Page 83 of Backhanded Compliments

“Thank you,” Remi says, sagging in relief.

“No problem. Plus, I won’t lie, I’m dying to know who this mysterious soulmate is.” Juliette playfully touches Remi’s wrist wrap.

Remi lightly smacks Juliette’s hand away. “Shut up.”

Juliette cackles and reaches behind her to hit the elevator button. “Subtlety is not your strong suit, Remi.”

Remi splutters, at a loss for words.

Luca enjoys, more than she should, seeing Remi struggle to find a quippy remark.

“Whatever. A couple of us are hanging out by the pool if you want to join,” Remi says, throwing her shoulders back in an effort to collect her dignity.

Luca bites the inside of her lip, worried that Juliette will suddenly abandon their plans and choose to be with Remi and her crowd of friends.

“No, thanks. We’ve been walking around all afternoon. I’ve got an early practice, so I can’t get too crazy,” Juliette says casually, and Remi’s eyes dart to Luca.

“Okay,” she drawls, giving Juliette an intense and not-at-all subtle side-eye. “Well, I’ll text you the details later. Have a good night!” She jogs away down the hall.

“So, who is your guess for who her soulmate is?” Juliette asks, her eyes sparkling with a mischievous light.

“Do you know?” Luca asks, and Juliette shakes her head.

“Nope. I was just winding her up.” The elevator pings and the doors slide open.

Luca steps inside and leans against the back wall. “I think it’s Xinya.”

Juliette’s eyes widen. “You think?”

Luca nods. “I think Remi was in her box at Wimbledon.”

Juliette considers this, a little frown appearing between her brows at the mention of the tournament. Luca reaches out and smooths her thumb across the crease. Juliette giggles, and her brows relax. “Interesting. I guess we’ll find out.”

The elevator stops at their floor and Juliette hooks her fingers through the loops of Luca’s jeans, tugging her out into the hallway painted in vivid sunset tones.

Luca feels giddy bubbles fizz to life in her stomach again as Juliette pulls her down the hall. Luca feels half-drunk even though she’s not, and she stumbles into Juliette when she stops abruptly.

Antony Ricci leans against Juliette’s door, his piercing dark eyes scanning over his daughter before lifting to Luca’s face. “Just as I suspected,” Antony says in his thick, rich Italian accent. His head tilts, but his gaze never wavers from Luca’s face. He is unblinking as he stares into Luca’s soul. “Fraternizing with the enemy?” His gaze narrows as he focuses on Juliette.

Juliette’s shoulders tense and Luca steps back, but not before she catches sight of Juliette’s hand reaching back for her. “Don’t be dramatic,” Juliette says, and Luca can practically hear her roll her eyes.

Antony says something in low, vibrating Italian.

“Must we rehash this again?” Juliette asks in English, which Luca knows is deliberate.

“I’ll go,” Luca says, her skin crawling under the cold, piercing stare of Antony Ricci. It reminds her too much of her own father. Andwhile she knows this is cowardly, her hands shake and are suddenly clammy.

“Luca—” Juliette says, but Luca is already gone.

LUCA

Once back in her room, Luca rushes into the bathroom. Her mind is spinning, twisting, curving in on itself like a snake eating its tail.

She turns on the sink and splashes her face with cold water, but it doesn’t make her feel any better. Her stomach slithers with something oily, a pressure building in her head as she tries not to think about Antony or Juliette.

“Fraternizing with the enemy” is distinctly dramatic, perhaps for the effect of getting Luca to back off. Which is exactly what he got. Does Antony have enough influence in Juliette’s life to break them up?

What could he even break up?

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