Laurann Dohner: Something Wicked This Way Comes, Volume 2

In Robyn’s experience, outward beauty required fleshy thighs, heavy breasts, wide hips and a noticeable tummy. To the men on Mulberry Street, this was the embodiment of desirability and equated to fertility and healthiness in their minds.

And true beauty…well, that was something intangible, something that radiated outward from within. Beauty was in the vivaciousness in which you danced, the love of life that radiated across your face when you broke bread with the family, the joyous way you made others feel about themselves.

Skinny or thick, true beauty had no look to it.

By the time Robyn dragged herself up to her apartment, she was cold, soaked and shivering.

Her family was waiting for her in Nicky’s apartment across the hall, as if they knew what had happened tonight. As they sprang in near unison out of Nicky’s front door, she could see the concern written all over their faces.

As it turned out, they did know. At least a little of the story.

“Jake is looking all over for you!” Robyn’s mother chastised. “He’s worried sick and so were we!”

“What happened, sis?” Nicky asked, throwing a towel around her. “Why did you leave without telling Jake?”

Robyn still couldn’t find the energy to speak. At least not about that. “I need a hot bath,” she said unblinkingly, her voice scratchy. “I’m so tired and cold.”

“Of course, bambina ,” her father, Louie, said soothingly, wrapping his arms around her. Robyn breathed in the familiar, safe scent of him. “Nicky, go run the water for your sister.”

“Sure, Pops.”

Her father was quiet for a long moment, and then, “I understand now is not the time to talk, but you’ll tell me and Mama what happened tomorrow, sì ?”

“ Sì ,” she whispered.

“I need to know only one thing tonight.”

“ Che cosa? ” What?

“Did this Jake hurt you in any way, physically or otherwise?”

“No, Pop. Jake would never do that. I promise.”

Louie nodded, satisfied. “Your mother left babbà in your fridge and a big pot of soup on your stove. She just took it over so it should still be piping hot.” He kissed Robyn’s head. “Go take a hot bath and eat some hot soup, bambina . I love you and we’ll discuss this tomorrow.”

She didn’t want to move. She felt warm and safe for the first time in hours. “ Sì , Papa. I love you too.”

Jake felt sick to his stomach. He’d looked everywhere for Robyn and couldn’t find her. He’d checked every shop and bistro in Little Italy, gone to her apartment twice, scoped out her favorite bookstores and hangouts, and searched everywhere he could think to look. It was as if she’d vanished into thin air.

The moment Tyrone had called him aside and told him what had happened, Jake had furiously thrown everyone but his buddy out of his apartment. He’d asked Tyrone to repeat the story again to make sure he hadn’t missed anything.

“She was crying when you found her?” Jake asked.

“Yeah, man,” Tyrone confirmed. “I ain’t exactly known for having much of a heart, but whatever piece I got left broke for that girl.”

Just as Jake’s was breaking now. He had assumed Robyn would head straight home, but she hadn’t. If anything bad happened to her, he’d never forgive himself.

Goddamn it! He should have known better than to bring a wonderful lady like Robyn into a den of vicious she-wolves. And all for some dumbass party he should have thrown months ago to get it over with.

Still scouring the streets, Jake felt his cell phone vibrate in his jeans pocket. He stopped dead in his tracks and fished it out, praying it was Robyn.

No. But it was from Nicky. A text message.

Robby’s home safe and sound but she won’t talk to nobody. She took a bath, our Ma fed her some soup and put her to bed. Thought you’d wanna know. Nicky

Jake sighed as relief flooded through him. He typed back a reply as fast as his big fingers would let him.

Thank God. Be there in 10. Let me in. Jake

She wasn’t talking, but she was safe. That was a start. “Taxi!”

Unable to sleep, Robyn pulled on her favorite warm and fuzzy red bathrobe with matching slippers and padded into the kitchen. There was a bottle of Chianti that Uncle Vito had somehow missed and she was pretty sure that bottle had her name written all over it. As she unscrewed the cork, a devastating reality hit her in the chest harder than a wall of bricks.

Life with Jake could never work out.

For all they shared in common, the worlds they inhabited were far too different to reconcile. Now that Robyn understood the rules in his realm, she knew she couldn’t be a part of it. With the exception of Tyrone, she’d feel constantly under scrutiny by the others…and always coming up short. That was no way for a woman to live. It would suck the life and self-esteem right out of her.

She plopped down at the kitchen table and drank a swig of Chianti straight from the bottle.

For the past month there had been one burning question in the back of her mind and now the answer smacked her in the face. Why, Robyn had wondered a dozen times, had Jake never tried to make love to her? She grimaced, mortified by the idea that while he enjoyed her company, her body might be repulsive to him.

She closed her eyes and sighed. Tonight she would allow herself to feel like a broken-down Humpty Dumpty, but tomorrow she would put herself back together again. She didn’t need all the king’s horses and all the king’s men for that—Robyn DiMarco was a strong, proud, beautiful, Italian-American woman who could handle the job all by herself.

Robyn raised the bottle of Chianti back to her lips. A knock on her front door startled her, almost making her chip a tooth. She cursed under her breath as she placed the bottle on the table and stood.

Her family was aware she wanted this night alone and for all they knew, she was already sound asleep. She should have been aggravated, but Robyn realized they were simply worried about her. Resigned to the inevitable “talk”, she decided now was as good a time as any to get it over with.

“Ma,” Robyn said, opening her front door, “you and Pop can come on in and—”

Robyn stilled. Her pulse skyrocketed. She hadn’t expected to see him . Not this soon, anyway. He hadn’t even buzzed her intercom to ask to be let into the building. How had he gotten inside?

“Jake,” Robyn breathed out, her gaze raking over him. He was even more soaking wet than she’d been when she’d first arrived home, which was saying a lot. “What are you doing here?”

Jake drank in the sight of her, a dozen different emotions waging war inside him. She looked so fucking cute in her fuzzy red bathrobe and slippers—they matched the color of the polish on her finger- and toenails—but now wasn’t the time for that.

“Don’t ever leave me like that again,” Jake said hoarsely, stepping in uninvited and closing the door behind him. He locked it just to make certain they weren’t interrupted. “I was worried sick! Do you have any idea what you put me through? Or your family, for that matter?”

Her lips worked up and down, but no words came out. She took a giant step backward, away from him.

“Tyrone told me everything,” Jake continued. “I am sorrier than words can say that what happened to you actually happened, but you scared the shit out of me! Don’t ever do—”

“Jake,” Robyn softly interrupted. She held up a palm. “This isn’t going to work out.”

Jake stilled. His dark eyes widened. Her words shook him to the core.