Page 38 of Vendetta
‘Yeah, it’s a boring story. Something about a fishing hook,’ said Millie dismissively. ‘Anyway, we got sandwich wraps and smoothies and took them to Rayfield Park. We just talked for hours. He seemed really interested in me, so I guess that’s a good sign.’
‘Definitely.’ My path home began its slow incline, and my chest started to burn from the effort of walking uphill while trying to explain to Millie everything that had been bothering me at the same time. I mentioned the wholetheir-dad-might-have-been-a-notorious-murderer thing. Even though I couldn’t trust Mrs Bailey, and when I googled every possible variation of ‘Priestly Killer Chicago’ on my phone nothing relevant to Nic’s family had come up, I wanted Millie to know.
‘Do you think we should stay away from them, at least until we find out what’s going on?’ I ventured.
Millie whined in disapproval. ‘Soph, Mrs Bailey is, like, a walking gossip magazine. She thrives on ridiculous rumours. Remember that time she told my mum I was pregnant? She’s crazy. There’s nothing wrong with Dom or his family, trust me.’
‘I just think there’s something not quite right about it.’
‘Then let’s figure it out!’ she urged. ‘Think of it as a mystery. A sexy mystery.’
‘What if it’s not something we should be trying to figure out?’ I asked, thinking again of the cloying honey smell, and the idea that Dom was in aboating accident. I just couldn’t picture him wearing deck shoes.
‘I’ve seen the way you look at Nic, Soph,’ Millie said. ‘Tell me he’s not worth figuring out.’
Maybe she was right; even if there was something sticking in the pit of my stomach, the way Nic made me feel was undeniable. And Millie knew it. Plus, I didn’t want to stomp all over her excitement with hearsay.
‘So what did you guys talk about?’ I asked instead.
‘He told me about how he used to live right in the centre of the city with his family, and how the suburbs are boring in comparison. He’s nineteen, which is sexy and totally risqué, though he does go a bit overkill on the whole hair gel aspect of his perfection. I mean, Danny Zuko is only a good look on Halloween. Not that that stopped me from staring at him in adaze when he talked. I had to ask him to repeat himself a lot, which was awkward. Anyway, then the conversation turned to me mostly, but Iama pretty fascinating topic.Andwe touched on the subject of you as well.’
I felt my cheeks grow hot. ‘Why?’
I turned on to a narrow avenue where gated estates and rows of cherry trees climbed uphill beside me. Halfway up, the street intersected with Lockwood Avenue.
‘As much as Ilovetalking about you, it was actually Dom who brought you up, by accident.’
‘Oh?’ I didn’t know Dom in the least, except that he was obviously less weird than Gino, and that he ranked far below Luca on the I’m-a-smug-ass scale. ‘What did he say about me?’
‘He was asking about the diner and stuff. I mentioned you were probably going to take over running it soon from your uncle and that we’re best friends, so you will obviously give me ahugepay rise.’
‘Obviously,’ I concurred sarcastically.
‘Then I went on a bit of a rant about Jack and what a bad job he’s doing running the place now.’
‘Mil!’
I turned on to Lockwood Avenue.
‘Oh come on, Soph,’ she chastised. ‘A fact is a fact. He’s been totally AWOL. I mean, you can’t just disappear whenever you feel like it. For one thing, it’s rude, and for another, it’s weird. This is the exact kind of behaviour that gives fuel to Mrs Bailey’s idiotic rumours.’
‘OK.’ She had a point and I wasn’t going to rile her up about it.
‘Anyway, I’m sure Dom will relay the fact that you are goingto be sitting on a nice little cash cow someday soon to his brother, and that will no doubt make you seem even more attractive!’
I flinched, thinking of the fib I had told Nic and Luca that first time I saw them, in the diner. Hopefully Nic wouldn’t feel cheated by my dishonesty. After all, itwastechnically just my summer job. For now.
As I got nearer I felt my stomach clench uncomfortably at the sight of their house.
‘I hardly think they’re gold-diggers. You should have seen their house,’ I said, looking at it.
‘Hopefully someday soon, I will.’ I could tell Millie was wiggling her eyebrows suggestively on the other end of the call. ‘I’d better go. I’m exhausted from my escapade.’
‘Wait! Did you kiss him?’
‘If I had, don’t you think I would have used that as my opener?’
‘Too bad.’
