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He flicked his ashes and took another drag off his cigarette. “I never thought I’d honestly wish people dead.”
“Ren! You can’t be serious. It really can’t be that bad, can it? No, wait. You live with Emily who won’t even look at me anymore even though we used to be best friends.”
“Does it bother you?”
“Hmm? No. I’d much rather spend time with you.”
“Even when I’m like this?”
“Yes, even when you’re cranky and venting and wishing people dead.”
His eyes were pained when he looked at her. “Does that make me a bad person?”
She shook her head. “I could never think that of you.”
Done with his pacing, he took a seat on the log beside her. “I don’t deserve you, you know that?”
“That’s not true.”
He ground the end of his cigarette with his shoe and leaned into her, resting his head on top of hers. “Do you mind when I call you beautiful?”
“What kind of question is that?” she asked with a laugh, “Of course, I don’t. I love how you answer your phone with ‘hello, beautiful’ like it’s just for me.”
“It is, you know. Just for you.” He took her finished cigarette and ground it out with his shoe, then took her hand in his, interlacing their fingers.
“Are you going to tell me why you wish them dead?”
“Someday, maybe.”
“Someday. I’ll take it.”
***
Had she ever wishedanyone dead? She doubted it, though a math teacher or two could have come down with the plague and she wouldn’t have minded.
But Lorenzo had.
And she knew why now.
With a shiver, she walked out to her living room, as plain as her office had been, and her eyes settled on the crazy daisies. They almost looked out of place, but somehow they just fit.
The way she’d always felt out of place in Lorenzo’s life, even though she’d just fit.
She thought of his offer to have her come in and help with his business, more memories washing over her with every time they’d talked about it. Had he ever asked someone else to help, aside from Martin? The only way for her to know was ask. But for now...
For now she had to decide if she should go to the funeral of someone who’d so obviously used his position of power to intimidate Lorenzo, and possibly every other boy who’d lived in their home, at least while the late Mrs. Torrence was still around.
Though, come to think of it, after Lorenzo, the fostering had stopped altogether.
“Ugh, are there any easy answers in life?” she asked the empty room, then sighed.
The answer to that was a clear no for the moment, but at least Justin was coming over. With wine.
But when he showed up later, Judith was with him.
And Lorenzo was behind them.
“You, miss, need some cheering up,” Judith said as she popped the first cork of the evening. “I also brought shrimp cocktail.”
