The Devil’s Healer

Chapter 3:

ROSALIA POV:

He wanted to hold my hand but I stepped back. His fingers closed on air.

"Rosalia please " he said. "I swear, it is not what you think."

"It is not?" I asked him.

He tried to say something. He could not. He said he could explain. Now he had nothing to say. I looked past him at the woman. She was standing beside the desk holding her arms around herself. She would not look at me.

“You work for him?" I asked her quietly.

She nodded. "Yes I do."

“You knew he had a girlfriend?" I asked her.

She did not say anything. That was answer enough. "I thought so " I said.

Enzo stepped between us. "Leave her out of this " he said.

I smiled,. It was not a happy smile. "Now you want to protect someone " I said.

“I never meant to hurt you " he said.

“No you just did " I said.

The office was quiet. The only sound was the lights buzzing above us. I looked around the room at the pictures, the awards, the coffee mug I had bought him for his birthday. They were all reminders that I had thought this was my future. It is funny how quickly a future can become a memory.

“You know what hurts the most?" I asked him. His eyes looked hopeful like he thought I would let him explain. "I defended you every time someone questioned your loyalty. When someone said something about you I made excuses for you." I shook my head. "I made you look like a man than you really are."

His eyes were wet. "I am sorry " he said.

“I know " I said.

“No, Rosalia I mean it " he said.

“ I know " I said. ". Being sorry does not make what you did okay."

The young woman finally spoke. "I did not know…" she said.

I turned to face her. "You did not know about me?" I asked.

She shook her head. "He told me he was single " she said.

For the time since I walked into the office I believed someone. I looked back at Enzo. He would not even look at me. He was a coward.

I walked towards the woman until we were face to face. "I am not mad at you " I said. Her eyes were wide. "I am mad at the man who lied to both of us." Tears were in her eyes. ". Remember something. The way you get someone is usually the way you lose them."

She looked confused. "You saw him cheat on me today. One day he will cheat on you too."

She looked really scared. She looked at Enzo. He looked away. Down she already knew I was right.

"Rosalia!" Enzo said loudly. "For once you are going to listen. I love you." The words just hung there. They were words I had wanted to hear just a few hours ago. Now they meant nothing.

"No, Enzo. You do not love me " I said.

"I do " he said.

“You loved that I loved you " I said. "You loved having someone who forgave you every time you cancelled plans, who believed every excuse, who was happy when you were happy. You loved being loved.. You never loved me enough to be faithful."

It was really quiet. For the time since I met him Enzo had nothing to say.

I reached into the gift bag. Pulled out the black watch box. "I spent weeks saving for this. I skipped lunches I picked up shifts I told myself it would be worth it to see you happy."

His eyes were wet. "Rosalia…" he said.

I closed the box. Walked to his desk. I put it down gently. For one second he looked relieved. Then I pushed it. The box slid across the desk. Fell to the floor. It cracked. Neither of us moved. The glass face was broken, like our future.

"That is where we belong " I said. I looked at the watch then back at him.

Before he could do anything I raised my hand. Slapped him. The sound was loud. His head turned to the side. A red mark appeared on his cheek. He did not touch it. He just stood there because he knew he deserved it.

I reached into my bag one time and pulled out the spare key to his apartment. It was the key he had given me six months ago when he said, "This is your home too." I put it beside the watch. "It never was " I said.

I turned towards the door.

"Rosalia!" he shouted. "Please do not leave like this." I stopped,. I did not look back. "You already left us when you chose her " I said.

Then I walked away past the conference rooms past the elevator past the security guard who said, "Have an evening." I smiled back. It was a smile like the ones doctors wear when they tell patients everything will be okay. This time I was the one pretending.

When I got to my car I locked the doors. It was quiet inside. I looked through the windshield. My hands were shaking on the steering wheel. I just breathed. Then the first tear fell, followed by another and another. I covered my mouth. I could not stop the sob. It was not because I missed Enzo. It was because I was sad, about the future I had imagined with him a future that had died on the floor of his office beside a watch.

I wiped my face with the back of my hand. That was it. I was done crying over him. He did not deserve another tear from me.

My phone was all blurry because my eyes were watery. I unlocked it. Looked for the one person I wanted to talk to. The one person who was always there for me. I pressed Sophias name. She answered before the second ring even ended.

“Rosa?" she said. The sound of her voice made me break down again. "Sophia... I need you " I said, trying to hold back my tears.

There was a silence and then she said the words that only a true friend could say. "Tell me where you are. I am coming to get you."