again.
Max started the car and they drove in silence the rest of the way. They had shared a lot and both needed some time to process the information.
Soon, he parked in front of Lisa’s house and killed the engine.
“I’m glad you came tonight.”
“Me too.” Stella smiled at him and he mirrored her grin. Her eyes dipped to his lips for a second and Max had to fist his hands to stop himself from grabbing her and pulling her to him. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then. Thanks for the ride.”
“ Ciao, tesoro. A domani .” He could see the effect he had on her as he spoke in Italian and he loved it. The mere thought of her not being able to resist him was a huge turn-on.
He had a sneaking suspicion that she’d get there sooner or later.
*
The light in Lisa’s room was still on, although it was very late. Stella had hoped she’d still be up. Climbing the stairs as quietly as she could, because her aunt must be asleep by now, Stella knocked softly on her cousin’s door.
“Hey, I was waiting for you,” Lisa said, as she closed the book she was reading. She was dressed in her pyjamas and was lying propped on her elbow on the bed.
“You didn’t have to. You’ve been at work all day.” Stella sat on the bed next to her cousin and tugged her legs underneath her.
“I wanted to see you. I feel as if since you’ve arrived all I’ve done is work or worry about work. I want to spend more time with you.”
“Lis, stop it. I’m OK. Any time you can spend with me is fine.”
“Listen, tomorrow I’m free during the day, I just have to do the art class in the evening. Let’s do something. We can go to Mum’s spa and get our nails done or get a massage. We can go to the beach ... I don’t know – you decide.”
“I’d like that – spa and beach.” They both giggled, but soon Stella’s face grew serious.
“What’s wrong?” Lisa asked. “Did Max hit on you again?” She frowned.
“No, it’s not that. We had a great time tonight. We’re even going to dinner tomorrow.”
“Like a date?” Lisa tried to hide her disapproval, but failed. It only cemented Stella’s suspicion that she wouldn’t like them to hook up. Max had done the right thing when he resisted kissing her tonight. If he hadn’t, they would’ve been having a very different conversation right now.
“No, like friends having a meal together.”
Stella understood why Lisa didn’t want her to get involved with one of her closest friends, but despite that she felt a bit annoyed. Would it be so bad if she and Max dated while she was here? But she couldn’t afford to think like that just now.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were in a car accident?” she asked, changing the subject abruptly.
Lisa was stunned into silence. First there was shock on her face, then realisation. And then something else which Stella couldn’t identify, because her cousin hid it almost immediately.
“He told you.” She said it softly, not accusingly.
“Yes, he did. Why didn’t you ?”
“You know why, Stella. What’s the point? We’re fine. The only thing that the information would have caused you was unnecessary distress.”
Stella knew she was right, but still she felt like a weak, vulnerable, broken person who everyone had to tiptoe around. She hated that.
“I can handle it, Lis. I can deal with my own shit; you don’t have to protect me.” She didn’t mean to sound so harsh, but that was how she felt.
“I know you can. You’re one of the strongest people I know, Stella. I admire you for how you’ve dealt with everything life has thrown at you. I just didn’t see the point of telling you – what would you have done?”
“I could have at least been there for you. I bet that crash brought so many memories back.”
“It did. That’s also why I didn’t want to tell you. I didn’t want you to feel what I felt. I was a mess for days. But you know what? I managed to pull myself out of that black hole and I feel much better
Max started the car and they drove in silence the rest of the way. They had shared a lot and both needed some time to process the information.
Soon, he parked in front of Lisa’s house and killed the engine.
“I’m glad you came tonight.”
“Me too.” Stella smiled at him and he mirrored her grin. Her eyes dipped to his lips for a second and Max had to fist his hands to stop himself from grabbing her and pulling her to him. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then. Thanks for the ride.”
“ Ciao, tesoro. A domani .” He could see the effect he had on her as he spoke in Italian and he loved it. The mere thought of her not being able to resist him was a huge turn-on.
He had a sneaking suspicion that she’d get there sooner or later.
*
The light in Lisa’s room was still on, although it was very late. Stella had hoped she’d still be up. Climbing the stairs as quietly as she could, because her aunt must be asleep by now, Stella knocked softly on her cousin’s door.
“Hey, I was waiting for you,” Lisa said, as she closed the book she was reading. She was dressed in her pyjamas and was lying propped on her elbow on the bed.
“You didn’t have to. You’ve been at work all day.” Stella sat on the bed next to her cousin and tugged her legs underneath her.
“I wanted to see you. I feel as if since you’ve arrived all I’ve done is work or worry about work. I want to spend more time with you.”
“Lis, stop it. I’m OK. Any time you can spend with me is fine.”
“Listen, tomorrow I’m free during the day, I just have to do the art class in the evening. Let’s do something. We can go to Mum’s spa and get our nails done or get a massage. We can go to the beach ... I don’t know – you decide.”
“I’d like that – spa and beach.” They both giggled, but soon Stella’s face grew serious.
“What’s wrong?” Lisa asked. “Did Max hit on you again?” She frowned.
“No, it’s not that. We had a great time tonight. We’re even going to dinner tomorrow.”
“Like a date?” Lisa tried to hide her disapproval, but failed. It only cemented Stella’s suspicion that she wouldn’t like them to hook up. Max had done the right thing when he resisted kissing her tonight. If he hadn’t, they would’ve been having a very different conversation right now.
“No, like friends having a meal together.”
Stella understood why Lisa didn’t want her to get involved with one of her closest friends, but despite that she felt a bit annoyed. Would it be so bad if she and Max dated while she was here? But she couldn’t afford to think like that just now.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were in a car accident?” she asked, changing the subject abruptly.
Lisa was stunned into silence. First there was shock on her face, then realisation. And then something else which Stella couldn’t identify, because her cousin hid it almost immediately.
“He told you.” She said it softly, not accusingly.
“Yes, he did. Why didn’t you ?”
“You know why, Stella. What’s the point? We’re fine. The only thing that the information would have caused you was unnecessary distress.”
Stella knew she was right, but still she felt like a weak, vulnerable, broken person who everyone had to tiptoe around. She hated that.
“I can handle it, Lis. I can deal with my own shit; you don’t have to protect me.” She didn’t mean to sound so harsh, but that was how she felt.
“I know you can. You’re one of the strongest people I know, Stella. I admire you for how you’ve dealt with everything life has thrown at you. I just didn’t see the point of telling you – what would you have done?”
“I could have at least been there for you. I bet that crash brought so many memories back.”
“It did. That’s also why I didn’t want to tell you. I didn’t want you to feel what I felt. I was a mess for days. But you know what? I managed to pull myself out of that black hole and I feel much better
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