Chapter Twenty The Movie

CHAPTER TWENTY THE MOVIE

The initial aftermath of my night-time goodbye to Nic was harder than I thought it would be. The things he said had turned my world upside down and made me question everything I thought I knew about my family, and my heart. Every so often, sneaky memories of his dark eyes, the way his tousled hair fell, or how sometimes his smile tugged more to one side would creep into my consciousness and twist the knife deeper into my gut until it felt almost like a real pain threatening to split me in half.

I tried to ignore the unpleasant flickers as much as possible by doubling up on shifts at the diner, coming in early and staying late to cash out. A small part of me hoped Nic might come in, but I knew, deep down, that he wouldn’t. I made sure to take the longer route home after work so I wouldn’t have to pass the Priestly – or Falcone – house and risk the horrible sinking feeling I had come to associate it with.

Things with my uncle had gone from strange to entirely bizarre. He was completely AWOL. I kept trying his new number, but he never answered. I texted him constantly, but he replied only once, and when he did, it was with two irritating words – I’m fine. More lies.

There was something wrong with him, I could feel it, but I still couldn’t pinpoint it. He knew I had questions for him and he had no intention of answering them, through text or otherwise. Now, not only was he avoiding Cedar Hill, he was avoiding me too, and it was making me increasingly anxious. I was beginning to feel like I was screaming into a void and there was no one around to hear me.

‘So, you really haven’t heard anything from him?’ Millie asked as we made our way through the stone archway at the entrance to Rayfield Park. It was outdoor movie night, and she had convinced me to go with her. She wanted me to at least try and put everything out of my mind for a few hours, before I went insane with worry. ‘That’s really unlike Jack.’

‘I know.’ Jack had made a promise to my father that he would always look after me, and the fact that he wasn’t responding to my attempts to contact him was not a good sign. ‘Something must be really wrong if he’s avoiding his whole life,’ I said.

We followed one of the winding stone pathways that looped around an expanse of open greenery bordered by puffed-out chestnut trees. Ahead of us, a group of pimply teenagers were carrying an array of blankets, picnic baskets and fold-up chairs.

‘What if he’s actually just run away with all the diner money?’ asked Millie.

‘What money?’

We both laughed.

It felt good to unwind with Millie after everything. Even though she knew what my father did to Nic’s father, I tried not to feel guilty about neglecting to tell her certain details – Mafia details – about the situation. I had made a promise to Nic, and I didn’t want to be someone who didn’t keep promises. Plus, having Millie in the dark was better for her anyway; I didn’t want to risk putting her in danger, especially after Luca’s threat.

Millie tapped her chin. ‘Well, your uncle must get the money for those fancy suits from somewhere.’

‘Trust me. I’ve seen the books. It’s not from the diner.’

‘Dammit,’ Millie lamented. ‘And I was still holding out for that pay rise.’

We slipped in behind a throng of people who were following a connecting pathway that led to the park’s central square. Up ahead, Erin Reyes and three of her vapid clones were flirting loudly with a bunch of guys from school. She caught my eye and smirked before flipping her hair in her customary I’m-so-much-better-than-you way. Her giggling intensified.

‘That has to be a fake laugh.’

‘Then it matches her nose,’ said Millie, before dragging me away. She trailed her hand along the bark of a nearby oak tree as we walked.

‘Trying to reconnect with nature?’ I teased.

She nudged me and I teetered off the path, into the mud that lined it. ‘Hey!’

‘Just trying to get your mind off everything.’

‘You’re a real gem.’

‘Thank you, Sophie,’ Millie said, giving me a ridiculous curtsy.

Finally, we entered the square: generous patches of grass divided by criss-crossing stone paths and bordered on all sides by towering trees. At the north end, a huge screen had been erected.

‘They have a taco truck this year!’ Millie squealed, dragging me by one of the belt loops on my denim cut-offs. ‘Let’s sit somewhere around here.’

Scores of people were already relaxing on chairs and blankets in front of the giant screen. Families had come out with their children, who were running around with careless abandon, while others were arriving as couples sewn together at the hips and hands and elbows, carrying everything from cushions and picnic baskets to cans of beer and bottles of wine.

‘Whoa, people must really love Monty Python,’ I observed as Millie fanned out her blanket in a spot equidistant from the screen and the taco truck. She smoothed down all four corners, making sure it was perfectly straight.

‘I still can’t believe you’ve never seen this.’

When we were comfortably sprawled out, I emptied the contents of my bag until our makeshift feast was scattered across the quilt in streaks of sugar and chocolate.

Millie ripped into a bag of sour gummy bears and stuffed four into her mouth at once. ‘I love these,’ she said with swollen cheeks. ‘Even though I’m not allowed to eat them.’ She grinned, revealing tiny slivers of jelly that were now anchored to her invisible braces.

I laughed at her, and felt good about it. Since the night I fell for Nic, I had been tormenting myself with questions and wallowing in pity, which was doing more harm than good. I had to stop before I drove myself insane thinking of things I knew I couldn’t change.

I broadened my smile and then felt it falter at the sudden look on Millie’s face.

‘But I thought he was out of town,’ she said, her voice unnaturally subdued.

‘Huh?’ I followed her gaze and squinted into the growing crowds. ‘Who are you talking about?’

‘Robbie Stenson. He’s here.’