Page 25 of Delicious

“You should see this place, Aunt Jess. Honestly, it’s like a dream. There’s a pool. Did you know it’s called a natatorium? I went swimming, and I didn’t have my costume, right? So guess what I did—”

“You need to listen to me—”

“I stripped down to just my underwear, and I didn’t even care!” I laugh as I put out the last of the food, and pile the pans in the sink. “I’m so happy, I—”

“Andrea, stop talking and listen!”

Her voice is harsh, and it stops me in my tracks. She sounds… Angry, yes, but also scared. Worried.

“Aunt Jess?”

“He was lying,” she spits. Then her voice softens. “I’m sorry, I don’t want to bring you down, but it’s the truth, honey. I got another visit from that man. That Buffalino. After you left yesterday, the three of them paid me another visit.”

“Aunt Jess! Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. They didn’t touch me. They just wanted to gloat that the eminent domain went through, that the house is no longer going to hold up their project. The demolition is moving forward.” She sighs. “I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news. I know what you’re doing, and I know you’re doing it partly for me, but you need to think about yourself. If you still want to go ahead with using your body, well, that’s your decision, but don’t do it because you think you owe me. And make sure you get what you want out of it.”

I shake my head, my lip quivering. The smell of the food is starting to turn my stomach. “No, that can’t be true. Aunt Jess, Erik wouldn’t… He said he’d take care of us. Both of us.”

“Men lie, sweetheart. Especially if sex is involved. I’m sorry, but there it is—”

“No, you don’t understand. I—”

I was about to say, I love him. And despite what’s going on inside my head I think that’s still true. She must be wrong. How could I possibly fall in love with him, if what she says is true?

“Andrea, I took a cab and swung by the house not an hour ago. I wanted one last look. Sure enough, there were men there, the house was fenced off. It was a demolition company. They’re preparing to get rid of the house. That’s how things go, and me being sad about it isn’t going to change anything. The world doesn’t work like that.”

I can’t believe what I’m hearing. How could Erik lie to my face like that? I wipe at my eyes, and my fingers come away wet with tears, but the sight of them just makes me angry.

Lashing out, I push the two plates of food off the side, watching them shatter and spill their contents all over the floor. My own little demolition project.

And then I hear his voice. “Andrea? Baby, what’s—”

I back away from him, shaking my head. How can he look so innocent and be so evil? Who is this man, whose brother married my best friend? Is Cassie in danger? Are all the Leonard men the same?

“Aunt Jess, I’ll call you back,” I say. Then I end the call and face the man I thought I knew.

“What’s going on?” he says, and I laugh through the tears.

“I could ask you the same thing. Did you lie to get me to have sex with you? And you promised. Promised to take care of my aunt’s house.”

“Babygirl, I’d never lie to you. And I’d never break a promise to you.”

“Don’t babygirl me. It was all just pretend, wasn’t it?” My words are hard, but inside my heart is breaking as I say them. Babygirl. Daddy. It was all just a game to him, wasn’t it? And I lost. “Did you and Buffalino have a good laugh at my expense? At least tell me you got a good story out of all this.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Aunt Jess told me everything. There are men at her house right now, ready to tear it down.”

He squares his shoulders. Then he holds up a finger to me and pulls his phone out of his pocket.

“What are you doing? Calling the police? Because you don’t need to, I’ll go. I don’t want to stay here another—”

“Trevor? Good, glad I got through to you. I’m going to put you on loudspeaker, and I’d like you to tell me what you’re doing with that house.” Erik takes the phone away from his ear, and presses the screen, and the voice of the person he was talking to fills the room.

“You want me to—”

“Just say it, Trevor,” Erik growls.

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