I scrunched my brow at his mention of cutting off dicks, because gross, then lifted my gaze. “What other reasons?”
His eyes dimmed. “Nothing to concern yourself with.”
I was relieved he wasn’t interested in Claire, but I was curious about why he wanted to know who she was. I climbed onto the bike and gripped the back of the seat as he moved off, determined not to wrap my arms around him this time. It was too strange and intimate. I was rarely this physically close to anyone and having my arms around Noah gave me way too many swarming, tingly feelings in the pit of my stomach. Feelings that overcomplicated everything.
A few minutes later we pulled up to the house, and my pulse spiked when I saw Vee standing by the front door smoking a cigarette. In her housecoat and slippers as per usual. Zero shits given about not being dressed in the middle of the day. Her eyes narrowed when she spotted me on the back of Noah’s bike. There would be repercussions this time. I just knew it in my bones. Vee had told me to stay away from her brother, and I clearly hadn’t listened to her.
“Collecting my step-daughter from school again?” she said once Noah cut the engine. “How kind of you, brother.”
“I’m a real Good Samaritan,” Noah responded drolly.
I frowned, moving toward the side of the house and hoping to slip away and down to the beach for a while, at least until Vee disappeared into the study for the evening. I wasn’t fast enough though, and she reached out, snagging one of the straps of my bag with her claw. I mean, hand.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
I swallowed tightly. “To my room.”
“Nonsense. You need to eat dinner before you go hiding away in your little cave for the evening.”
“Okay, I’ll make something.”
“No need. I made a stew. It’s sitting on the stove. Go dish it up.”
Vee cooked dinner? This was a first.
“Trying to murder the lot of us, are you, Veronica?” Noah questioned dryly, a hint of that dark humour showing in the curve of his lips.
Vee grew defensive, almost like he’d hurt her feelings. She was an odd creature, one moment vicious, the next as vulnerable as an open wound. “What a horrible thing to insinuate.”
“Well, you don’t seem particular fond of Estella, or me for that matter, and they do say that women favour poison,” Noah went on.
She folded her arms. “Don’t be ridiculous. I don’t want to poison anyone. And of course, I’m fond of you. You’re my brother.”
I inwardly rolled my eyes when she didn’t bother denying his statement about me.
“In that case, leave me a bowl. I’ll be back later,” Noah said, like the first half of their conversation hadn’t even happened. He casually climbed back onto his motorbike. Wait, he was leaving? I’d much rather eat Vee’s stew with him there instead of it being just the two of us. Sitting at the table. Silence filling the room. Absolutely no options for chit chat.
I was still standing next to Vee when Noah disappeared out of sight.
“Well, what are you waiting for? I said go and dish up the stew.”
Anxiety rising, I nodded and stepped by her into the house.
5.
I spotted Sylvia watching television in the living room as I made my way to the kitchen. Irene had probably already fed her, so it was just going to be me and Vee.
This was going to be so bloody weird.
I entered the kitchen, and Vee’s stew smelled surprisingly good. I lifted the lid and peeked inside the pot to find a perfectly acceptable beef and vegetable stew. Nothing as untoward as Noah had insinuated, at least as far as I could tell.
When was the last time I ate a home cooked meal? I honestly couldn’t remember. There was even a sliced loaf of bread on a plate next to a dish of butter. Nostalgia smacked me right in the chest. Dad used to cook meals like this all the time. It was another one of the many things I sorely missed about him. He’d been the one thing to keep the warmth in this house. When he died, the cold crept in.
Sniffing, I grabbed two bowls from the cupboard and ladled some stew into them. Vee entered the room and took her usual seat at the table. I carried two bowls and two spoons over, setting one in front of her before placing the other down for myself.
I felt her eyes on me as I buttered a slice of bread. What strange game was she playing? Was there a game at all, or was she actually trying to be motherly right now?
If so, it felt oddly like being given a hug by a spider. Unnatural and strange.
“How was school today?” Vee asked as she lifted a spoonful of stew to her mouth.