AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What happened?” Victor asked.
“Bike accident,” I said simply. “It could’ve been worse.”
“Is that how you hurt your lip?”
I nodded.
“Do I need to review basic bicycle safety with you, Sinclair? Do you need a helmet, kneepads, braces, and lingerie as my marriage gift?”
I would’ve flipped him off, but neither hand was up to the task. “Wait till you see what I give you,” I muttered.
“Ready for tonight?”
“You mean the family dinner you invited me to so I could distract from the family drama? Yep,” I said, popping the last letter. “I’ve got my dress picked out.”
“Good. Mom wants to talk floral arrangements and food allergies on your side of the family. She says she tries calling your mom and no one answers.”
My chest tightened. Swallowing hard, I replied, “From now on, she should call me. It is my sham of a wedding after all.”
“Hmm. Maybe we don’t put that on the save-the-dates.”
I almost cracked a smile.
“Hey.” He nudged me, dropping his voice. “Did you hear about last night?”
“No, what?”
“Giovanni Natale and Annika Mitchell were attacked,” he whispered. His cinnamon soap fogged my mind, trying to distract from my growing dread. “It was some real Friday the 13th shit. He said two guys busted into his place. They set fire to their cars so they couldn’t get away and then whaled on them.”
As in Annika kicked his ass, and then Annika and Gabriella kicked each other’s.
“They ran out the back door. Giovanni thought she was behind him, but they got separated in the woods. He looked for her all night.” He shook his head. “It was too late. One of those cowardly masked fucks grabbed and threw her off the bluffs.”
I cringed remembering the scene. “That’s awful,” I said, and meant it. “Is Annika going to be okay?”
“She hasn’t woken up yet, but she will.” Victor squeezed my hand. “Be careful, okay? Gio couldn’t identify those guys and they got away. I just can’t believe something like this would happen in Regalia.”
“You can’t believe tragedy would strike in this picturesque little town? It already did, Victor. Long before Annika.” I slid free of his touch. “Nowhere is paradise. Regalia least of all.”
Victor looked away, a muscle jumping in his jaw. “I keep doing that with you.”
“Doing what?”
“Saying the wrong thing.” He sighed. “I know you hate it here, Luna, and you have every reason to.”
“Do you? You never mention Winter. Nothing more than the flowers and condolence card sent to the memorial, and I figured your mom was behind that.”
“I sent it, Luna. I want to say more, do more, but it kinda seemed like...” He trailed off.
“What, Victor?”
“Seemed like the only time you didn’t look so broken that you could fold in on yourself like a dying star, was when you were yelling at me. The spark would light your eyes again,” he said. “I guess I thought if I mentioned Winter and what happened to her, it’d bring it all back. And now that I’m saying it, it sounds so stupid. Pissing you off isn’t better than being there for you during the worst time in your life. Damn, you were right all those times you called me an insensitive ass.”
Smiling, I grasped his chin between my fingers, making him look at me. “It’s not stupid. The truth is, the only times this summer that I wasn’t curled in a ball on my bed, crying my eyes out, was when I was telling you exactly what I thought of you, Wilson.
“I’m not buying that you were that obnoxious on purpose.” We chuckled. “But it is sweet that you noticed then and there wasn’t the time to remind me my life was a festering pit of grief. It’s sweet. Dang, you got me to say the s-word.”
“You didn’t say shithead, but I’m going to take it anyway.”
I shoved his shoulder, the both of us grinning.
“All right, class.” Professor Anthony drew our attention to the front.
“Professor Anthony, are you okay? What happened?” Eva asked.
“A mishap,” he said simply. “I’m fine. To start, each of you come down one at a time and collect your papers. Review the comments over the weekend and consider how you’ll use the suggestions to improve next week’s assignment. Today, we’re going over the reading, then you’ll write a short essay on the themes. After you complete your essays, you’re free to leave early.”
Everyone was plenty happy for that news, even though the early release was likely because the golf ball was growing into a grapefruit. I was last to go down and get my paper. My eyes went round at the red FAIL written across the top. They grew wider as I read his comments.
“But, Prof—”
“Sit down, Miss Sinclair.” His voice was hard. “Now is not the time or place.”
Fuming, I stormed upstairs, seriously considering that the man had multiple personalities and the asshole alter emerged whenever he had a pen in his hand. Give me the swearing and ranting Adonis any day. Even better, give me the maudlin drunk who sat with me and shared our problems.
