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CHAPTER7
Tori
The car ride home is quiet and it’s stifling and I hate it. Carlo seems like the kind of man who thrives in silence, but I’m starting to feel suffocated. When I decide I can’t take it anymore, I reach for the car stereo and he slaps my hand away.
“Ow!” I yell in indignation.
“No,” he says in that dry way of his. “The only person who gets to play music in my car is me.”
I glare at the side of his face. “You’re an asshole.”
He hums in reply. I’m starting to think this car ride was a bad idea. He’s irritable and I’m exhausted.
A few minutes later, Carlo asks, “What’s wrong with the kid back there?”
My eyes flicker to his face but his expression is blank.
“Sarah?”
He nods.
“She has Cancer. Stomach Cancer.”
“There’s no cure?” Carlo questions.
I shake my head as something painful grips my heart. “No. It’s localized but she’s having a hard time with the treatment so we’re trying a few different approaches.
It’s just so frustrating. I hate that she has to go through all that.”
“I’m sure you’re doing the best you can.”
“You’re being weirdly nice,” I say, shooting him a look.
He rolls his eyes. “You’re impossible to please. Exactly what do you want from me?”
I shrug. “I just want to get to know you.”
That gives him pause. “Why?”
“Because it’ll help with our deal. Plus, I have a feeling we could be friends.”
Now he’s visibly surprised. “Friends? We’re complete opposites. What I just witnessed at the hospital is clear evidence of that.”
“How can you be so sure? That we’re opposites,” I question.
“Trust me, our moral compasses point in completely different directions.”
He might be right about that. But I’m sure we could find common ground.
“Still, we could try.”
He might seem a little rough around the edges, but that’s honestly making me all the more curious about him.
“From fake girlfriend to friend, huh?” he asks, his gaze still fixed on the road.
“Our relationship is progressing wonderfully.”
Somehow, that manages to draw a smile out of him. And making him smile feels like a personal victory. We arrive at my parents’ house and I step out of the car, looking at him through the window.
