“What does that mean?” I ask.
“Nico’s on his way.”
“What! Why?” My heart starts to race.
“I thought you’d think it was a good thing?” Anya turns to me. “He speaks Italian and he knows everyone. He’ll be able to talk to them, figure out how to get us out of here.”
“It’s just that he’s the last person who wants to see me right now.” I throw my head in my hands. “So, as I’m sure you both know, I seem to have a tendency to mishandle sensitive situations.”
“You don’t say,” Anya says wryly, before clapping a hand to her mouth. “Sorry! I’m supposed to soften my delivery.”
“I’ll give you a pass on that one,” I say. “Things were less than ideal the last time we spoke. I don’t think he has any interest in bailing me out of jail—right now, or ever.”
I explain everything—the hammocks, the B and B, the tour. How close we had gotten, how badly it had all ended up. “And this was after he took care of me for over a week. I can’t even imagine asking him for anything else. It’s already been so unfair how much he’s had to do for me.”
Anya and Mari share a wide-eyed look.
“What? Why are you looking at each other all weird? You’re creeping me out.”
“Soraya. Nico is in love with you. That’s why he’s doingall those things to take care of you,” Anya explains, slowly and carefully, and I can tell it takes her some effort not to throw her hands into the air.
“He is not. That’s his job, to take care of the guests.”
“I don’t think he’s setting up hammocks and sleeping in the courtyard for anyone else, Sora. You think he’d do all of this for Jerry, the retiree from Omaha?” Mari asks.
I laugh, because the visual is outrageous. But the truth is, Nico is so kind, maybe hewouldsleep outside with Jerry from Omaha. I could almost envision them, sitting on opposite sides of a chess board, then talking about philosophy and life as they lay in their respective hammocks, gazing up at the stars.
“You guys are so confusing.Nowyou’re trying to get me to buy into these ‘signs’? You’ve been trying to get me to stop overanalyzing everything boys do and see things for what they actually are for the entirety of high school,” I say.
“This is different,” Anya insists. “These aren’t subtle signs that could mean something or nothing. This is a smack-you-directly-in-the-face billboard from Nico professing his undying devotion.”
“You’re wrong.” I shake my head. I had misread everything with Wes, and look where that had gotten me. Twisting the facts to find convenient signs under every unturned stone is exactly why I’m no longer allowed to read into anything anymore. But then I start to ruminate on every interaction I’ve ever had with Nico. Joking with me duringthe fishing trip, swaying together on hammocks, sitting on the bench eating granita, our trip to the farmer’s market. “But what about the girl at the beach? Domenica?”
“You never asked him about her?” Mari chuckles. “He’s her Italian tutor. It’s his second job. We met her one day when we went grocery shopping with Nico—there’s nothing going on with them, no matter how badly she may want there to be. The day we saw them at the beach was their field trip to learn vocabulary about beach scenarios.”
“Oh.” Nico had never told me he had a second job. That may have been why he looked so ridiculous applying her sunscreen—patting it in, maintaining as little prolonged contact as possible. I feel even more terrible, knowing how hard Nico had been working to bring in extra funds. All of the kindnesses Nico has extended to me start playing on a loop in my mind. Just when I may finally admit that there’s some truth to what Anya and Mari are saying, Nico walks into the police station.
CHAPTER 39
Nico bails us all out.Of course he does. Because he’s Nico.
Since the very moment I met him, he’s shown me exactly who he is.
Conveniently, Nico doesn’t have to front any cash. He simply sweet-talks the policeman—or blackmails, depending on your interpretation. Turns out one of the officers is the son of one of his mom’s oldest friends, and Nico happens to have some not-so-flattering photographs of said policeman from the last time Italy played in the World Cup, losing horribly, sending him down a vicious bender. Whatever photographic leverage Nico has is embarrassing enough to get us out of jail for free. Bribery and blackmail: It can end wars and buy your way out of the most secure prison. If only I had snapped a photo of Freddy splayed out in the middle of the street, tied up in the tablecloth. It could have been my retirement plan if he ever runs for Congress.
While this isn’t some high-stakes operation, it most definitely still feels like power. Nico is well connected, and I see now a man not to be messed with.
Lorenzo, who waits for us by the entrance with a bunch of Nico’s friends, is taking most of the credit, though, puffing out his chest and showboating. “You should have seen Nico—he was frantic, calling us one after the next. Practically begging us to drop everything to help you all out.” He leans in with that glimmer in his eye. “I was busy, of course, but do you think I could leave three gorgeous women locked up in jail, in my very own town?” He tsks. “Not on my watch.” Lorenzo then zeroes in on me. “I’m still waiting for that invitation to visit, Sora,” he adds, flashing his stark-white teeth.
Nico overhears Lorenzo from where he’s standing by the front desk. He discernibly rolls his eyes, and I try to conceal a smile. Even though I owe Nico a gigantic apology, and things are still totally out of sync with us, it will never get old, seeing his buttons get pushed.
“I haven’t forgotten, Lorenzo,” I say. “You are welcome to visit us anytime. My parents have a very nice lumpy couch that’s calling your name.”
Lorenzo feigns being hurt, putting his hand over his heart and trying to rub out the pain.
Nico wraps up his conversation with the policemen; they all seem to be over the blackmail that just transpired and are hugging Nico goodbye. He walks over, looking only slightly less stressed than he did when he walked in. “Are you okay?” he asks me, face strained and serious.
“Yes,” I say, my eyes wide as I meet his. “Thank you for coming, Nico. You didn’t need to do all of this.”
