bathroom. I know I should have found an excuse to miss my sister's wedding, but when she asked me with tears in her eyes to be her maid of honor, I couldn't resist.

Now I have to be present at one of the events I hate the most and remember my misfortune. As I enter the bathroom, the memories assault my mind. No matter how hard I try to resist them, I cannot fight the feelings that swirl in my chest, the tears begin to flow, mixing with the water that falls from the shower.

It still hurts, despite the years, the wound is still there, open and bleeding. As much as I have tried to protect myself and raise a shield around me, I cannot deny the pain of seeing others happy with what I could not have. By now, I should have a house with a garden and a white fence, a child or two, even a dog, but instead, it's just me and my loneliness. In a way, I should thank Jonathan Banks for breaking my heart, otherwise, I wouldn't have had my company and wouldn't have been half as successful as I am.

I finish with my bath and my self-pity party to get ready and go to Miami to share my sister's happiness. I put on a pair of jeans, a comfortable T-shirt, a casual jacket, some wedge sandals and leave the room with my suitcase in hand.

“Here's your coffee, Christie” says Gloria, handing me a steaming cup of coffee. She's been a godsend to me, she started to work exclusively for me a couple of years ago. More than a worker, she is like a mother. She has been there for me when I needed a shoulder to cry on or advice. I don't know what I would do without her. At that moment, the elevator bell indicates someone’s arrival.

“Good morning” says my assistant, who is hyperactive as always.

“Good morning Alena, ready to go?”

“Yes... Your driver is already downstairs” she says sipping the cup of coffee that Gloria put in front of her “Mmm... exquisite” when my sister came to town three months ago to ask me to be her maid of honor, I immediately decided that she would come with me, she is not only my assistant but my best friend. I need her by my side supporting and encouraging me, besides being the perfect excuse to come back on Sunday without having to put up with my mother's whining. It's a win-win for me.

“Goodbye my girls, May God bless you and protect you” according to her, it is a Latino tradition to bless children or family members when they leave home, she always does it with me.

“Amen” we reply just as she taught us. If that makes her happy, who am I not to please her? Not that it takes much effort to do so.

“Good morning Miss Swan” greet James, my driver and bodyguard. I had not needed one until a former worker threatened me, I do not know if he meant it or was due to the heat of the moment, but I did not want to wait to see what would happen, I contacted a security agency and hired him, mostly works from a far and intervenes when needed. We boarded the vehicle to the airport, every minute I am closer to the event that I despise the most, weddings.

***

I come out of the tunnel that connects the plane with the landing hall, I'm on my way to claim my luggage, and suddenly I fall on my ass. I look up and see that I bumped into a man who continues his way chatting animatedly to another, not even noticing that he knocked me down.

“Hey, aren’t you going to help me?” the man turns to hear my yelling and sees me lying there on the floor. He tries to pick me up, but James comes in and stops him from even touching me.

“Mi scusi signorina” the amount of rage I feel doesn't even let me know what the hell he said.

“Be careful! Men! They're always dragging everything out in their path.” I continue my way by holding on to the desire to massage my aching ass.

“You owe me a hundred bucks” I whisper in Alena’s ear once we’ve left the baggage claim area, out there are my father, mother, and sister, with a big ‘Welcome Home’ banner, balloons, and flowers. I feel like Miss Universe when she arrives at her hometown after winning the beauty pageant.

“Damn it! I thought you were exaggerating, but clearly I see that you're not.” She says in shock, behind me, I hear James' snickering laughter.

“Dad! Mom!” I say by wrapping them in a big hug. I missed them too much, it's them who go to New York to visit me, but it's been almost a year since I last saw them. It is only the second time in four years that I come to Miami, this city makes the bad memories surpass the good ones, and I usually have anxiety attacks.

“I have missed you so much, my sweet girl.”

“And I have missed you too”

“Sis! Thank you for coming, you don't know how much this means to me” I smile at her. We take our bags and leave the building towards the parking lot, when we are in front of the vehicle, my mother notices James' presence.

“That man comes with you” she says discreetly in my ear.

“Oh, my God! I'm sorry, he's my bodyguard. His name is Andrew James.”

 “Bodyguard?” they all ask in unison.

“Yes, long story, someday I will tell you” and that is the end of the topic.

If I thought that when I arrived home I would rest, relax and show up at the rehearsal dinner, I was very, very wrong, my sister threw a bomb at me, I must give a speech tonight.

“What’s wrong with you? Why are you so upset?” asks Alena as she enters my old room.

“I’m supposed to give a speech tonight at dinner.”

“Oh please! You're able to conduct a finance meeting with your eyes closed and just read a few notes, now you're telling me you can't do a stupid speech? Miami makes you dumber” I throw a pillow at her but she dodges it.

A few hours later, I have finished the so-called speech. I am ready for dinner, I look at myself in the mirror, and once more the recollections whip me mercilessly.

“Don't cry Christie Swan. Don’t you dare to cry” I say talking to my reflection “you’re strong, you cannot let the past overwhelm you, breathe, and try to act as natural as possible, do it for your sister.”

“Chris, we are waiting for you” my mother’s voice is heard on the other side of the door.

“Coming.”

On the way to the restaurant, I can't help but regret that I didn’t go with James and Alena in the car they rented, Cathy has been talking non-stop since we left. A couple of times I’ve been tempted to check her to see if I can find the off button.

“Aaah! We’re here!” she lets out a little shout and clap like a little girl “I'm so excited!” I give her a forced smile. Come on, Christie! It's only two days, you have to resist, after the wedding you'll be free to go back to your comfort zone. I enter the venue, which has been beautifully decorated with flowers, It looks like a garden out of a fairy tale, I walk around the place greeting some acquaintances until my sister's soon-to-be husband approaches me.

“Hello Christie, good to see you in person” it’s the first time I've seen him outside my cell phone screen, I feel like I’m practically meeting him.

“Hello Donato, same here.”

“Come, I want to introduce you to my family” I reluctantly follow him until I reach a group of people who are chatting animatedly “Good evening family, I want to introduce you to my soon-to-be wife’s sister” he says in Italian that’s when I remember that some time ago Cathy mentioned to me that her fiancé’s parents had come to this country many years ago.

“Christie, these are my parents Renato and Marina, my siblings Lucca and Serena, my uncle Vitto and my cousin Stefano”

“It's a pl...” the words get caught in my mouth when I realize that one of my soon-to-be brother-in-law's relatives is the idiot who ran me over at the airport and who looks at me with a smug smile on his face.