Page 73 of Contempt

She didn’t want to screw up the opportunity that Kelly gave her, either. This internship—the one Kelly offered her—wasn’t that common. Not one with as many benefits as this one had, anyway.

“Yeah, I mean, I’m hoping you get back soon, but I under—”

Kelly’s next words were interrupted by a knock echoing on Lucia’s hotel door. She listened to Kelly rattle on in the background of the call as she headed for the other side of the room.

“Yeah, for sure,” she replied to Kelly as she reached for the door.

Lucia didn’t even think to check the peephole; she hadn’t had any problems since switching hotels. The Cordial was just as nice and the employees kept things running smoothly. All good things.

She pulled open the door at the same time Kelly said, “Do you have a possible idea when you might come back, though? Just so I can work on a schedule and your hours.”

“It won’t be more than three weeks, for sure.”

Lucia would make sure of it.

Or … try.

On the other side of the door, a bellboy from the hotel stood with a smile on his face, and what looked to be a letter in his hands. “Miss Marcello, this was delivered for you this morning at the front desk.”

Lucia took the letter the man offered, and looked it over. Other than her name scrawled on the front of it, there wasn’t even a stamp or a proper address written on the front. Yet, it had been sealed shut, and felt light enough to probably be a standard letter.

But from who?

“This morning?” she asked the man.

Kelly still chattered on in the background, voicing her ideas for hours once Lucia was back, and some kind of project she wanted to put her on.

The man at the door nodded. “Yes, it was brought into The Cordial this morning and delivered right to the front desk—I was told he asked it be brought to you.”

He?

“Okay, I’ll let you go, then, Lucia,” Kelly said on the call. “And let you get back to … whatever you’re handling.”

“Sure, and hey, thanks again for the time off.”

Her boss laughed. “No worries.”

The call clicked off as Lucia thanked the man at the door once more, and then closed her door. Turning to face the empty hotel room, she tapped the envelope against her palm. She didn’t think it was anything dangerous inside—wouldn’t it be a little bigger, or heavier?

Lucia opened the side of the envelope, and peeked inside. A single sheet of folded up piece of paper came out onto her palm when she tipped it over. Chewing on the inside of her cheek, she opened the paper.

She was sure her heart stopped.

Oh, it certainly ached.

Renzo’s handwriting—why she hadn’t recognized it on the front, she didn’t understand—stared back at her.

Lucia,

I was told to write you back. I’m sorry you’re not going to get the response you wanted—from way back when, you know? I hope this is just as good.

I still feel that way. Alone and without. Unsure. Cold. I don’t want to feel that way at all, but I don’t know anything different.

It’s uncomfortable.

The League taught me to enjoy discomfort.

Strange, huh?