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8
London
Despite Val, Skye, and Alex’s advice to let Luca stew for a while, I just can’t do it.Renee stayed quiet on the matter, but all throughout lunch, I’d catch her studying me, her gaze soft, almost sympathetic.
So when Luca offers me a ride home once lunch and wedding discussions are over and done with, I wordlessly accept and let him lead me out the front of the house.
But before we can leave, Mama Rossi pulls me in for a big hug, bringing her mouth to my ear.“Don’t make it too easy for him,tesoro.”
Luca’s mom calling me sweetheart is enough to bring my fragile emotions to the surface, but thankfully, I am able to swallow them down and nod.
“But don’t make it hard either.Love is never straightforward.But it is always worth it.Yeah?”she asks.
I nod and wonder how long Luc’smomhas known about my feelings for her son.
Luc’s dad just winks at me, making me smile.
Then I experience the most awkward car ride ever where both Luc and I don’t speak.The awkward silence stretches between us until the air is so thick with tension that when we stop at a red light ten minutes from my house, I can’t take it anymore.
“I was a dick,” he says.
“I’m sorry,” I blurt out at the same time.
His head snaps my way.I snap my head to his before his lips quirk up into a smirk he must know is far too sexy for his own good, and I snort with laughter.
He nods my way.“Don’t think you’ve got anything to say sorry for, Lonnie.So how about you let me have it before I drop you home then?”
“I don’t even know why I’m apologizing,” I say with a resigned sigh.
“’Cause you’re you and you don’t like conflict?”
I shake my head as the light changes color, and he turns his attention back to the road.“It’s that, but I keep thinking I should’ve told you I had a date.”
Luc’s brows furrow.“Why?I’m not your keeper.”
That dismissal is another mail in the coffin containing hope that this friendship will ever be anything more.I shrug.“I know that,” I say, a bit sharper than necessary.“But maybe then, having seen me on scene, you wouldn’t have felt the need to beat your chest and stake your best friend, protective claim on me in front of my date.It was embarrassing—what I remember of it anyway.”
“Where'd you meet him?”he asks, a weird edge to his tone.
“It was a blind date of sorts.”
“What?”he splutters.
“Yeah.”I bite back a smile as his surprise.“Brock is the brother of a client.She set us up, we chatted on the phone, then met up for dinner last night.”
“Brock.What kind of name is that anyway?”he says with a cocky grin.I gently nudge his arm but can’t stop the smile forming on my lips.
“Stop,” I say, fighting a grin.“I’ll have you know he was the perfect gentleman.”
“Yeah.That’s his play to get gorgeous women into his bed.That’safterhe throws out the ‘I’m a doctor’ card.”
I arch a brow.“Like you probably throw out the ‘I’m a firefighter and I’ve got a big hose’ line to score?”
He chuckles.“Haven’t had the opportunity to use any lines lately.”
His confession catches me by surprise.“What?”I splutter.
“If I’m not working, I’m at home, or with one of the crew, or with you.”
