Page 42 of House of Lies
“You’re driving?” Caelia tilts her head when I catch the keys Domenico throws my way. “You’re never driving.”
Maybe I was wrong. Mattia doesn’t have any redeeming qualities. What’s the point of having ten cars in the garage if someone else drives them for you?
“Do you want to drive?”
“What? No.”
“Do you know how to drive?” I tease her.
“Of course, I know how to drive.”
“You’ll have to take me for a ride one of these days.”
“Oh, don’t worry. I was planning to take you for a ride tonight,” she winks, getting in the car as I hold the door open for her.
“Brat.”
Domenico gives me a look that betrays everything he’s not saying out loud. I’m fucked. Monumentally. And I know it. He knows it but doesn’t dare to say it out loud. I lost my goddamn mind when he called me to say that Caelia took a car and made an appointment for an abortion. It took him a while to catch up with her, but my mind made up a thousand scenarios. Dread took over. Cold, frightening. I was afraid she was going to get rid of a child I didn’t think I wanted. But she lost one already. I know she’s on the pill, but if it happens, I want her to know she has options before making a decision. I wish she wouldn’t act like she is looking through her past. This situation is so messy. It would be much easier to tell her and put her mind at ease.
Maybe she will reconsider her escape plan if I tell her the truth.
Yeah, I figured that one out. She withdraws a weird amount of money but never seems to buy anything, so I guess she’s saving up. I’m intrigued by what she’s going to do next.
If my father was ever afraid, he didn’t let me see it. He was never cruel, like most men in our world are. He made my uncle frown at the way he raised me, making me a part of everything and refusing to let nannies and employees take my upbringing into their own hands. He married when he was eighteen and did it out of love. He didn’t need alliances to strengthen his business. She was the love of his life, and he worshipped his wife until the day he died.
“Do you have a good relationship with your mom, Wildfire?”
I’ve learned that Caelia’s voice has the fantastic power of distracting me from my thoughts.
“I wouldn’t call it a good relationship, no.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” I throw her a glance.
“Do you want to talk about it?” She doesn’t bother masking the surprise in her voice.
“If you want to, yeah.”
“All right.” She frowns. “Do you know how the younger child usually gets away with anything? It wasn’t like that at all. I’ve watched my mom lavish Cosima with her love and attention while I was overlooked. She always seemed out of reach to me—distant, unapproachable, no matter what I did. I’ve tried so hard for a while.”
“How old is your sister?”
“She’s turning thirty. I was twelve when she married. After she moved, I did my best in school. I tried to help around the house as much as possible, but my mother was never impressed. The only moments my mom is truly happy are when Cosima’s around. I will never gain her approval, and that’s okay.”
“You don’t need her approval.”
“Maybe that’s true now, but I needed it while I was growing up. Cosima is nothing like her. She stepped in when my mother didn’t. She always took care of me.”
“As long as you are true to yourself, you should never fear the opinion of others,” I repeat what my father told me countless times.
“I like that.” She smiles. “Why are you asking me about my mom?”
I’m about to meet mine for the first time in my life while I’m wearing the mask of the child she kept.
“I was just curious.”
“Are you close with your mom?”
“We get by.” I shrug.