“The Emerald Grotto. We went out on a boat.”
“What else have you been doing?”
“Shopping. Swimming. Sightseeing. Sloane’s been teaching me to cook. And Charlotte’s bought me a lot of new clothes.”
“That’s cool. Are you still doing your schoolwork?”
“Not right now. Charlotte said I didn’t have to worry about it, that I can start up again once we get home. She said all we both have to focus on right now is healing.”
“And is that happening?” he asked.
She wasn’t sure why she was so shaky. She’d been feeling pretty good the past couple of weeks. “I think so. Sometimes... sometimes I feel happier than before.”
“What about other times?”
“I just feel scared,” she admitted.
“About what?”
“About what’s going to happen after Italy, I guess.”
“There’s no reason to be scared. Charlotte will be there for you, and so will I. A little more structure in your life would help, which is why I’d really like to see you back in school.”
Lilly wasn’t sure she’d fit in with her classmates anymore.She felt years older than everyone else her age. “I’ll go back in the fall.”
“You know you can go to school here, right? You can come live with me, and if you’re behind, I’ll help you get caught up.”
She thought of the kids she’d known, briefly, while she was living in Cherokee. She hadn’t been there long enough to make any real friends. She’d lived out of town, not in a neighborhood with other kids close by. Her social life had consisted of hanging out on the farm with Old Blue or being in the house with her mother. Her mother had been so bored while they were there; she was always looking for something to do. So they’d played a lot of card games—not that Sabrina paid much attention while they were doing it. She kept checking her phone whenever it wasn’t her turn.
“Do you mean it?” Lilly asked.
“Of course I mean it. Charlotte didn’t tell you?”
Lilly thought of the terrible things her mother had yelled at him when they stormed out the last time, how she’d accused him of being like Walter. Lilly didn’t have to worry about Steve being like Walter, did she? He’d never done anything that made her skin crawl.
But would she be able to count on that if there was no one else around? “We haven’t talked about it yet. We agreed not to make any big decisions until we got home. This is... this is just a time to get to know each other.”
“I see. Well, there’s no pressure on my part. I just wanted you to know I’m here if you need me.”
“Thanks. I... I miss Old Blue.”
“He misses you, too. He wandered around this place looking for you for weeks after you left,” he said with a chuckle.
She hated that the dog probably assumed she’d deserted him. “Charlotte promised she’d bring me for a visit soon. I can’t wait.”
He must’ve heard her sniff because he said, “Are you crying?”
“No,” she lied, embarrassed.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” She couldn’t say it, but she missed him, too. She just didn’t know if she could fully trust him, not after Walter.
“Okay, well... you can call me anytime.”
“Thanks,” she said and disconnected.
She’d just set the phone aside, wiped her face and blown her nose before reaching for her e-reader when she got a call.
