Page 82 of Come Take Me Now

My stomach growls from not eating or drinking yet today. I couldn’t have known I was going to get attacked for my choice of boyfriend. And Clarissa holding information from my dad? Classic her.

I know I have to go home while I have the energy. I begrudgingly stand up off the dirt trail and brush the dirt off my ass. At least I can hop in my car and go into town for something.

I could go to Enzo, but I know deep down I’m too rattled right now. He’d just freak out and murder my dad for laying a hand on me. Enzo would make it look like an accident, though, and get away with it. I don’t doubt that he’s the kind of guy who has someone for anything.

Oh, my God, I’m not thinking clearly.

I retrace my steps and head back to Dad’s. His Genesis is gone, thankfully. I hope they’re both gone. Maybe they’ll drive off a cliff and do everyone a favor.

But when I open the front door, Clarissa is in the living room, pressing a tissue to her face. She gasps and glances at me, but I just snatch up my keys and wristlet and shut the door behind me again without a word. My phone is in my room, but I’m not about to walk through the house for it. Enzo is busy working, and aside from Mom, he’s the only one who would reach out to me.

I drive south to Napa and resist the urge to turn into Enzo’s neighborhood when I pass the turnoff. He wouldn’t be home, and even though I have a code to his front door, I don’t need to drop by unannounced. I’m not sure if his smart lock would tell him if his smart doorbell didn’t, and I’d hate to distract him from work.

Instead, I continue toward a strip mall where I saw a smoothie place advertised. That’ll hit the spot. Something chilled to contrast the hot, late-summer day. I park out front and pull the key from the ignition. I smile to myself as I remember the button that starts Enzo’s truck instead of a key. It seemed wimpy, but modern cars are like that now.

As I reach for the door handle, my stomach growls, reminding me that last night’s salad has more than worn off, and I hope they have food items, too. The door opens, and Mick walks out holding two smoothies.

“Oh, hey,” I say.

“Uh, hi, Tilly. Hot day.” He gestures to the drinks in his hands.

“Yeah.”

“How are you?” he quietly asks and keeps his eyes low.

“Good.”

“Still with Enzo?”

I nod. “Yep. He’s at work, but yeah, we’re dating.” I laugh to myself. “You know, that day you warned me about him or whatever, you left off the part about him dating your sister. Biased much?

Ooh, she’s bold today—I am she.

Mick scoffs. “Sorry for being subtle. I wasn’t sure how to tell you Enzo is fucking nuts.” He shakes his head. “My sister moved to get away from him. He was obsessed with marrying her and getting her pregnant. He tried to manipulate her into quitting her birth control. She ran for the hills because of him.”

Chills run down my spine, but I swallow those feelings. “Am I supposed to believe you?”

Mick rolls his eyes. “He has his talons so deep in you, and you’re too young to know better.”

“I’m so tired of hearing that. He’s a good guy. He’s…” I trail off.

Everything.

“Okay, if you want to go there. Do you really think it was a coincidence that he was at the same bar as you? He doesn’t go out.” The skin on my forearms prickles with goosebumps, and I can feel my empty stomach drop further.

“What are you saying?”

“He’s following you somehow. I bet he knows you’re here, and honestly, I shouldn’t be talking to you. He’d kill me if he knew,” Mick says.

“Why can’t you talk to me?”

“He came by a couple of days after the bar thing. He was in my face, yelling at me because of my friends, then left to meet you.”

“What the fuck is this?” Enzo shouted at me just for starting my period.

No.

He was on drugs then.