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She looked at him, anger and tears brimming in her eyes. Danny resisted the urge to reach out to her and put his hands in his own pockets. He didn’t know what to say. She shook her head, a look of disgust on her face making him feel like a complete shit.
“Whatever,” she said as she started to open the SUV door.
“Wait,” he said. “Please.”
“Say whatever it is you need to say.”
“I wanted to see you before you left. This isn’t how…I said some things…”
“Don’t.” She held up a hand.
He looked away and blinked back tears. He was a Padovano, and Padovanos didn’t cry. He didn’t want Lauren to see how raw and ragged his heart was. He took his hand out of his pocket and reached for hers. It felt small and warm inside his, and they moved a little closer.
“You can still come with me.” A lonely note of hope drifted through her voice.
“I can’t, Lauren. I can’t go, and you won’t stay.”
A wall, thick with resentment and disappointment, slammed up between them.
“Guess we don’t have much to talk about then.” She pulled her hand away.
“When we broke up… You know… You know I didn’t mean what I said? Right?”
“Doesn’t matter.” She brushed tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand.
“It does…”
The door slammed shut and the engine leaped to life as she turned the key in the ignition. She rolled the window down, and when she looked up into his eyes, they were full of pain. What little was left of Danny’s heart shattered.
“Bye, Danny. You’ll always be here.” She tapped two fingers over her heart.
He didn’t trust himself to say it back. It was too final. Too permanent. He stepped back and banged his hand on the top of the truck to send her on her way. He watched her drive until she reached the end of the street and took a left. As she disappeared, he whispered, “I’ll always love you, too.”
“Uncle Danny?”
He flinched, his regrets taking the wind out of him. “Sorry, Cole. Just remembering.”
“I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“Upset me? You didn’t—don’t apologize. Not your fault I got lost in old memories. What else do you want to know?” He forced his voice to be brighter.
Cole went with a lighter question. “Which one of her songs is your favorite?”
“That’s a hard question. My favorite can depend on my mood, but I do like ‘Down to the Ground.’”
Danny rubbed his chin. He did like that song, but in truth, he didn’t know much of Lauren’s work. He couldn’t help but know some of them—The Kingmakers had topped the charts plenty of times. But any kind of ballad? If it came on the radio, he’d skip to another station. The last thing he wanted was to hear Lauren singing about her broken heart. The heart he’d broken. Avoidance was easier.
“I’m not quite sure how to ask this next question,” Cole said.
Oh, boy, here it comes,thought Danny, trying to hide his unease. He was positive the question would be about sex: whether he and Lauren had done it, how old they were, or any number of other uncomfortable inquiries. But there was no way in hell he was discussing any part of his sex life with his teenage niece underanycircumstances.
“When I talked to Nanny, she said Lauren started using drugs in high school. Did she?”
Danny’s shoulders dropped two inches, but his relief quickly turned to anger. “Your grandmother saidwhat? Oh, for the love of… Unbelievable.” He shook his head, remembering a few family dinners that Lauren had come to. His mother had barely spoken to her.
Cole didn’t have to ask another question. Her puzzled expression was enough.
“Your grandmother never liked Lauren. Thought she was a bad influence. You know—” He made air quotes with his fingers. “—Sex, drugs, and rock and roll.”
