“You sure?” Mia checks.
I nod. “Shotgun’s overrated anyway.”
They climb into the back together and Lily launches straight into some science experiment involving glitter and vinegar. Mia listens like it’s breaking news. I pull into traffic, one eye on the road, the other watching them. Lily’s leaning into Mia, offering to share a granola bar. Mia breaks it in two and takes the smaller piece. They eat, heads tilted together as they chat.
Even though I should be focused on driving, my mind keeps drifting. I know what a real home could look like. I can see it in my rearview mirror.
* * *
Before I put the car in park, I spot two troublemakers at my doorstep. Mrs. Romano stares teasingly at her sparkly fingers while Callie does a poor job pretending to ignore her and walks toward us at the driveway.
“Hey, I didn’t know you started a side gig at Uber.”
I ignore her and open the rear door for the girls. Then I greet Mrs. Romano first, obviously. “Evening, Mrs. Romano. All good?”
“Yes, they did a nice job in your bathroom today. And your bedroom is down to nothing, empty. They cleaned it all before they left.”
“Thank you for keeping an eye on everything. Are you joining us for dinner?”
“No, grazie, my boy. I’m going home to show Mr.Romano my new rings. Thanks again, Miss Calista.” She pats Callie’s back as she walks past.
“You’re not welcome,” my friend grumbles.
The four of us have dinner. I deflect Cal’s questions about my fake calls the best I can, then Mia takes Lily upstairs for a quick shower, teeth brushing, and bedtime stories. I’m washing the dishes when Callie says something that scrambles my brain.
“Oh-oh. Trouble’s calling.”
“No, she isn’t,” I answer without thinking, but close the tap to listen closer. There’s no sound coming from upstairs.
“What are you talking about?” she asks, staring at me funny. “I mean the phone. Look.”
She shows me Mia’s screen, and sure enough, ‘Trouble’ stares back at me on her caller ID.What the actual fuck?
“Who the fuck is Trouble?” Again, I speak my thoughts out loud. I’ve got to tape my mouth shut. Now.
“I don’t know. This is Mia’s phone,” she answers as if I don’t know. “Funny, right?”
Fucking hilarious, Calista.
I need my friend gone. I need this cleared out. Time to understand once and for all why this nickname bothers Mia and who the fuck is calling her with what I can only assume is bad news.
Callie yawns, and I take it as an early Christmas miracle. “Yeah, I’m tired too. I’ll walk you out.”
“Your subtlety always takes me by surprise, Pres.”
“Stop, Calista. We’re family. If I can’t tell you I want to go to sleep…”Or lie to you with a straight face…
“Fine, I’ll take my naked fingers home.”
That pulls a lifeless laugh out of me.
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
mia
Preston is waitingfor me when I step out of Lily’s room. I close the door quietly and meet him in the corridor, the door to my room open and inviting, unlike his face.
“Something wrong?”
