“No. I think there are men out there worse than Dante.”
I find that hard to believe, but I don’t think insulting his father is going to do any good right now.
“We’ll know soon enough,” Luca says, squeezing my hand again. “Liam and Ashton will get the surveillance tapes.”
“And if the store doesn’t give it to them?” I can’t imagine they’ll just hand it over to two college-aged kids.
“Everything will be fine.”
He’s far calmer than I feel right now. I watch as he drives us the couple of miles back to campus. I’m relieved when we pull up out front of the house. I climb out of the car, help get Zeke unbuckled and carry him to the door.
Luca seems a bit more on his toes, glancing around thoroughly outside the property.
“I’m sure no one followed us home.” I force a smile, but his worry is starting to rub off on me. And maybe it should. What happened at the park and grocery store was creepy as hell.
Does he know something that I don’t?
“The white van that pulled up alongside of me, it drove off.” I gesture to the quiet neighborhood, feeling safe. “No creepy white vans.”
“We’re safe now, Luca. Right?”
Eight
Bristol
After throwing the file across the room, nausea sweeps over me.
I’m flooded with anger, embarrassment, humiliation.
I was starting to catch feelings for Liam Moretti, which I knew was a mistake. He’s an asshole with a cocky smile, and I’d bet my life on it, he has a micro-penis.
Yep, that’s what I keep telling myself, to remind me that I hate him and should never catch feelings for that jerkwad.
The problem is that kiss has been impossible to get out of my head.
Had it never happened, I’d never thought twice about him. He’s usually the farthest thing from my mind. Easy when we don’t go to the same school and the chance of running into him is almost zilch.
I mean, his sister attends Great Falls, but it’s not like we’re best friends. That ship sailed when she fucked me over freshman year in high school.
I tend to hold grudges.
The wooden door swings open, and Ariella glances at me, her brow pinched. “Everything all right in here? I heard you scream.”
I wipe the stray tear that I didn’t realize started to fall.
“Everything is fine.”
I lie.
But I don’t feel okay.
My bottom lip trembles, and her brow pinches as she bends down to gather the file, perhaps recognizing the name.
“Sometimes we see things we might not want to with this job.” Ariella’s voice is calm, and her tone comforting. She offers me a hand, and I take it, standing.
“Ashleigh was my birth mom.” The words spill out before I realize what I’ve said and wince.
Ariella nods slowly. “It’s a small town. People trust us with their secrets. You’re going to see a lot of things that need to be kept private. Do you understand?”