Page 136 of Hate Me Like You Mean It

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Today is Saturday which is the day Loch Ness and Finley are going to the movies together. Not that I even care. Mom said I could play Fifa all day and I still have all the snacks I bought for the blanket fort plan except I get to eat it all myself now so it’s even better.

Update: Alice and Anthony just left and she looked really pretty so I hope Finley at least tells her that. I would get too scared to I think but maybe I could write it down on a piece of paper and give that to her instead.

Update: I bet he took her to the movies because he knows he’s really boring and doesn’t have a lot to say. Alice loves talking a lot so I don’t think that’s going to work for long. They’re not compatible.

Update: It’s already 9 p.m. and the movie ended twenty-four minutes ago. The drive is less than ten minutes so where could they be?

Update: I’m going to go to their house and see if Gampy wants to play backgammon. It’s past my bedtime but if Alice can stay up then it’s only fair that I get to do it too.

Update: Alice got home while Gampy and I were in the middle of our game and she was talking to her mom about how much fun she had. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop but the door was kind of open and they were out in the main living area. She’s really excited because she really likes him a lot I guess. I don’t really get it. He’s really boring and not funny, and he doesn’t even know how to play backgammon or even how to read I don’t think.

Alice

I’d seen that look on my brother’s face exactly one other time in my life: the day he found out what Josh, our estranged cousin, had done to Ria.

On a related note, said estranged cousin was now walking around with a new, reconstructed nose. And it had all started with that exact look.

“What are you doing here?” The dark chill in Adrien’s tone made me instinctively tug Dominic closer and attempt to stand in front of him. He wouldn’t allow it, not realizing how dangerously close he was to a split lip.

“Adrien,” Dominic said by way of greeting.

Adrien’s icy glare slipped down to our joint hands, then moved to me. “What is he doing here?”

Ria, looking slightly bewildered by the tension in her husband’s posture and body language, placed a questioning hand on his flexed bicep. Meanwhile, Mom and Dad were frozen in shock, and Gampy was looking a little bored, hands resting on the polished handle of his walking cane while he waited for them to catch up.

“We need to talk,” I said. Sweat was starting to trickle down my back.

“No shit.”

Adrien took a half step forward, stopping only when Ria slipped her arm around his. The smile she’d plastered on for Dominic did nothing to hide how closely she was assessing him. Almost like he looked a little familiar to her, but she couldn’t quite place where she knew him from. “Hello, I don’t believe we’ve met,” she said politely, holding out a hand. “I’m Ria. Adrien’s wife.”

“Dominic.” The speed with which he released her hand meant he’d also clocked the annoyed tick in Adrien’s jaw. “Alice’s… friend.”

Gampy sighed loudly to let us know he was hungry, and we were officially taking too long.

Ria’s smile wilted. She looked him up and down. Straightened. Released Adrien. “You’re Dominic Crawford.”

Dom cleared his throat. “Yes, and I just want to say how sorry I am about?—”

“About what?” Her perfectly manicured brow hooked up. “Which part? Dragging my husband through hell and back with the bullshit you spread about him, or how the consequences might finally be about to catch up with you in light of your…” She trailed off with a glance in my direction and pursed her lips, biting back whatever she’d been about to say for my sake.

There was a slight chance I’d underestimated how easy Ria would be to win over.

Even Adrien seemed surprised by the way she was sizing up Dominic like she wanted nothing more than to see him “accidentally” trip and fall into a den of venomous snakes.

“Maybe we should all go sit down somewhere and talk this out,” Mom tried. Her body language—the way she was still staring at him like he might disappear into thin air if she blinked—screamed how badly she wanted to rush forward and pull Dominic into a teary embrace.

But she couldn’t.

Dad reached for her hand.

“I know just the place,” Gampy said. “We’ll call Torrent and have them add another seat to the table. Adrien, Ria, I’ll go with you two. Anthony and Julie will take their car, and we’ll all meet there. Let’s go.”

No one moved, which prompted Gampy to flick his eyes skyward and ask Gammy Lucy to lend him some of that kindness and patience she was known for.

Adrien’s bitter attention swung my way. “I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume this is a joke and that you’re not actually entertaining the idea of forgiving him, let alone…” He couldn’t even finish the sentence. He had to pause and scrub his jaw as the tension in his shoulders coiled tighter. “Him, Alice? Still?” he finally said. “You’re still going to choose him, after everything he did?”