Brooklyn
“You really don’t have to come in,” I said to Kennedy. I was standing outside the diner my dad had taken me to years ago. The one he said my mom and him used to frequent. And I knew exactly why he’d chosen this place. He was playing games with my head. This was emotional warfare.
There was just one problem with his sneaky plan…didn’t he see that this made him look more guilty? There was absolutely no reason to mess with my head if he was telling the truth. “I’m serious,” I said. “I can handle him myself.”
“Too late,” Kennedy said and opened up the door.
I was glad she had come along. But I really hoped this didn’t put her on my father’s radar.
The diner hadn’t changed one bit. There were still black and white checkered floors and cute little red booths. The smell of French fries hung in the air, making my stomach growl.
“Table for two?” the hostess said.
“No, we’re meeting someone…” Kennedy looked around.
“Two someone’s actually,” I said.
“What?” Kennedy asked.
“Yeah, sorry, I forgot to mention that Poppy was tagging along. She’s supposed to be his alibi or something.”
“Poppy? Poppy Cannavaro?” Her face looked really pale.
And I had a feeling I knew why. Because if she’d ever run into Poppy in the city, she knew Poppy looked a hell of a lot like Isabella. Enough to creep anyone out. “She looks a lot like Isabella, doesn’t she?” I looked around the restaurant. It didn’t look like they’d arrived yet.
“Um…” Kennedy’s voice trailed off. “Right. Yeah, they look really similar. You know what?” She grabbed my arm. “There isn’t really anything they could say that you’d believe anyway, right? So what’s the point in even talking to them? I think we should just go get lunch and catch up. Because we really have a lot to catch up on.”
“Maybe we can stop by Central Park on the way back and go for a walk to chat afterwards? But I really need to get this over with. I need my head to stop spinning.”
“Right. Of course.”
“Table for four please,” I said to the hostess.
“Right this way.”
We followed her to an empty booth. I slid in right next to Kennedy so I’d have a good view of my father and Poppy’s faces during our lunch. I needed to know that they were lying. And my head was clearer today. I’d be able to tell. I had to.
Kennedy fidgeted with the menu. But it didn’t really look like she was perusing the options. “So…besides for the fact that Poppy looks like Isabella…what else do you know about her?”
“Nothing. I mean…not nothing. I met her once. At Thanksgiving.” I pressed my lips together. I remembered the pudding flying onto her face and her screaming. I’d found it funny for a minute. Until Matt didn’t. Until everything broke. I pushed away the thought. “And it seems like she’s working for my father. My dad said that she got vengeance against the Locatellis already. Apparently she’s fond of car bombs, which I find highly suspicious.”
Kennedy nodded. “Okay, cool.”
I gave her a weird look.
She quickly shook her head. “I mean not cool. What kind of psycho is fond of car bombs?”
“Yeah. And if she’s that fond of them, who’s to say she wasn’t the one behind the bomb in my car?”
“Good point.” Kennedy started fidgeting with the menu again.
“Is everything okay?” I asked.
She put the menu down. “Are you planning on seeing Matt while you’re in town?”
I hadn’t expected the question. And I honestly hadn’t even let myself consider the possibility. I immediately shook my head. “No. I’m not.” There was no point. I hadn’t come here for him.And I really wanted everyone to stop mentioning him. I wasn’t here to relive my past. I was here to move forward.
“I really feel like you should see him,” Kennedy said.
