Page 37 of Count Down
As I leave the parking lot, I can hear Archie pressing against the horn of his car. The pathetic cries of an injured and helpless asshole.
If what he said was true, if it’s Gina’s dad that hired the PI, that means her father will know who I am if he doesn’t already. This could blow up the syndicate’s whole plan. My relationship with Gina too. I used to be sure I could have at least one of those things. This could be the end of both.
I’ve got to come clean with Gina. I have to tell her who I am. Soon.
30
GINA
When I get home,Lexi is there. She’s eating tortellini from a bowl while sitting on the couch watchingBig Brother. “I got the TV all set up,” she points her fork at the tv hanging on the wall.
“Nice,” I nod. I toss my gym bag in my room and then grab a protein shake from the fridge and join Lexi on the couch.
I get one sip down and I can feel Lexi looking at me. I try to ignore her. Out of the corner of my eye I can see that she has continued eating, but hasn’t stopped staring at me.
Finally, I look at her. “What?” I ask. But I know what she’s doing.
Lexi grins at me. “You didn’t stay here last night, did you?”
I try to keep my face straight, but I can’t help smiling.
“Luca?” She asks.
“Yeah.” I nod.
“Damn girl!” She shakes her head and goes back to her food and television show.
I’m surprised but relieved she doesn’t ask me for more details. Still, I have questions that I feel like sheshouldask me. Instead, I ask Lexi, “Do you think it’s too soon?”
“Hell no! 21 is super late to lose your virginity.”
“Shut up! I mean, am I jumping into things with Luca too soon after I just ended it with Archie?”
“What does that matter?” Lexi’s pretty blunt about these things. She doesn’t seem to overthink things as much as I do. Sometimes I wish I could be more like her.
“I don’t know.” I try to think about where my doubt is coming from. “I never felt free to be myself when I was with Archie. I don’t want things to be like that again.”
“Do you feel that way when you’re with Luca?”
The answer is obvious to me. “No. I feelmorefree when I’m with him. He actually encourages me to live the way I want to.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“What if it changes? What if it turns into another situation like I had with Archie? Or my father? Always wanting me to do something I had no interest in?”
“Don’t let that happen,” Lexi says. I almost reply ‘easier said than done,’ but I don’t. “And if it starts going that way, ditch him.” Lexi looks at me with a serious look that I rarely see in her. “You had bad experiences with past relationships. Bad experiences are still experience. You’re too aware of it to let it happen again. I think the worst thing you can do is avoid something good because you afraid it’s not going to stay good. If you keep worrying that this will turn out like things in the past, you’re not even giving it a chance.”
“That’s true.” I drink the last of my shake. “Just because things happened in the past, it doesn’t mean everything will go the same way in the future.”
Lexi nods. “You’re more experienced than you were before. Especially after last night…” Lexi grins at me and takes a bite of her tortellini.
I shake my head at her. There’s value in what she said though. It’s nice having a roommate you can talk to. I bet we could solve 90% of the world’s problems just sitting here talking in front the TV.
“You mind if I invite Luca over? Tonight?”
“Netflix and chill?” Lexi teases me. “Hulu and woo-hoo?” She takes her empty bowl to the kitchen. “No. Hulu and screw. Disney Plus and thrust?” She washes out her bowl in the sink. “Peacock and… well, something about cock I guess.” She’s basically talking to herself as I’m no longer listening to her. I’m already heading to my bedroom. She’s torturing me for even asking permission for Luca to come over.
When I get to my room, I text Luca. I can still hear Lexi workshopping in the kitchen, yelling out ideas to me. “Paramount and… getting mounted?”