Page 63 of Be My First

Chapter Twenty-One

Bode

“Shit. Shit. Shit.”Eli is outside pacing, phone pressed to his ear. He’s spent hours on the phone since we were in Venice. We arrived at our house in Tuscany late last night. As soon as I got up this morning and came down here, he was already on the phone.

I just watch him while he paces. He groans a few times and kicks a rock at one point. “Can’t Trevor do something?”

He groans again at the answer. I’d really like him to fill me in. Maybe I can help?

He finally hangs up and leans his head back to the sky and groans.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“Shit’s hit the fan,” he says. “I’m going to need to go home.”

He plops down in the chair across from me.

“To California?” I ask.

He nods. “I can’t fix it from here.”

“Well, is it something I can do?” I ask.

He shakes his head and then says, “It’s my domain.”

After he pours himself a cup of coffee, he drags his hands over his face. “Juno is going to be so upset if she has to leave.”

“She can’t stay?” I say.

“Without me?” he says, looking surprised I’d even ask.

I shrug. “She has two Secret Service agents here.”

“But you’ve seen how hellbent she is on getting in trouble for some unknown reason.”

Somethingisgoing on with her – there’s no doubt about that. I’m not sure she’s hellbent on getting in trouble, though.

He tips his head back to the sky and threads his fingers together behind his head. “Would you stay with her?”

Before I can answer, he sits up and looks at me. “I know it’s asking a lot, but...”

I interrupt. “I really can’t deal with the work stuff?”

He shakes his head. “No. It has to be me.”

“I could ask Declan or Keene to come, but they would miss out on the Dolomites. I don’t even know what everyone else is doing right now.”

“I can do it,” I say even though I know I will regret it.

He blows out a bunch of air through his lips. “I know she’s a pain in your ass. I’m sorry. It means a lot to me. I owe you big time.”

I look down at my coffee and say, “It’s no big deal. I wanted to do the cooking school anyway.”

“Yeah, but you are going to have to watch her. Promise me you’ll keep an eye on her.” He holds eye contact with me as he says this.

I take a big drink of my coffee, nervously. It’s way too hot and burns the whole way down.

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