Page 111 of Stuck Behind Her

I figured she’d ask me that. She doesn’t like problems, and she doesn’t like when she’s the reason for them, which I’m sure is what she thinks. I look at her, her eyes pleading and like I always do, I give in. “Okay,” I tell her. “I won’t cause any problems while we’re out. I promise. But only for you.”

Aurora, apparently, had many of New York’s tourist sites on her to-go list. We decided to pick Times Square. “It’s six thirty, we have to be back by ten at the latest. So, we have around three hours. We can walk around for a bit, and I know a café close by. There’s also a souvenir shop next to it, in case you do want to buy anything,” Val announces when we arrive and get out of the car.

She always needs to have everything planned out. She can’t just be spontaneous and see if it works. No, it all has to be on schedule for her. She’s a time-organizing freak, if anything.

All of us agree, walking through the streets and alleys. We stop at some stores occasionally so Aurora can admire the view or take a picture. It’s extraordinary how energetic and wowed she is by all this. I mean, I am, too, New York is a beautiful city. But not as wowed as she is.

“I’m going to go check something out, I’ll be back,” Val tells us, drifting away from our group.

“Wait, I’ll come with you,” I say, joining her. I can see Elias’s gaze darken as I leave. Good. When I get to Vi, I stay close to her. I know he’s looking, and I want him to. So he knows to never dare try hurting her again.

“What are you doing Lorenzo?” Val stares at me, still walking.

“What do you mean? Am I not allowed to join my best friend on a walk?”

She narrows her eyes at me. “Mm-hmm. Walking very close to your best friend while your other friend who likes her is watching is very normal,” she points out, shifting her sight to the ground in front of her.

“I’m just trying to make it clear to him to stay away,” I tell her.

Val sighs at my reply. “I know. But I don’t think I’m the one you should worry about. You two look like you’re going to kill each other.”

“Yet he’s still alive. See, no conflict. I’m a man of my word.”

She wants me to forgive him, I know that. She wants us to stop fighting and act like nothing happened. But he hasn’t done his part. He hasn’t apologized or admitted what he did. When he stops acting so innocent, I’ll start thinking about forgiving him.

We enter a shop, and she looks around, grabbing something I can’t identify. She pays for it, and we return to join Aurora and Elias. We stay for a while longer, before going back to the hotel. Elias is silent the whole way back. He’s been silent all day. Good. He got the point.

Val and Aurora go to check on their sisters, who are both asleep according to Oliver. I’m not surprised, a trip like this must be exhausting to them, it’s tiring enough for me. But that might just be me.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Elias asks in a tense tone. I turn around and look at him, standing at the kitchen island. What does he want?

“I’m sorry?” I walk closer toward the table.

He grins, but it isn’t a nice one, it’s more of a smile of anger. “I don’t know, I just think that if you were going to give me a dirty look the whole day, maybe you shouldn’t have went,” he states. Of course, this is why he’s angry, when he knows exactly why I’m doing it.

“Sorry to inform you, but I went for my friend,” I tell him.

Anger burns in his eyes, and his expression is harsher. “Then maybe you should’ve focused on your friend rather than irritating me and looking at me like you have a problem.”

He’s trying to get on my nerves. He’s doing something he doesn’t want to. “Oh, I’m sorry. I should’ve punched your other eye so you don’t have to see.”

His smile disappears, his jaw clenching, before he slides my phone off the counter, letting it drop onto the floor, cracking as a result. I look down, my eyes widening. Is he crazy?

“What the hell?” I shout, springing my head up.

“Oh, don’t be dramatic, you can pay for that to be fixed in the next hour.” He narrows his eyes when he speaks.

“Oh really? Maybe I should break that other hand of yours and see if you can pay for what you did with Daddy’s money.”

“I didn’tdoanything!”

“Tell that to someone who believes it.”

“Why are you accusing me of something you have no proof of? You know very well I would never do something like that.”

“Must’ve gotten the asshole part from you father.”

“Well at least my father’s consistent.”

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