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He sighs. “Yeah, I’ll bet you were. Okay, well, we’ll get you a new one, but you need to promise me that you will never do that again. Never. Mom… You’ll see for yourself when you get upstairs.”
And I do see for myself. When I do, I swear to myself just as honestly as I swore to Maxim that I’ll never pull another disappearing act again because my mother really does look like she aged twenty years today. Her eyes are swollen, and she’s as pale as a ghost. She looks so bad that I know not even my freedom for a few hours was worth it. It was good to be out again, but there’s nothing that could’ve made this worth it, especially not when she starts sobbing into my chest, holding me close, and rocking me back and forth like she used to when I was a little boy.
“Shh, Mom, I’m okay,” I whisper soothingly. “It’s okay. I’m fine. I’m fine, and I’m sorry. It’ll never happen again. I promise. Never, ever again.”
She’s sobbing too hard to reply, and I keep holding her, hating myself for putting her through this. The feeling just keeps getting worse as I sober up, and later that night, once my parents are asleep and I’m lying on my cot in their room, I stare at the ceiling and wonder how Olivia’s holding up. And how I’m ever going to explain this to her without telling her why I really left in the first place.
Then again, Maxim said to stay away from her for now, and I think it’s good advice. Deciding then and there that I’m going to take it, I let out a quiet breath and hope they catch the fucking stalker soon. I really want my life back, and I’ll only get it once he’s gone.
20
OLIVIA
The midday sun warms my legs, and I groan happily, turning my head on the lounger I’m lying on to smile at Isabella. “This is paradise, I swear. I think I’ve died and gone to heaven.”
“I’m right there with you,” she says as she applies another layer of sunscreen to her chest and stomach, scooting down on her lounge chair to get out from under the shade of the pergola. “Although, you’ve been cooped up for so long, you’ve probably forgotten what real sunshine feels like. How’s that going by the way? Have you made any progress on catching the stalker?”
I sigh, shaking my head. “Other than knowing he’s still in Europe somewhere, no. We’ve got jack. All we know is that his threats are getting more colorful by the day.”
“Well, that’s fucking depressing,” James pipes up from her other side, sitting up to peer at me over the rim of his black aviators. “Is that what’s been going on with you and Vincent? Is he pissed at you because he’s still stuck inside?”
“I don’t know,” I mumble, trying my best to ignore the way my chest hurts when I think about him.
“Well, he’s not stuck inside for the next two weeks,” Isabella says cheerfully before she frowns. “Wait. Is he? He’s allowed out of his room, right? Or is it a bungalow? A beach bungalow.” She nods. “Yeah. That’s definitely what these are. Beach bungalows. We’ve got the whole resort to ourselves. Surely he’s allowed out here.”
James lies back down, rolling over to his stomach so he gets an even tan. “Yeah, he’s allowed out around the resort, but not out, out. At least he’s got his own room again, though. Maybe that’s why he’s been so pissy lately. He’s horny because he’s been stuck in a room with his parents.”
“Man, am I glad we’re finally on a break,” Maxim says loudly, whistling between his teeth as he and Emma take up the loungers beneath the pergola next to ours. “Seriously, I thought we’d never get here. I’m so fucking exhausted. I thought I was going to start crying when we touched down in Madrid yesterday.”
James chuckled. “Same, and I’m not even working. Then again, I also didn’t know we were going to be boarding those fucking shuttles for hours before we got here. I might’ve been closer to tears about that.”
Emma rolled her eyes. “If you were closer to tears about having to drive a few hours to a private beach than you were about everyone finally getting a well-deserved break, you’re clearly not working.”
“Hey, man, studying is hard,” he protested. “If I had to do one more test or assignment, I think I’d have dropped out.”
“Amen to that.” Isabella agrees.
Adrian stretches out on his chair beside James’s. “I, for one, vote that we stay here for at least a month. Fuck this two-week bullshit.”
“Well, I’m thinking about retiring when we get home instead of starting a management company,” Maxim offers, and it occurs to me that he’s managed to completely change the subject since he got here.
No one is talking about Vincent anymore, which is a pity since I’d also really like to know what’s been up with him. Since his little walkabout in Zurich, he’s gone back to ignoring me when he does happen to see me, but I’m also pretty sure he’s trying to avoid me again. I hardly ever see him around nowadays.
My chest gives another pang, and I sigh but go back to the conversation. “You’d never retire so young, Maxim. If you tried, I’d give you a week before you open the management company anyway just to save yourself from your own boredom.”
“Fair enough.” He chuckles. “I’m just really glad we’re finally on vacation. Seriously, these last few months have been tough as balls.”
“Aw, Tim,” Jonathan’s voice rings out from behind us. “Come listen to this. The kids are complaining because of how tired they are of touring and how glad they are to be on break.”
I glance over my shoulder to see Jonathan standing at the edge of the sand, clearly having just stepped off the paved path that leads through the gardens to the beach. Tim is only a few feet behind him, and he grins as he joins his friend, calling out to John, who is, in turn, only a few feet behind him.
“Get a load of this! The kids are happy to be in Spain because the poor dears are just so exhausted.”
Max ambles down the path behind John, and he must hear Tim too because, suddenly, all four members of Full Moon are smirking at us and crossing their arms. John puts a hand to his mouth like he’s trying to imitate someone who’s scandalized. “Oh my. Whatever shall we do? It’s such a hard-knock life for them. I mean, look at the five-star resort they have to relax at and think about the places they’ve seen. It’s just too much.”
Maxim laughs and waves them off. “You guys are such idiots.”
“Yes.” Jonathan agrees. “But we’re your idiots. We’re going for a swim. Want to come?”
