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If you want to wash up, Marta, be my guest.One less job for me to do.But I will no longer allow you to make me feel bad about the fact that I haven’t done something that you expect me to. You are not my keeper.
I turned around calmly and walked into the bedroom. I was going to shut the door and go to sleep. I wasn’t going to let her wind me up.
Yes. Staying calm and ignoring Marta was the best option.
Something told me this was going to be a long few days…
I was in Casini’s with Holly. After Marta had arrived last night, I wouldn’t feel comfortable inviting Holly here and asking her about what was going on with the host family, and I definitely wasn’t going to hers, where Silvestro was guaranteed to interrupt us, so I’d suggested we go to the bar we usually met at for our Italian lessons. Geli seemed to know the owner and it was nice and quiet. It felt like a safe environment to have a private conversation.
We’d spent the last twenty minutes on small talk and Umberto. She still hadn’t met his family or friends. It was just another account of them meeting up, going for a drive and how hot he looked. I knew I was going to sound like a grandma saying this, but I just couldn’t stand to see her wasting her life.
‘I know you think he’s the bee’s knees, drop-dead gorgeous and good in the sack, or rather on the back seat, but a guy being into you isn’t just about sex. It’s about wanting to spend quality time with you. Making plans for the future. Introducing you to the important people in his live, like his friends and family. It’s about showingrealcommitment.’
I thought about when I’d fallen for Lorenzo. At first ithadbeen about the attraction and his good looks, but there was no way we could have got this far if that was all there was to it. Especially when Leo was born and sex was well and truly off the menu. We had a deeper connection, a lot in common, and Lorenzo constantly did things to show that he was in this with me for the long haul. But we were at a different stage of life to Holly and Umberto. Maybe neither of them was ready for that level of commitment at their age.
‘Are you sure Umberto’s looking for a relationship right now? That he’s really the one?’
‘Totally!’
Oh dear.
‘And when you first told him you were thinking about coming to live here, how did he react?’
‘Umberto said it would be cool and he’d love to spend more time with me, but maybe it wasn’t possible because there were no jobs in the town or places to stay.’
So she’d given up uni to come and live with a guy who thought it would becoolto spend more time with her?Shit. This was worse than I’d thought. I bet he’d got the shock of his life when shehadfound a job and moved here.
I couldn’t judge Holly, though. When we’re in love, sometimes we just can’t see sense. Hopefully soon she’d realise he wasn’t right for her. Until then, I’d just have to be there for her. Anyway, right now, as much as I didn’t like the sound of the guy, it wasn’t Umberto I was most worried about…
‘Right. I see… So,’ I said, swiftly changing the subject, ‘tell me about Silvestro?’
‘Well…’ Holly frowned. I was sure she wanted to talk more about Umberto, but I was determined to get to the bottom of what was going on. ‘You’ve met him. He’s… full-on. In your face. A bit too familiar.Creepy…’
‘Definitely. Way toofamiliar. I have to ask, has he ever tried it on with you?’ Holly’s eyes darted down at the table. ‘It’s okay. You can tell me.’
‘No…’ She took a deep breath, ‘I mean…yes…sort of…maybe. He hasn’t kissed me or forced himself on me. Just—y’know—patted my bum a couple of times. And stood so close behind me I could feel his, you know… his boner.’
‘Fuck!’ I thought of all the times he’d stood behind her to get something out of the cupboard.Did he have a hard-on then? What a pervert.
‘It’s not a big deal. I mean, it’s not like he properly forced himself on me or anything, so—’
‘Holly, that isnotokay. That is sexual assault.’
‘But he didn’t hit me, pin me down or try to, y’know, rape me.’
‘Sexual assault doesn’t have to involve violence or leave visible marks. It can affect you emotionally or psychologically—in ways thatcan’tbe seen. No one should touch you in a way that you don’t want or bloody rub themselves against you. That’s disgusting. He should be reported!’
‘No… I don’t want any trouble. I can’t lose my job. I need to be close to Umberto. It was hard enough to find a family in this town. And I don’t want the agency to blacklist me.’
‘Blacklistyou? For outing a pervert? It’shimthat should be blacklisted. You’re probably not the first person he’s done this to, and unless you speak up, you won’t be the last.’
‘I don’t want to, okay?’ she snapped. I could tell she was getting irritable. That wasn’t like her at all. Holly was always so cheery, but she was obviously scared. I needed to tread carefully.
‘Look, I can’t force you. It’s your decision, but just think about it.Please.’ I could tell Silvestro was a real sleazebag. And I bet he’d done more than she was letting on. I mean, she’d asked Geli how to say not to come in her room in Italian, which definitely wasn’t a good sign. ‘Does he try and come in your bedroom?’
She paused.
‘A couple of times, but I just put the chair behind the door now.’
