Page 78 of All I Desire

“Ciao, ciao,” Mrs. Richman says.

“Ciao, ciao,” I mimic her under my breath as we walk off.

Matthew takes my hand, pulling me away from his mother. “God, that was awful.”

“Sure was. But uh, babe? Maybe alcohol isn’t the best idea, given the situation and my rage level right now.”

He glances at me and swallows hard. “Right. Good point.”

I note that his sister is sitting apart from Chad and Mrs. Richman, clear on the other side of the vast, Olympic-size pool. Chloe’s with her and she’s riveted to her phone, wireless earbuds and all. I sink onto the lounger next to her. It’s nearing sunset, and the golden light makes everything look dreamy.

Except this is more like a nightmare. I glance back at Chad, who’s drinking his beer on a chaise next to Mrs. Hastings. It gives me no small satisfaction to see that he’s gotten a little flabby.

“Asshole.” Oh hell. Did I whisper that aloud? I look at Chloe, who hasn’t noticed our arrival. Thank God she didn’t hear me talk shit about her uncle. Matthew’s sister, on the other hand, is staring at me with a curious expression.

“Sis, this is Natalia. Natalia, my sister, Hailey. Natalia just got worked over by Mother.”

Hailey sits up and extends a hand. She’s curvy and pale, kind of like Betty Boop or Bettie Paige. She’s wearing a one-piece, black bathing suit and a floppy straw hat.

“Nice to meet you, finally. I’d like to give you a warmer reception than my mother and her offspring over there. I saw how rude she was, not even getting up to acknowledge you. I’ll offer my blanket apology now.”

She snorts and looks up at Matthew. “Typical of Mother.” Then she pauses and turns to Chloe. “You didn’t hear any of this.”

Chloe takes out her earbud. “What?”

“Nothing,” Matthew, Hailey, and I say at the same time.

I shake Hailey’s hand. “Well, in fairness, her opinion of me might be a bit skewed. I happen to know your step…ah, Chad. We went to school together years ago.”

She rolls her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

Maybe I’m a terrible person, but it’s somehow a relief to know that his own stepsister dislikes him. The chances of me getting through the next couple of hours just increased exponentially.

Matthew wipes his brow. “I’ll go grab some iced tea for the three of you. How about that?”

“And some snacks,” Hailey says.

“Salty snacks,” I add.

Hailey’s eyes meet mine.

“The saltier, the better,” she says with a wicked grin.

---