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“I’m sure he’s on his way, Ma. Give him a chance.”
“He better be.” She points the tip of her knife to emphasize her statement, and then turns to Carmen. “Dear, will you help set the table? I’m gonna step outside.” She waves a hand in front of her face. “It’s getting warm in here.”
“You’re not still smoking are you? Didn’t you tell Dad you were going to quit?” Lorenzo asks.
She shoots him a glare and then turns back to Carmen who suppresses a smile.
“Of course I’ll set the table,” Carmen says.
“Thanks hon.” She turns to me and smiles before placing a hand on my shoulder and walking from the room. “I’m sure Abi will help,” she calls over her shoulder before disappearing.
Carmen gives me a glance and then starts from the room. I go to follow, but spin back around when a tight grip wraps around my wrist. My eyes go wide as I lock eyes with Lorenzo, but he’s still got a hint of a smile on his face.
“Actually, I could use Abigail’s help in here if it’s cool with you, Carmen?”
I look over my shoulder at Carmen, hoping she can see the clear ‘please do not leave me with this freak’ message I’m trying to convey. She meets my eyes briefly before looking back to Lorenzo. “Sure.”
Carmen turns and disappears just as Nemma had.
That leaves me, Lorenzo, and three women who show zero signs of realizing we are even here. One of them belts out a laugh about something and the other two follow her lead, the pointed-nosed one going so far as to lean over like her stomach hurts.
Lorenzo lets go of my wrist and smiles. “Thanks, Abigail.”
“It’s Abi,” I say, because I can’t hear my given name come from his mouth one more time.
“Abi,” he echoes and turns to walk to the fridge. I eye him carefully, but all he does is grab a stick of butter and bring it back over to us. He sets it in front of me and pulls a butter knife from a drawer next, handing it over.
He goes back to slicing bread, and I tentatively take the slices he slides to me and begin to butter them. It’s remarkable to me that no one seems to notice the negative energy I know I must be putting off, and a paranoid part of me wonders if this is some kind of set up.
I glance toward the entryway where Carmen left. Somehow I suspect she knew I didn’t want to be alone with Lorenzo.
“Don’t mind Carmen. She’s hardly interested in Colter, but old flames are hard to put out, you know?”
“What?” I ask. I realize my eyes are narrowed and face is pinched.
He smirks and shrugs, going back to the bread like he didn’t say anything. He’s bating me. There’s a sharp hook underneath that worm, and still I can’t help but bite down.
“How could they be an old flame? Aren’t they related?”
Lorenzo looks up with a pout and eyes feigning concern. “He didn’t tell you about her?”
Fuck. Was I supposed to know that? How could Colter let me come here so unprepared?
That negative emotion from earlier floods me again, and my face reddens.
“She grew up down the street with her uncle. My mom took Carmen under her wing when she was young, so she’s like family. She and Colter,” Lorenzo looks up and thinks for a moment. He looks at me again and shrugs. “Well, they were close. You can’t blame her for being protective of him. Especially with some mystery woman.”
Lorenzo goes back to the bread while I stand still. It feels like there’s a bomb strapped to me and if I move this whole damn house will explode.
“You should know, they haven’t spoken in a very long time. There’s no reason for jealousy.”
“I’m not jealous,” I snarl, no longer caring about the bomb. The words come out too immediate, too defensive. Even I pick up that I’m lying from my tone.
Jealous. How could I be jealous?
Lorenzo doesn’t respond, but one side of his lips lifts into a small smile, and he doesn’t take his eyes off his task. He accomplished what he wanted to.
With my teeth grit, I focus on buttering the bread in front of me. For a few minutes, I almost forget I’m supposed to be afraid of Lorenzo. The longer time goes on, however, the more I remember.