Page 15 of Dirty Diana
She puts her hand over the phone. “Liam’s car broke down. His father is in the middle of eighteen holes of golf and isn’t picking up.” She mouths,Why me?
“I’ll go get him,” I say. “Where is he?”
“Oh my god, Diana, you’re a literal angel.”
—
Liam is standing in front of the gas station when I pull up. He’s dyed his hair a deep midnight blue. “Thanks,” he says, climbing into the passenger seat. “I owe you.”
“Consider it payment for driving our stuff back from Roundtop. Where to?”
“You can take me back to the park with you and I’ll wait for Pops. He likes it when I heckle him from the greens.”
“Is that your car? The gray one?”
“Yeah. That’s Rosie. I left a bagel with cream cheese on the roof a few months ago and it stuck. It’s easy to identify now.”
“Liam. Gross.”
“I know. I kinda just do it to see L’Wren’s face when I pull up next to her.”
“Have you ever asked them to help you out with a new car?”
“L’Wren’s offered. She hates seeing Rosie parked in her driveway. But once again…It’s kinda nice to see her face.” He grins. “I know, I’m a dick.”
I pull onto the road heading back to the park. “She loves you, you know.”
“You don’t have to say that, Diana.”
“I’m not just saying that. It’s true.” Why does my voice sound so hollow? “Maybe there’s something you can do together sometime? Just the two of you.”
“Sure. Maybe I’ll book a his and her Fraxel.”
I try not to laugh. “What about helping her cook dinner?”
“Dad cooks dinner.”
“I know she likes to walk in the morning. You could go with her?”
“She calls that her ‘me time.’ ”
“Fine. But you get what I mean. Because what’s the other option, really?”
“To be the black sheep of the family permanently?”
“Come on, Liam. You’re not the black sheep.”
The car is quiet for a long minute. Liam cracks his knuckles, then finally speaks. “When I was a senior in high school, I was supposed to go to my mom’s for the weekend but she ended up going to Florida so I had to turn around and go back to Dad’s. When my cab pulled into the driveway, Dad and L’Wren and Halston were in front of the house dressed in red and green, taking the family Christmas card picture.Even my racist grandma who tried to poison our gardener was invited. My dad pretended he knew I’d be coming back and told me to get in the picture, but it was obvious they had scheduled it for when I’d be gone. It’s dumb even talking about it. I didn’t want to be in the stupid Christmas card picture…”
“But you wanted to be in the picture.”
“Ha. Clever, yes.” He smiles. “I still want to be in the picture. I guess. I don’t know, it’s dumb. Besides, I almost have enough saved to move. So…soon.”
We pull up to the golf course, and I park in the same spot as before. “Want to hit some tennis balls?”
“Very funny,” he says.
“Just with me.”
