Page 152 of Make Me Laugh

Enzo busts in this morning earlier than I’d hoped, whacking a pillow upside my head as a way of good morning. “Rise and shine.” He’s much nicer to Joey, who squints with one eye against the morning sun shining through the large windows on the back wall, reflecting off the lake. “Good morning. Sorry to wake you like this. I figured you’d prefer I see you naked over West’s parents. I’m shocked to find you both fully clothed.”

Joey sits up and stretches her arms over her head, flipping him off.

My parents show up with breakfast sandwiches and freshly brewed coffee about half an hour later. I grab my favorite energy drink from the fridge, and before it’s even open, my mom’s scolding me. “West, those are terrible for you.” I earn a stern look from her by letting out a long, exaggerated sharp exhale of satisfaction after my first sip. “My smartass son told me you’re vegetarian, but I wasn’t sure if you ate eggs or not, so there’s a cheese and vegetable option in there. Either way, you’ll be happy to know the eggs are from our very spoiled chickens at home.”

They talk about all the animals Mom’s collected over the years while everyone eats. Dad steps out to take a call, giving my mom the opportunity to gush over Grim without ruining a long-running white lie. I match Joey’s grin when they get to pictures of Kritter, our one-eyed donkey.

Dude’s almost thirty still giving Mom’s horses a hard time.

Joey learns all about the family business, and how she’s been training horses since she was a kid because of her great-grandparents and the breeding empire they started. “I saved everyone a lot of money when I married an equine veterinarian,” Mom says when Dad returns.

I never took a single interest in horses beyond the occasional trail ride. It had always been more of Micah’s thing, while I spent my time here at the lake house, especially during the winter when the lake froze over and everyone was out on the ice.

Kell and his family pop in next, followed by a few of my cousins. Everyone is enamored by Joey—not that I thought they wouldn’t be.

She excuses herself around noon to get ready and comes out less than an hour later in my favorite pair of jeans ever made. They fit her like a second skin, exposing the tattoos around her knees. It’s her turn to wear a crop top, but this one’s fitted against her body with enough of a V-cut to get a tease of her perky tits in a pushup bra. Her hair falls down her back in her usual loose waves, and she chose makeup that draws attention to her frosty eyes.

I literally have to swallow the drool pooling in my mouth whenever I catch myself staring. Every single time I look her way during sound check, I lose track of what I’m doing. How the fuck can one woman be so gorgeous? And does she know what her wicked little smirk does to me?

I’m fucking done, boys! Go on without me!

I’m exactly where I want to be.

There’s no opening act tonight—just me and the audience for an hour. The theater’s buzzing with an excited hum of noise five minutes before showtime, and I’ve got a stomach full of nerves I haven’t felt in ages.

“Last one,” Enzo says, joining me as I stare at the people I can see from the wing. He squeezes my shoulder before crossing his arms over his chest.

“Last one,” I echo, nodding my head.

I can’t believe it’s almost over. I’m hanging on to every last second.

I’m ready for a break—the last three months of my life have been some of the longest, but I would do it all over again starting tomorrow if it meant I got more time with Joey.

Two months wasn’t enough. A fucking lifetime wouldn’t be enough.

“I’m proud of you.” It’s not often Enzo gets sappy. He’s usually a man of few emotions, but he knows he needs to give me something every once in a while or I’ll worry he hates me.

“I couldn’t have done any of this without you.” Or Kell, or Joey—not in this capacity. “Thank you. Not just for this tour, but for everything.” I don’t want to know the person I would have become if it weren’t for Enzo. “You’re my brother, blood or not.”

The theater lights flicker, alerting people to their seats. “As your brother, I feel the need to say this.” Enzo’s nearly impossible to read, which has my stomach twist in anticipation before he continues. “Tell Joey how you feel. Not as the funny guy, but as the guy who doesn’t think he knows how to take care of people, yet remembers every important date for everyone but himself. The same one who knows exactly what everyone likes to drink when we go out, or what our favorite song of the moment is.” He shrugs one shoulder. “That’s the guy she loves anyway.”

The stage manager interrupts, having no clue the conversation she’d walked into. “You ready, West?”

Ha-ha! No, I’m not fucking ready. Instead, I say, “yeah, one sec.” I give her a polite smile, shifting back to Enzo. “What do you mean by that?”

Enzo laughs.

I don’t.

“Really doesn’t need an explanation, mate. Everyone knows. You’ve been in love with Joey since Boston, and she fell in love with you somewhere around New York City, if I could guess.” He says it like he’s stating a well-known fact.

Roses are red. Violets are blue. Joey is in love with you.

He pats me on the back, feigning an innocence I don’t believe for a single second. “Break a leg.”

Someone from the theater is on stage, presumably introducing me, but all I hear is the teacher’s trumpety voice from Charlie Brown.

Womp, womp, womp.