14. Gigi
CHAPTER 14
Gigi
“You need to stay at least five feet away from us, man,” Luke says to Kai. I think he’s joking, but with him? Who knows. I’m with him on this one, though. Kai looks like he’s about to projectile vomit for the second time.
“We’re going to quarantine ourselves in my parents’ bedroom,” Kai replies, pausing himself every few seconds to probably swallow the puke that’s about to come up. “If I have it, Zoe’s probably going to be sick soon, too. You guys can have the rooms upstairs. There’s an adjoining bathroom for the two of you. We figured you probably don’t want to be sharing a toilet bowl with us.”
Never have I ever been more grateful to stay in my dorm room last night doing a cleaning session instead of going out with my friends.
“You need anything?” Luke asks.
“Is your fridge stocked up?” I ask Kai. “I can make you soup or something.”
“Thanks, Gigi.” Kai gives me a weak smile. “Our day staff, Molly, is picking dinner up for all of us from the restaurant next door and some medicine. If you two need anything, you can make a list and give it to her later. She said she’d show you both the land tomorrow. A lot of things are still under renovation, but the animals are here and the indoor pool is already working.”
“And the booze,” Zoey adds. “Don’t not have fun on our account.”
Kai motions with his hands for us to follow him. “I’ll show you to your rooms.”
Holding onto the banister, I follow the other three up the stairs. My jaw almost drops to the floor when Luke grabs the handle of my suitcase and carries it for me. Until now, I’ve never spent longer than a few hours with him. I didn’t know that Luke Palmer was such a gentleman. I guess the saying it’s always the ones you don’t expect doesn’t only apply to criminals.
“We got it, Kai,” I tell him, quickly pulling my hand away when I realize that I’m touching his forearm. I grimace when I remember that he used the sleeve to wipe his mouth before. “You go get some rest.” Trying to make out the fate of my best friend, I give her a quick once-over. “If you’re feeling up for it, you can always chill with us, Zo.”
“We’ll see about tomorrow,” she says. “I have to take care of this big baby first.”
“We got a whole week here,” Kai says. “I’m pretty sure whatever fucking bug this is will be out of my system in a few days. I’m going to show you guys a good time, I promise.”
I’m about to knock on the open door when I see Luke sprawled on the bed. His honey eyes light up, turning into a shade of gold, listening to Becca tell him about the sleepover she’s invited to on the weekend. Ever since we’ve agreed on a truce, this guy has been full of surprises. I know he loves Becca to death, but with him only going back during school breaks, I thought he was too busy, doing stupid shit boys do when they go to college, to keep up with their bond. I didn’t know the two of them video chat and he looks this happy when they do.
Not wanting to seem like a creep, I clear my throat. “Dinner’s here.”
He turns his head around and nods. When Becca notices me lurking in the background, I hear the loud, playful sound of her voice. “You didn’t tell me Gigi was with you! Don’t kill her, Luke.”
Luke is on his feet, about to stand up. At Becca’s words, he smiles. A big, toothy one that goes from one ear to the other. Much like Andrew’s, it’s beautiful. And all the way down to the dining room, he still lights up, his face basking in happiness.
“Do you miss her?” I ask, trying to make small talk in between blowing the cream of mushroom soup on my spoon.
“Sometimes.” I’m about to give up on my attempt to have a conversation, since it seems like I’m getting the quiet version of Luke tonight, but then he surprises me. “Ever since Uncle Mike gave her his old tablet, she’s been video chatting me all the time. Hard to miss someone when you talk to them almost every day.”
“You don’t miss being with her?” I cock an eyebrow. “Like in the same room?”
He stops eating, pinning me down with his eyes instead. “Already got a lifetime’s worth of being in the same room as her.” What the hell is that supposed to mean?
“How’s your studies going?” I ask again, not being able to resist. We might be spending more time now that Zoey is dating Kai, but it’s always in a group setting. I can’t help but want to know more about the elusive stepbrother who never once bothered to meet me halfway on the one Christmas and one Easter that I spent with my mom instead of in New York. He was always only there for a day before leaving for Andrew’s house and then to Kai’s hometown. I always got the impression that it was because of me.
“It’s good. Lots of work this year, but everything is fine.”
“You’re going to be a senior next year. What are you going to do after you graduate?”
Luke raises an eyebrow. “You’re asking a lot of questions, Gi. I know for sure my dad didn’t put you up to this. What’s with the interrogation?”
“Oh, please.” I roll my eyes. “It was only five at max.” When he still has an amused look on his face, I let out a sigh. “You know, our parents have been married for three years now, and I still know the bare minimum about you.”
“I still know the bare minimum about you .” Luke shrugs. “You don’t see me complaining about it.”
The only thing I know about Luke, the only thing people talk about, is the horrible thing that happened when the church burned down in Marble Crest. This is why I give Luke a pass for being an ice prince. No wonder girls dig him. He’s a perfect ten, if you’re into I-can-fix-him vibes. How Andrew was still sunshine and rainbows after losing all of his cousins and most of the generation above them, leaving only him, Luke, and Becca to carry on the Palmer last name, I have no idea. Maybe that’s why he killed himself.
I hate that my mind wanders off to Andrew, so I do something to reroute my night. “What do you say to drinking one of those wines that Zoey brought? We can play a round of rapid-fire questions? I lived in your room, Luke. It’s weird that we know next to nothing about each other.”
“Fine.”
“Really?” I ask, double-checking. I was so sure he was going to say no.
He shrugs. “With the two of them fighting off the fucking plague, what else are we going to do tonight?”