Dark Shadows (Gia Santella Crime Thrillers Book 11) by Kristi Belcamino (best motivational novels txt) 📗

“The doctor will see him in the morning, and I will call you to tell you what he says.”

As I hung up the phone, I sat there feeling dread claw at my insides. Part of me wanted to pack my bag and fly back to Barcelona, but I knew that was overreacting. I would wait to see what the doctor had to say the next day and then decide if I should return home. I couldn’t do anything back home except sit around, sick with worry. As all these thoughts raced through my head, I heard voices down the hall. It was Amanda and Lucas.

I figured they’d snuck off to some back room a long time ago, so I was surprised to hear them from where I stood in the hallway off the kitchen.

“Seriously, when are you going to man up?” It was Amanda.

He answered in a voice so low I couldn’t make out what he said. I froze with my hand on the door handle to the bathroom.

“I’m not going to wait much longer,” she said.

This time I heard him answer. “Be patient.”

“If it doesn’t happen tonight, it’s over. I’ll do it myself.”

“She’ll know it was you. You’ll ruin everything.”

“Don’t you push me. Don’t you tempt me. You have no idea what I’m capable of.”

“I’m not afraid of you,” he said.

“You should be.”

What the fuck?

Then I heard footsteps. Instead of ducking into the bathroom, I stood my ground. It was my villa. But they had obviously headed the opposite way.

Jail? Something criminal for sure. Hannah was sweet and trusting. Or at least that’s how she’d seemed in the few hours I’d known her. I hated to see her get hurt. These two people, her boyfriend and best friend were plotting something. And it was no good.

But, as I reminded myself, it was none of my business.

Their friendship and dating drama seemed foreign to me.

I was so glad I was past those days.

No thank you.

I was over it.

Even though in my mind my marriage was over, and I was a free agent, that meant very little in the scheme of things.

From now on, no more entanglements. Booty calls? Check. Romance? Avoid. Relationships? No way.

Back outside, I saw that everyone was out of the pool. Amanda and Lucas were now outside and standing at opposite sides of the patio.

I sat down and reached for my drink.

Hannah was suddenly at my side.

“Don’t mind Amanda’s attitude. She’s okay. Deep down, she’s not all that bad.” She perched on the edge of the lounge chair near me.

“I’ve got no issues with her personally.” Even though I think she’s a crazy selfish manipulative bitch.

“Oh,” she said. “I just saw the look on your face earlier.”

“She’s definitely a piece of work,” I said.

Hannah took a sip of her drink before answering. “She’s my best friend. She’s just prickly, but she’s got a good heart. I know she’s grateful you’re letting us stay here. We all are. Thank you again. For all of this.”

“Wouldn’t want you to miss the festival,” I said.

Hannah lit up when she talked about film making. She said that she’d dreamed of directing since she first saw The Virgin Suicides.

“One of Coppola’s best,” I said.

“Yeah. But I also love Lost in Translation and Marie Antoinette.”

“Marie Antoinette is my least favorite Sofia Coppola flick.”

Hannah drew back with wide eyes. “Impossible!”

I laughed.

“The scenery alone. But the costumes! The costumes! It won the Academy Award for that.”

I yawned. “Fashion bores me. To tears.”

“Well, that explains it.”

“Not to mention I’m not a big fan of historical pieces.”

“I’m not sure we can be friends.”

I laughed again. I really liked Hannah. I wanted to tell her that if she just shed her insecurity, her true beauty would shine through. Because whenever she talked about her passion—film—she lit up and was stunningly gorgeous.

I thought about how Amanda’s more obvious beauty was marred by her shitty attitude. And I wondered what the hell she and Lucas had been scheming about in the house.

“How long have you been seeing Lucas.”

Hannah blushed. “Not long. Can you tell?”

I shook my head.

Just then, he came over and sat beside her on the edge of the lounge chair, slinging his arm around her shoulders.

“Hey, babe. Want another drink? I’m about to go refresh mine.” He jiggled the glass of ice in his hand.

She frowned. “I thought that’s what you were just doing in the kitchen.”

He blanched for a second.

“Nah. I was using the toilet.”

I stared at him. He quickly looked away.

“Sure,” she said and handed him her drink with a falsely bright smile.

He left.

Hannah swiveled her head to find Amanda. When she saw the blonde sitting on the edge of the pool with her feet in the water splashing Owen, she turned back to me and gave a wan smile.

After a few seconds of silence, I said, “How did you win tickets to the festival?”

“I really only won tickets to see Sofia Coppola’s film and the private party afterward.”

I gave a low whistle. “That’s pretty amazing,” I said and meant it.

She blushed. “It’s incredible.”

“You weren’t going to skip going just because you didn’t have a place to stay were you?” I was trying to feel out the girl’s mettle. Was she a pushover in other areas of her life beyond the boundaries between her boyfriend and best friend? Would she let her friends derail her dreams? I don’t know why I wanted to know so badly.

She vehemently shook her head. “I would’ve figured out a way to come. Sabine and Clint have plans to head up to his aunt’s house in Paris. Last night we discussed going there for a few days, and I was thinking I could take the train down that night or something. It would’ve been complicated, but I still would’ve gone. Staying here makes it easy.”

“I’m so glad,” I said.

“Plus, I didn’t really want to be away from Lucas for that long.”

“Why?” I asked in a matter-of-fact voice.

She visibly squirmed, cracking her knuckles and shrugging. “I don’t