A short silence fell. Pris thought about her sister’s words. In a way, she was right. It was easy to look to parents to learn relationships and morals. To decide what one wanted to be and what was right and wrong. Mom had always been their beacon, the one steady figure that all of them counted on. If she’d been lying about who she was, did that invalidate everything else?
Pris thought of all Mom had done for her family with little complaint. No, it was impossible she’d be anything less than an extraordinary woman, mom, and wife. Pris had to prove the truth so Mom’s legacy wouldn’t be tainted.
Pris owed her that.
It must have been a young romance where they kept in touch. The letters they’d torn through and read like guilty gossip magazines had only shown how much R had loved Mom over a few idyllic summers. Maybe Mom wanted to meet him for her birthday for completely pure purposes. Like wanting to see an old childhood friend who’d known you best.
Dev stood up. “I’m going to lie down and then get changed for dinner.”
Her sister marched away, shoulders stiffly set. Bailey sighed and leaned back in her chair. “Well, that went well. Hopefully we won’t end up killing one another by the end of the week.”
“Bae, what really happened with you two? Is it still about that boy years ago? And if so, don’t you think it’s time you both got over it?”
Bailey stared out at the tangle of bright blooms and curved trees that made up a natural privacy wall from the neighbor next door. Her finger absently tapped against the rim of her glass. “Dev can’t seem to forgive me. I think it’s ridiculous—I told her over and over I had no idea she was that serious about him—but she blames me for the breakup. Like I’d ever want to steal her boyfriend.”
The details were cloudy. Being five years older than Dev, Pris was removed from their daily fights and interactions. She only knew the bare bones of the situation. “Tell me your side of the story so I can be in the loop. Maybe we can have an intervention and get Dev to let it go.”
Bailey groaned. “I hate conflict.”
“Who doesn’t? It’s part of life. Now, tell me.”
“Not much to tell. Dev was dating the guy—Liam—and when he came over, he always invited me to hang with them. Join them for ice cream or an occasional movie. Silly stuff. I thought he was just being nice.”
“I’m assuming Dev didn’t like it?”
“Yep. Told me to get my own life and my own boyfriend. So, I began leaving the house when he was around. And a few weeks later, Dev said they broke up.”
Pris cocked her head. “Was she upset?”
“No, that was the whole point. She was her usual stoic self. Told me it was good because she had no real feelings for him anyway.”
“What happened?”
“I was at a club one night with my friends. Liam was there. We’d been drinking and we ended up hooking up.” Bailey gave a long sigh. “I wasn’t thinking it was a big deal. They weren’t together, and it was just sex. It wasn’t like I wanted him to be my boyfriend.”
Pris thought about how her sister would have viewed the scenario. “Yeah, but maybe there were bigger feelings there that she didn’t tell you about.”
“I know. I figured I wouldn’t see him again, but he came to the house and Dev caught us. I was telling him to leave and that I didn’t want anything more, but she still went apeshit.”
“For someone so cool and composed, that girl has a temper.”
“You’re telling me. I figured the whole thing would blow over once I explained. I had no idea she meant what she said.”
“What’d she say?”
Bailey paused. Her voice hitched a bit as she said the words. “Told me I wasn’t her sister anymore. That she’d disowned me.”
A shiver raced down her spine. Normally, it was a vow that’d make Pris laugh, a silly sibling threat that disappeared the next morning. But something told her Dev had spoken the truth that day, and now Bailey was paying the price.
“Ridiculous, right?” Bailey asked. “I mean, she’s crazy.”
Pris rubbed the back of her neck. “I’m already stressed and we just got here. Maybe we should just focus on finding out about Mom. The other stuff may work itself out.”
Bailey agreed and they went back inside to get ready.
But Pris wondered how easily the past could ever really be changed. Or forgiven.
chapter ten
Olivia
The summer raced by so fast I was afraid it was going to be a fleeting memory. But I knew, even then, as sweet as the experience of living in Positano, diving into a new culture, and spending time with my eccentric aunt was, it was Rafael who made the difference in changing me.
My feelings grew for him daily, but we still hadn’t even kissed. We held hands and sat close. We spent hours conversing on the most ridiculous of subjects, then switched to sharing things I’d never opened up to anyone else about. I sensed he was holding back, afraid to cross the line, especially when I’d be gone soon. The thought of leaving made me slightly nauseous. I was supposed to be excited about going to college and being back home, but these past two months had only strengthened the bond between my summer home and the boy I was falling hard for.
So, we remained in this strange twilight of a zone, not together but not casual buddies.
On my last Saturday, Julia and Ava arranged to take me out to the special caves of Grotte di Suppraiano. Rafe usually worked, but when I met them all at the boat, he was already there, laughing at something one of the girls, Lauren, had said. She wasn’t a core member of the group, so I didn’t know her well, except she was pretty and had a flirty energy that immediately attracted guys. Rafe’s dark eyes seemed intent as he leaned in, their faces a few inches apart.
The jealousy bit hard, but I tried to seem casual as I waved hello at them both and headed straight to my friends.
Why was he here? Wouldn’t he have told me if he’d gotten the day off and wanted to join us? Not that he owed me anything—they were his friends. I was just the summer interloper. I hugged the girls and tried to pretend I was excited, but I was too focused on the couple behind me. Did Rafe like Lauren? Was I really only a friend after all, just a silly teen to flirt with this summer?
God, I hated my doubts and the way I always questioned myself. Rafe deserved a confident woman who wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. And though I had definitely grown this summer, able to decipher some conversations in Italian, and making friends who seemed to genuinely like me, I would always be an outsider. Maybe even to myself.
I kept tight to Ava and Julia while we took off, sipping Coca-Cola from a bottle and concentrating on the light chatter. I refused to turn my gaze and look at Rafe, especially since I could hear Lauren’s giggling. I pictured her hand on his arm, her long, sleek hair blowing glamorously in the wind while mine seemed to curl like crazy in the humidity.