“She was at the party, right? Little blonde?” Quinn questions and I want to kick him. My father’s listening intently, looking back and forth between us.
“Yeah, that would be her. She didn’t stay long.” Quinn sits back smirking, looking at me. He’s now worked out who she is—thanks to Livia.
“You know her, son?”
I shake my head, standing from the table, grabbing for Livia’s hand and pulling her up with me. “No. I have to take Livia home.”
She goes to speak but instead offers a wave of her hand as I pull her out of the house. The minute I shut the door behind us she pushes her body onto me, her lips coming to mine as she takes what she wants. It’s one thing with Livia, she doesn’t send mixed signals, what you see is what you get. I let her kiss me, her lips locking on mine demanding access, and I give her a taste before I pull away taking a step back.
“Don’t show up to my house unexpectedly again, Livia.”
Her green eyes turn soft. Her confidence disappears. “You didn’t show.”
Scrubbing my hand through my hair, I nod to her. “Did you think maybe there was a reason for that?”
Livia shakes her head, a tear falling free down her cheek. “You don’t want me here?” I lean in and wipe it away, she doesn’t move, letting me.
“You shouldn’t come. Don’t come here again, Livia. Next time wait for me to call.”
“We had a thing.”
I shake my head. “No! You had a thing. I was confused. Look, Livia, I like you. But I don’t move that fast. I’m not Nate. Stop trying to push yourself onto me.”
Livia’s hand starts playing with her dress, twirling it in her hand. “I’ve never been rejected before,” she says with honesty. I’m guessing she’s never gone after someone she knew didn’t already like her.
“I’m not rejecting you, Livia. I’m saying move slower. It’s not a race.”
She nods. “I can deal with that.” Turning, she walks to her car, pulling the door open. “It isn’t because of her, is it?”
“Who?”
She drops her head to the side. “Never mind.” Livia gets in, starts the car, and drives away. Turning around once she’s gone, my father’s standing on the steps.
“Who is she, son?” I raise an eyebrow at him, he just met her. “Not her. The cousin.”
Shaking my head, I notice Quinn standing behind him shaking his head. Making sure I know not to not tell him any more than he already knows.
“A girl that goes to my school. Students are off limits, Father. You know that.”
Father lifts his chin to me. “Are you telling me that? Or asking.”
“I’m telling you, stay away from my school and my friends.”
“Her funeral’s this Friday. Make sure you dress properly.” He turns and steps back inside, leaving me on the front porch.
Quinn looks to me then walks away without a word.
LIVIA ASKED IF SHE could come with me today, but I told her no. This isn’t something I want her to attend. This was something I had to do by myself.
My father stands next to me dressed in all black, my mother’s family stands to the right of me. My auntie tries to hold back her tears as they get ready to entomb her. We all stand in silence. My grandmother reaches down and drops a flower on the coffin and we all follow suit, my father doing it last. Turning, I walk off without him, only to be stopped by my auntie. Her hands circle around my shoulders as she squeezes me tight against her chest. My grandmother does the same when I’m free, then she pulls me back to grab hold of my face.
“You should come home. Your mother would have wanted that.”
“She would have, she missed you terribly,” my auntie joins in.
“He stays here. Where he belongs,” my father steps up next to me and says with authority. He breaks my grandmother’s hold on my face as she drops her hands to square her body off with my father. None of them like him. Most of them know what he does. But won’t take it any further, because despite it all, he’s all I have apart from her…
“Don’t you turn him into you. The world doesn’t need another Anthony Lord. One is more than enough.”
My father turns to look at me through his sunglasses, then back to my grandmother. “He’s already me. You’re just to blind to see it. You see her in him, but I see me.” His cell starts ringing. He answers it with a curt “yes” and steps away.
Turning back, my grandmother’s shaking her head. “You are her, and you know it. Please don’t let him corrupt you. Come home whenever you want, the door’s always open to you, my boy.”
“You’re not staying?”
They look at each other then both shake their heads.