Dominik shook his head, “Nah, ain’t going there.”
Talia grinned, “Surprised. According to Hanna Liplock,” yes, that was her real last name, “you’ve been going there all week.”
“No. Really?” Carter asked at my back.
Alec visibly shivered, “Hope you double wrapped your dick.
Garrick gagged, “Wouldn’t touch that bitch with a ten-foot pole.”
Then like clockwork, we heard Misty call out, “Language.”
Followed by Frank chuckling.
Dominik set the paintbrush down, then stepped in front of Talia and said, “Okay, Torpedo, this one I will engage in.”
Talia opened her mouth, but Dominik shook his finger in her face, “Say what you want ‘bout me. Don’t matter. But if you ever associate my name with that whore again, I’ll flip you over my knee and spank your ass red.”
Talia smirked, “So, you’re calling her a liar?”
Dominik nodded, “Yeah. Cause ever since she thought it was funny to spread the rumor around school about you and Brett, I hated that whore. And that’s just what she is. A whore. It was her who caught the clap from Brett.”
Talia, Lila, and I gasped, “Really?” We all said at once.
Dominik nodded, then walked back to his paintbrush and got to painting.
“What are y’all up to today?” Ethan asked.
“Shopping. Pedicures. Then who knows.” Talia said.
Not seeing Melanie, Ethan’s daughter, I asked, “Where’s Melanie?” I asked.
Ethan sighed, then ran his hand through his hair. “She’s with Fred and Ginger.”
I nodded.
That whole story was sordid. Sordid in a way that one cannot believe.
It had apparently escaped my notice that Carter was still behind me when I felt something tickle the back of my neck, “Be careful. Need me, just call. Yeah?”
I twisted my neck and looked up at him, trying and almost failing to get lost in his oceanlike-colored eyes. Thankfully, my mouth spoke for me, “Yeah.”
With waves of goodbyes, Lila, Talia, and I walked off the porch and headed to my Tahoe, but not before they grabbed their bags out of the cars.
“Yo, Talia?” we heard Dominik call out.
Talia stopped, spun around, hands on hips, and asked, “What?”
“Who’s driving?” he asked.
She pointed her finger at me.
Dominik nodded, “Thank Christ. Got a full shop next week. Ain’t got time to repair any damage you do to your Jeep.”
I locked eyes with Carter, shaking my head.
He winked at me, then mimicked the phone symbol to his ear.
Nodding, I reached forward, tagged Talia’s arm, and then led her to my Tahoe.
