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15
Luca
I’m a hopeless, pining, distracted mess.And it’s all because of London.
Or maybe it’s everyone’s damn fault, because now that I’ve had the potentially life-changing realization that I want my best friend, I noticeeverything.
Like the way her dark brown hair glistens in the dimming daylight of Rhodes’s backyard where the whole of our crew and families have gathered for our monthly get-together.Or how her smile, no matter how big or small, lights up not only her entire face, but the faces of those around her.Who needs night lights when you’ve got Lonnie and her grin nearby?
“You’ve got it bad, brother,” Val murmurs under her breath from where she’s seated beside me.
I jerk my head her way as if I’ve been caught with my hand in the cookie jar.“Have not.”
“Have too.”
“Have not,” I snap back, because I’mthatimmature apparently.
She quirks a brow, her lips twitching as she shakes her head.“You forget, big brother, that I’m one oftwopeople in this world who know your little secret now.”
“It’s not a secret.”
A snort is her response to that lie.“And you’re not sitting over here being all silent and broody, and checking out Lonnie like you don’t want to steal her away and lock her in a room for a week.”
“More like a month.”
She bumps my arm with hers.“Go big or go home, Luc.Lock that girl up for life.”
My lungs seize as my eyes nearly jump out of my head at the mere thought.
Val’s gaze warms and a wry smile appears on her face.“Thatscared you?Not the fact that you’re in lust, love, orwhateverwith the Cap’s daughter, thefirehouse’sdaughter pretty much, and that despite all of your arguments that youdon’twant her in that way, now that’s theonlyway you can think about having her?”
“Way to freak me out even more, Val,” I mutter, lifting my beer bottle to my mouth and taking a hearty, hopefully fortifying, swig.
“You’ve got issobad, brother.I’d almost feel sorry for you if I wasn’t looking forward to watching this whole thing play out.”
I go to answer her with some smartass reply, but it falls by the wayside when I catch London’s curious eyes drifting my way from where she’s standing with my nephew Austin in her arms while she talks with Renee, Dee, and Skye.Images of London with a baby—withmybaby—flash in front of my eyes, and it’s such a shock that I have to brace my hand on the table in front of me for a moment.
“Jesus.Youhavegot it bad.Get it together, Luc,” Val says.
I slowly spin my head to lock eyes with hers.“I can’t fuck this up.”
“You won’t.”
“No, Val.I mean it.Ican’tfuck this up.Not with her.Not with the crew.Definitelynot with the Cap.This is far too important.”
“This is?”she asks.“Orsheis?Because your answer will determine if I let you go ahead with this crazy-ass plan of yours.”
“Wasn’t justmyplan.You were there too.”
She holds her hands up.“Hey.If it goes south, I’ll take the hit.But it’s not me who’s putting everything on the line for his best friend that he’s inlurvvvewith and who is inlurvvewith him.”
“You don’t know that.”
She pats my shoulder, looking at me like I’m the biggest idiot in the world.Right now, after recent discoveries, I’m not sure she’s wrong in that assessment.“You could keep doubting yourself and London,or...”
“Or I can pick my balls off the floor and man up?Is that what you were going to say?”
She shrugs and shoots me a smirk.“You said it, not me.”
