Page 84 of Take Me Under

“What?”

I gave her a deliberate once over. “Just enjoying the view.”

She rolled her eyes. “Smooth. Real smooth.”

I chuckled. “It’s true.”

A blush crept up her neck, and she turned back to her phone, but not before I caught the small smile she tried to hide.

I let the silence settle between us again, but my mind remained restless. I needed to talk to her about her father—about the possibility that he hadn’t just died, but that he may have been murdered. My jaw tightened as I considered how upsetting it would be for her to hear. I didn’t want to bring it up now. Not yet. I didn’t want anything to ruin the weekend.

Once we get back to Lucca, I’ll ask her about it and tell her my suspicions.

The soft vibration of Serena’s phone cut through the quiet hum of the SUV. Seated beside me, she frowned at the screen. Her fingers moved swiftly over the glass, then hesitated. I watched the shift in her expression. Disappointment settled into her features before she looked up at me.

“Caterina just canceled,” she said, her voice even. I frowned, catching the underlying frustration. She turned the phone toward me, the text message glowing against the dim interior.

Today 3:45 PM: Caterina

Something came up at work. I never made it out of London. Sorry, Rena. Next time?

I glanced back at her. “Rena?”

“It’s her nickname for me. It carried over from high school.”

I frowned, not liking the shortened version of Serena’s name. It wasn’t elegant enough.

“I wonder what happened to delay her,” I said, rather than voice my thoughts.

Serena shook her head, her focus still on the screen.

“I don’t know. I just keep thinking…” She seemed lost in thought.

“What is it?”

“Caterina and I have been friends for a long time. We metwhen we were only fourteen. Cat and Rena, the dynamic duo. We were inseparable until my parents made me move to Italy just after my sophomore year. We lost touch for a bit, but reconnected when I moved back to attend Arizona State. We picked back up right where we left off, and things were great for the longest time. It wasn’t until…” She sighed and set the phone aside, staring out the window. “There was a time Cat would have called to explain. It wouldn’t have been a text. But she’s changed. I don’t know. Maybe I’m making more out of it than there really is.”

I studied her, trying to understand what she might be feeling. I didn’t have many close friends, and the people I was closest to were tied to business. Casual friendships were something I never allowed myself. But despite my inexperience, I knew distance between friends didn’t happen overnight.

“Has this happened before?” I asked.

“Yeah, but it started with small things—like missed calls. This isn’t the first time she’s canceled plans. After graduating from Arizona State, we both moved to Italy for our master’s degrees. She studied in Florence, and I went to the University of Rome. That’s where I met Briana, another friend—or I should say, ex-friend.” She shook her head, disgusted. “Cat, Briana, and I meshed really well. La Terrazza, the restaurant we are supposed to go to tonight, was our favorite hangout spot. But then one day, all went to hell. Remember when I told you that Cade cheated on me?”

My fists clenched involuntarily. “Yes.”

“Briana was the friend he slept with. The weirdness between Cat and me started after Briana left our little trio,” she continued, almost to herself. “Things just never felt the same.”

She trailed off, shaking her head again as if she weren’t sure how to finish the thought.

I took her hand in mine, circling my finger on the undersideof her palm. I had no intention of letting her spiral over this and potentially ruin the weekend.

“I know it bothers you, but I can’t say that I’m upset about not meeting her. Her loss is my gain. Now I get you all to myself.”

Her gaze snapped back to mine, a flicker of amusement chasing away the disappointment. “That’s your takeaway from this?”

I grinned. “I warned you that I wasn’t a nice guy, princess. Selfishness is one of my most redeeming qualities.”

I pulled out my phone and scrolled through restaurant options near our hotel in Florence. La Terrazza was out. I didn’t want Serena sitting through dinner with a forced smile, pretending she wasn’t thinking about her so-called friends. Instead, I chose a spot just down the street from the hotel, an intimate restaurant with a menu that didn’t require overthinking.

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