Free The Golden Spiral by Lisa Mangum Page A

I could wait.”
    “What were you waiting for?” My voice was low, weighed down by the magnitude of Leo’s actions.
    “You.” His voice caught on the word. “I knew that eventually the time would come when you’d need my help. And then last night, things changed.”
    “Everything’s changed,” I murmured. “And I don’t know how to fix it.”
    “That’s why I came back. Whatever is happening, it’s too much for one person to handle alone. I’m here to help.”
    “How?”
    “However you need me to.” He squared his shoulders, lifting his chin. Then he bowed low, his hand over his heart. “Faró quello che desidera, donna mia.”
    Even though I didn’t understand the words, the message was clear. The air was thick with expectation and I was reminded that long ago, in his other life, Leo had been a soldier and a warrior. He had been a hero.
    He remained still, waiting for me to respond.
    Time seemed to slow and thicken like it did when I was with Dante. I was acutely aware of the breeze slipping past, of the crunch of dirt beneath my feet. I took a step toward him, touched his shoulder. “Thank you, Leo. I will honor your vow.” I wasn’t sure where the words came from, but they felt like the right ones to say.
    He stayed motionless for another moment, then straightened quickly. He moved his fingers from his heart to his lips and then held out his hand to me, palm up.
    The gesture felt formal, almost as though it had been rehearsed from a long-ago ritual. I placed my hand atop his. Again, it felt like the right thing to do.
    “Grazie,” he said simply.
    “Lel e benvenuto,” I replied, a little surprised at how easily the Italian came to me.
    Leo smiled then, a complex emotion crossing his face. It looked like pride, but with a touch of sadness beneath.
    I withdrew my hand and closed my fingers. I wasn’t quite ready to let go of the warmth of his touch. The entire moment had felt strangely familiar, like waking up from a dream you can almost remember, but as soon as you try, it’s gone.
    I tried to marshal my thoughts back in line. “So what was all that business with Emery?” I asked. “If you never really left, I guess that means you don’t really work for the college, does it? And why didn’t my parents recognize you?”
    “No one expects to see someone they’re not looking for,” Leo said. “A fast dye job, some reading glasses, and a nice suit are usually enough for a quick meeting. I said I worked for the college; they expected to see someone from the college. As a result, they didn’t see me. ”
    “It seems like a lot of work for you to do.”
    “After what happened last night, I knew I needed to get in touch with you as soon as possible. I knew you would be at graduation and I thought it would be the best way to reach you. I called Principal Adams this morning, told him the story of the scholarship to Emery, and asked if he could arrange a meeting.”
    “So, that’s all it was—just a story? I don’t really have a scholarship?”
    “I told the truth. There is a scholarship, and it’s yours if you want it.”
    “In my real life—the life I had yesterday—I had earned a place at Emery fair and square, but this morning I found out that they had rejected my application. And then you showed up.” I shook my head. “It’s all so messed up. It’s all happening so fast. I don’t know what to believe anymore.”
    Leo caught my gaze and held it. “I know things are bad right now. I know it’s hard to see the end. But believe me—we can fix this. We will. You, me, and Dante—we will. Can you believe that? Can you hold on?”
    Hold on. I had made Dante promise me the same thing at the end of my dream. I looked up at Leo. With his dark hair, he looked so much like Dante it made my heart constrict. I felt a tingling in the palm of my right hand and I squeezed my fingers into a tight fist.
    I felt like all I had were my memories of what I knew to be true. I would be strong and