The View Was Exhausting by Mikaella Clements

Author:Mikaella Clements
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Published: 2021-07-06T00:00:00+00:00

It was hours before they escaped. The clouds were just beginning to open up when Win was released, trailing affectionate goodbyes and fervent promises to see Riva again soon.

“I thought we’d head back ourselves, just the two of us.” Win’s gaze was clear and attentive, her fingers resting lightly on his forearm. “Does that sound nice? I’ll drive.”

Leo was in trouble, then. He smiled back at her, gentle and supportive for the cameras and their audience. “Sure.”

Her bodyguards took her driver and followed in a car close behind, and Win and Leo pulled down the long, windswept road, not looking at one another.

Leo spoke first. He was miserable and exhausted and he kept thinking of the jerk of disgust in Win’s body, like his mouth was just another forced compromise she had to suffer through. “You can tell Marie we won’t kiss anymore, if you hate it that much.”

“Jesus, Leo,” Win said, smacking one hand against the steering wheel, like she’d been waiting for the chance to explode. “Are you serious? It’s bad enough that you come out here and force me to parade around with you, now I have to enjoy it?”

“Who’s forcing you? I’m helping you.”

“You are torturing me,” Win said.

Leo could see only half of her face in the streetlights. He wished he could open the door and jump out, but the storm was descending now, rain slamming against their windows in the growing dark. He could feel a headache brewing.

“Win,” Leo said. “Why don’t we just talk about it?”

“Okay,” Win said. “Sure. Tell me about her, then.”

Leo stopped. He looked over at Win, white-knuckled on the steering wheel, in the middle of a conversation he hadn’t realized he was having. He said carefully, “I meant us.”

“There’s nothing to talk about with us,” she said. “I thought we were friends and you clearly didn’t, or else you wouldn’t have lied to me—”

“We were friends,” Leo said. “We can still be friends. You’re the one who won’t fucking look at me.”

“I’m sorry,” Win said, and gave him a sweet, dangerous look. “Tell me about your secret wife, friend.”

Leo’s mouth tasted sour. “I’m sure you’ve already compiled a dossier. Likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses—”

“Fuck you,” Win said, voice shaking, a dull flush clawing up her throat, making her blotchy and horrified. “I haven’t. I don’t know anything about her, and whose fault is that?”

“I— Fine,” Leo said. “Let’s play your weird, nasty game. Lila’s great. She’s a really good musician, and she’s always working on a random new project. She built me a bike from scratch while she was writing a song for some America’s Got Talent star, that Christmas one that was everywhere last year—”

“I fucking hated that song,” Win said.

“Good for you,” Leo said. “She’s allergic to bees, and every time we went hiking we had to carry extra-strength repellent and an EpiPen. She doesn’t take shit from anyone and she’s not two-faced, she tells the truth. She’s always got seven things on the go, but sometimes I think she still hasn’t decided what she wants to do.

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