BooksBarbecue
Back Any Way the Wind Blows
Chapters (100)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. Dedication
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. 64
  68. 65
  69. 66
  70. 67
  71. 68
  72. 69
  73. 70
  74. 71
  75. 72
  76. 73
  77. 74
  78. 75
  79. 76
  80. 77
  81. 78
  82. 79
  83. 80
  84. 81
  85. 82
  86. 83
  87. 84
  88. 85
  89. 86
  90. 87
  91. 88
  92. 89
  93. 90
  94. 91
  95. EPILOGUE
  96. AGATHA
  97. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  98. Also by Rainbow Rowell
  99. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  100. Newsletter Sign-up

He doesn’t say anything in the car, and I don’t expect him to.

It’s an hour on the train to London. When I get there, I go to Fiona’s flat first. I let myself in. “Fiona?”

There’s no answer. I suppose I could leave her a note …

“She went to get breakfast,” someone says.

Nico is standing in the door to my aunt’s bedroom, looking like he just threw on jeans and a T-shirt—and looking thoroughly displeased to be speaking to me.

“You could wait for her,” he says.

“I live here.”

“I know that, I just meant…” He smooths back his blond hair and sighs. “You want tea?”

I frown. And nod. I sit on the sofa.

Nico comes back from the kitchen with two mugs and a pint of milk. He sits on the chair.

I cross one leg over the other and pick a piece of lint off my knee. “So you’re going to marry my aunt.”

“That’s right.” His chin is sticking out, like he’s expecting whatever nasty thing I say next. I can’t overemphasize what an unpleasant face the man has. Sour and smirking. Handsome in an angry way. Like the lead singer of a band who resents how popular his music is with teenage girls.

He must be nearly 40—he’s Ebb’s twin brother—but he looks like an unhealthy 20-something. His skin is grey, and his eyes are tired. Is this what I look like? Is this what I’ll always look like? Like a 21-year-old who never gets any sleep?

Nico wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. There are gaps where his eyeteeth were. At least I still have my smile.

“Congratulations,” I say. “Does this mean you’re turning over a new leaf?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I don’t know whether you’ve noticed, but my aunt is a vampire hunter.”

He smirks. “Yeah, I’ve noticed—have you?”

I find some more lint on my trousers. Perhaps I should just leave. Fiona doesn’t need my blessing for this.

“I’m not gonna Turn your aunty,” Nico says. “Is that what you’re worried about? If I were gonna Turn Fiona, I woulda done it already. I wouldn’t put a scratch on her.”

“That’s cold comfort for all the people you murder.”

“I don’t—” He sets his tea down, and pulls an e-cigarette out of his pocket. He takes a hit off it. “I’m done with all that. Fi’s made me go vegan.”

“Vegan?” I say, genuinely surprised.

He rolls his hand in the air. “You know … Rats, cats, bats. Nothing that talks back to me. I feel like shit, and now I can look forward to losing my hair, but I reckon it doesn’t matter. Don’t wanna live forever without Fiona, at any rate.”

I sit up. What does he—

Does that mean—