Page 83 of Come Take Me Now

He’s clean now.

He has to be.

Mick and I know different versions of the same man. I just know it.

“I wish it were good to see you, Mick,” I say. I cross my arms over my chest with my wristlet dangling from my arm.

“Fucking talons,” he repeats and walks off.

Sipping my smoothie, I walk along the strip mall, stepping into stores but not really buying anything. Mick has known Enzo longer—yes, but I know Enzo more intimately. I watched him snap, recover, heal, and stay clean. I kept him together when he needed it most. And he’s loved me back.

He’s layered. I was well aware of that going into this. He’s volatile. Less now that his brain chemistry is rebalancing. He could easily be my great love. We need each other.

There’s no other way to describe it.

It’s that simple with us.

Oh, and following me? He even said that night at the bar that he was driving by and saw my car. That was a coincidence. Mick doesn’t know what the fuck he’s talking about.

After a couple of hours of window shopping and finishing my smoothie, I return home. Dad’s still gone, and Clarissa has recomposed herself as if nothing happened. But I ignore her just like I did with the girls on the track team who didn’t like me. I’m supposed to meet Enzo at his house around five, so I hide out in my room the rest of the afternoon until it’s an acceptable time to leave.

Enzo and I pull up at his house at the same time, and we laugh at each other through our windshields. I let him back his truck into the driveway before parking next to it.

“How was your day?” he asks, meeting me by the driver’s side door of my car.

“Ugh, it could have been better, but I’m with you now. How was yours?”

“Sorry to hear that. Mine was busy. But it’s good to see you.” He leans down and gives me a peck on the lips.

I follow him inside, and we settle in the kitchen. He pours himself a glass of wine—Valenti label, of course—and I opt for water, still thirsty from this morning.

“I got into a fight with Clarissa this morning. She was being a bitch about our relationship,” I say, swirling my fingertips in the condensation on my glass. I intend to keep the conversation with Mick to myself. It felt contrived, like he was trying to dramatize Enzo to me. I don’t want to hide things from Enzo, but no good would come of telling him about my dad shoving me earlier, either. “She kept your age from my dad.”

“Why would she do that?”

“Because she knew he wouldn’t like it, but she saved it for when it was convenient for her.” Enzo doesn’t respond. He knows how Clarissa is. “I went for a run after.”

“Oh, when?” Enzo casually asks, focused on dinner prep.

“This morning. It wasn’t a long one, but it let me run my frustration out,” I answer.

“I hope your errands helped clear your mind, too,” he adds. My head snaps up, but he’s chopping up vegetables, unaware of how I reacted to his words.

“Errands? I don’t think I told you I went anywhere,” I say.

He stops chopping and glances up. He smiles after a beat. “You did last night when we were on FaceTime. You said you wanted to get out,” he explains.

I didn’t know then that I’d go to town today. I forget things all the time, but I know we never chatted about errands. My stomach sinks again. Mick might be right…

Enzo is following me.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Enzo

She said she wasn’t feeling well, but after what she told me about her dad, I wonder if something else is going on. Then there’s Clarissa’s bullshit from earlier this week. Tilly didn’t say much else, but her home life is simmering. I’m concerned it’s boiled over, and she got burned.

Instead of spiraling at home all night, I can go see if she’s okay—while giving her the space she asked for. Win-win. The sun is setting over the mountain as I hop into my truck and head out…for the vineyard. Mom won’t need her car tonight, I’m sure. My truck’s too distinctive and loud for tonight.