“I haven’t been a hundred percent truthful with you, Frankie.”
My stomach sunk.
It had to be bad if Ollie had kept it from me. Because, let’s be honest: it’s not like Ollie held much inside.
And I was his best friend.
What could he possibly have hidden from me?
“Don’t tell me you were lying when you said I looked skinny in these pants,” I said, mock-horrified.
When he didn’t break out laughing at my joke, I took a breath.
“Okay, so what did you do then?” I asked my drama queen of a friend.
“I didn’t really do anything,” he said deliberately. “And maybe it’s not really that big of a deal.”
“I’m sure it isn’t,” I answered, glancing out the window absently. I wasn’t even sure where we were going. Ollie had ordered us an Uber on his parents’ account before we’d left the rescue, telling me our destination was a surprise.
And I hadn’t pushed him on it even though I loathed
I think it shows just how much I’ve grown since moving here.
“What part of town is this?” I asked as we pulled off onto a private road and I started to see houses that were at least three times the size of Uncle Scotty’s.
“Byram,” Ollie answered.
“Why are we here?” I asked, the flutters of curiousity starting to creep in.
I glanced out my window and saw that we were driving along the beach now. It was the first time I’d seen a body of water since moving to Greenwich and I got excited.
I always loved the beach. Dad and I would seek them out anywhere we went on our adventures. I’d even learned to surf in Hawaii one summer. I missed the way the sound of the waves drowned out all the noise in your head.
I could’ve used that living here.
We pulled up to a house that looked like it belonged on Cape Cod. Standing three stories tall, the mansion—because let’s be honest, that’s what it was—had a big red door in the middle, with two large windows flanking either side of it. The boxlike windows continued along the rest of the facade like freckles on a face. On one side of the house was a tall, cylindrical structure, sort of like a lighthouse, but almost completely glass. Large, steep roofs were held up with strategically placed white pillars, giving the place an even grander feel.
The place was opulent for sure, but somehow it still managed to give off an aura of quaintness.
Ollie still hadn’t answered my question from before, and I turned back to face him.
“Ollie, who lives here?” I asked him again.
The car stopped and Ollie paused a second, purposely not looking over at me, and then opened his door.
“I do.”