Page 14 of Rainshadow Road

“This isn’t for Lucy, it’s for me.”

Zoë smiled, shook her head, and brought a plate piled with muffins. She took the chair on Lucy’s other side. “Have one,” she said. “There’s hardly any problem that a warm muffin can’t help.”

“No, thank you, I can’t eat anything.”

“It’s chocolate,” Zoë said, as if that gave it medicinal value.

With an unsteady sigh, Lucy took a muffin and broke it open, letting its damp heat filter through her fingers.

“So what’s the deal with Kevin?” Justine asked, biting into a muffin.

“He’s been cheating on me,” Lucy said dully. “He just told me about it.”

“Thatjerk,” Zoë said in astonishment. “That slime, that… that…”

“I believe ‘dickwad’ is the word you’re looking for,” Justine said.

“I wish I could say I was surprised,” Zoë said. “But Kevin’s always seemed to me like the kind of guy who might cheat.”

“Why do you say that?” Justine asked.

“He’s a looker, for one thing.”

“Just because he’s handsome—” Justine began, but Zoë interrupted.

“No, not that kind of looker. I mean he looks at women. I always catch him looking at my chest.”

“Everyone looks at your chest, Zoë. People can’t help it.”

Zoë pointedly ignored her cousin as she continued. “Kevin’s not built for a sustained relationship. He’s like one of those car-chasing dogs. The dog doesn’t really want the car. It’s the chasing part he likes.”

“So who did he cheat on you with?” Justine asked Lucy.

“My sister, Alice.”

The cousins gave her identical wide-eyed stares.

“I can’t believe it,” Zoë said. “Are you sure Kevin’s telling the truth?”

“Why would he lie about something like that?” Justine asked.

Zoë gave Lucy a concerned glance. “Have you called Alice to ask her about it?”

“What if she says it’s true?” Lucy asked miserably.

“Then let her have it. Tell her she’s a turbo slut, and she deserves to rot in hell.”

Lucy lifted her glass of whiskey and drained it. “I hate confrontation.”

“Let me call her,” Justine offered. “I love confrontation.”

“What are you going to do for tonight?” Zoë asked Lucy gently. “Do you need a place to stay?”

“I don’t know. I guess I do. Kevin wants me to move out as soon as possible. Alice’s coming to live with him.”

Justine nearly choked. “She’s moving from Seattle? Intoyourhouse? My God, this isheinous.”

Lucy took a bite of her muffin, the soft tang of ricotta blending perfectly with the dark complexity of the chocolate. “I’ll have to leave the island,” she said. “I couldn’t handle running into them all the time.”

---