“Maybe it was his way to make sure you don’t trust me,” he says.
“I don’t trust you.”
I see an infinitesimal change in his eyes, a moment of vulnerability almost. Although it’s gone in an instant and maybe it wasn’t there at all. Maybe it was my imagination.
I clear my throat. “What did you say to Sebastian that night in Gallo’s office? You said something in Italian I couldn’t understand.”
“You should ask him.”
“I did. He wouldn’t tell me.”
“Maybe there’s a reason for that. Besides, it’s not my place to tell you.”
“Your place?”
“You’re his Willow Girl, remember? You both keep reminding me of that. As if I’d forget.”
I study him, try to figure out what he’s thinking, what he’s planning.
“Whose canoe is this?”
“Sebastian’s.”
I knew that already, didn’t I?
“He hasn’t taken it out since the accident. He told you about that?”
I nod.
“He trusts you. Are you trustworthy, Helena?”
“What do you want, Gregory? What’s this about?”
He shrugs a shoulder, gestures behind me.
I turn to find we’re approaching a small island or more like a big rock. I watch as he rows us to it, and as we come around the wall of rock, I see the small, pretty, sand beach hidden there.
He rows closer, as close as we can before climbing out, and he drags the canoe onto the sand.
“I didn’t know there was anything like this here,” I say.
He sits on the sand and pats the space beside him.
“Does Sebastian know we’re here?” I ask again.
“Don’t worry about my brother.” Same answer.
“What do you want? Why did you bring me here?”
“You never answered my question from the other night.”
“You don’t answer any of mine.”
“Okay, one for one. I’ll even go first. Ask me a question.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“What did you say to Sebastian?”
“I told him he knew the way out.”
“The way out?”
He nods.
“Way out of this, you mean?”
“That’s two questions.”
“Not really—”
“My turn.”
“Wait, that’s not really fair. You can’t just—”
“Told you the other night that life isn’t fair. How have you not figured that out yet? You of all people, Willow Girl?”
I look out toward the water. “I’m going to swim.” I don’t wait for permission and I’m fully aware he won’t forget to ask his question, but at least I can buy some time.
I strip off my shorts and sweater and walk out into the water. He doesn’t follow but I feel him watching me as I dip beneath the surface and swim out away from the island. I open my eyes beneath the water. It’s crystal clear here but the salt stings my eyes, and although it’s shallow right here, it gets deep fast. Pretty silvery-white fish swim away as I approach, and I wish I had goggles. Maybe I’ll ask Sebastian to bring me back to snorkel.
I’m floating on my back on the water, eyes closed. My ears are beneath the surface which is why I don’t hear him until he’s so close, he’s touching me.
I startle, go under in my panic.
He wraps an arm around my middle and brings me to the surface.
I suck in a breath, push the hair back from my face.
“I’m fine! I can swim just fine!”
But he doesn’t let me go. He keeps his arm locked around me.
“My question,” he says.
I look up at him, see how the turquoise of the sea lights up those specks in his eyes.
“What about how you look at me?” he asks.
I know what he’s talking about. It was just as he’d asked me this question at Gallo’s that we were interrupted.
But I don’t want to answer it, so I shove at him and slip out from under his arm, swimming back to the beach, away from him.
But he’s beside me in a moment and there’s nowhere to go and when I sit on the sand he sits down beside me.
“You made a deal. I answered your question.”
“That’s debatable.”
“Now it’s your turn.”
I look at him but before I can speak, he does.
“I want to kiss you, Helena,” he says. He reaches out to push hair that’s stuck to my face back. “He lets me lick your pussy. Lets me fuck you. But I can’t kiss you and I so badly want to kiss you.”
I shake my head no, pull my knees in.
“Just a kiss. That’s all.”
I shake my head again and keep my gaze over the water.
He puts his hand on my cheek, turns me to look at him. “Because you don’t want to or because you’re scared of him?”
“I’m not scared of him.”
“Then you don’t want to.”
“Why are you doing this? Another test?”
“No test. I give you my word. Answer my question. What about how you look at me?”
“What did you expect? That you’d bring me here and I’d…I’d…what?” I start to get up, but he catches my wrist, stopping me.
“Answer my question, Helena.”
“Why? Why is this important?”
“It is important. It’s important to me.”