Page 143 of Driftwood Daffodil 2

This was not.

“I know everything, Nova.”

She knew nothing.

“What’s your excuse going to be for Maw Maw this weekend?”

Okay, maybe she knew something.That didn’t mean I was going to admit to anything.

“Why would I need an excuse for the weekend?”

“Nova…”

“Veda…”

“Ugh.” She rolled her eyes. “If you don’t want to talk about it fine. Just tell me one thing…” She reached out and grabbed my hand. “Did Gio touch you?”

The pained spark toying with her face both made my heart ache and pissed me off. Once upon a time I thought my sister was a strong and powerful woman. Now she was just a hollow shell walking around.

“You can tell me.”

Why? So we could bond? Unlike her I wasn’t traumatized by what happened, because it wasn’t traumatizing. I liked it when Gio touched me, and I hated her for reminding me of that.

“It helps to talk about it.”

“Right.” I scoffed out a snicker. “Because it did you so much good.”

It had been two years since she went anywhere other than work. Veda hid in this house and avoided the world. I refused to let someone break me like that.

“I’m just trying to help…”

“I don’t need your help.” I cut her off. “I’m not you Veda. I’m not going to lock myself up because Gio Mancini fucked me.”

Her big eyes rounded. “So he did rape you?”

Oh my God.

I rolled my eyes and tore my hand out of hers. “Not every sexual encounter is rape, Veda.”

“It is if you didn’t want it.”

“Maybe I did?”

Huh? For some reason that didn’t feel like a lie. Damnit. I was going to slap Memphis first thing tomorrow.

She shook her head. “There’s no way you wanted it.”

“Why? Because you wouldn’t?”

“No.” She snapped. “I know you traded yourself to the Mancini’s, Nova. Gio’s brother told me.”

That was a new development and pretty hard evidence to argue with. I was much more interested in something else.

“What do you mean Gio’s brother told you?”

Her voice dropped down to just above a whisper. “Romeo came to see me.”

I paused as what my sister said sunk in. “Why would Romeo come to see you?”

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