“You and Colette, huh?”
His grin is face splitting. “She’s so hot. I … we … do you know what a spreader bar is?”
I wave my hand in acut it offmotion. “No details, please.”
“Your loss.”
“I sincerely doubt that. She your girlfriend?”
His face falls. “Nah. She doesn’t want that. We’re just …”
“Friends?”
“She texts me when she wants to fuck.”
“And?”
“Then we do.”
“And?”
“And then I go back to the mansion.”
This is a familiar pattern with Vincenzo. “And you’re fine with that?”
“Well … I’m hoping she’ll want to hang out more as time goes on. You know … go on hikes and stuff, meet my mom.”
“And have you spoken about it? Does she know you want a girlfriend?”
“Kind of. Probably. Yeah. She doesn’t want commitment.”
Christ.I’ve been so caught up in my own world, I forgot other people have relationship issues, too. “Then she probably won’t want to go on hikes and stuff, Vin.”
“We’ll see.”
Vincenzo is a mass of contradictions. Trained by his father to be a ruthless killer, he also has this soft, gentle faith in the world that only people with a stable homelife and two loving parents can have. He has an unfair reputation as someone who sleeps around,but he’s desperate for a girlfriend. Something steady and reliable in his world of crime and chaos.
A hand squeezes my biceps. “You look good, bro.”
He might be the single most punchable human in my life, but I have to admit that it’s good to see him. “Thanks.”
“So … how did it go with Ophelia?”
I take alongdrag. “We’ve split. Officially, now, rather than unofficially.”
“Fuck. Like … forever?”
“Yeah.”
“She might not want to lose you completely. She might want to be—”
“Don’t say friends,” I bite out. He shuts up.
We smoke in silence, lost in thought. He opens and closes his mouth every now and then, like he wants to say something.
“How’s Elise?” Is what eventually comes out, but I can tell it’s not whatever is sitting on his tongue.
I’m grateful for Vincenzo. Grateful I never need to sugarcoat anything. Grateful for his unwavering friendship. I hope I never lose it. “I think she’s dying, and I don’t think I can do anything to stop it.”
