My eyes narrowed and I ran my fingers over the eight. Was that right? It didn’t seem…
I flicked onto my camera roll and dug through the pictures until I found Wednesday’s CICLATI 6.
1682kg.
I’d thought so. I’d admired that Luca’s number was within the measurement.
But 200kg difference? That wasn’t some spare bolts. This was something.
I fingered the lock bigger than my palm, turning it as much as I could.
That would need a mighty big saw and with my upper arm strength… a chainsaw. Which wouldn’t scream suspicious at all.
Fuck.
When my phone rang, I jumped and dropped it to bounce on the ground.
It continued to ring and I threw it up to my ear, hissing, “What?”
“Shut up!” Fia cried. “You and Luca Mendes? Stop it. No way.”
I loved her. She was one of my favourite people in the world, and if she were more mature, I would certainly tell her. But she was sixteen, and I knew what I was like at that age.
Turning down the volume, I poked my head around the side of the trailer to see if anyone had heard and was about to herd me out of the trailer park.
There was no noise.
I kept to the shadows.
“Yes way. I can’t really talk right now—”
She practically screamed down the phone. “Why didn’t you sayanything? Is it serious? Like, are you going to marry him?”
I choked on air.
“Dad loves him. Dad would be psyched.”
Dad was not psyched.
“I think it’s a bit different when he’s with your daughter.”
“He is so cute,” she said and sighed whimsically. “But don’t tell him I said that.”
Fia didn’t like boys her own age. Whenever I teased her about boys in her class, she would gag and say they were too immature for her. Like sister, like sister.
“I will take it to the grave,” I said. “I’ve got to—”
“If he hurts you, I’ll have him,” she warned. “As in, I’ll take that fuckerdown—”
“Fia, not a conversation for this second, I don’t think,” I said and immediately regretted it by what I assumed was her stunned silence. “I’m sorry, I really need to go. We’ll FaceTime tonight?”
She sounded appalled. “Absolutely not. Go and enjoy your boyfriend. I have no life updates. Mum and Dad are arguing because he’s a grump. If anything, with how pissy he is at the minute, I thoughtyoumight want to rant.”
That perked up my ears.
“What’s he so pissy about?”
“Why are you whispering?” she laughed. “Is Luca in the shower? Can I say hey?”