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CHAPTER23
”So she didn’t message me back.”Sergio sounded frustrated and annoyed, but I didn’t want to push it too hard.Disappointment coursed through me as I gazed at the flowers in my hand.I’d really wanted to give Valentina flowers.I wanted to show her I had a romantic side.I wanted her to see that I was so much more than she’d gotten to see already.
“Did you try calling her?”
“Yes.I tried calling Gabriella,” he said, growling.I could tell he was hurt.He wasn’t used to women not calling him back.“I tried calling her, and when she didn’t call me, I texted her.And let’s just say she hasn’t called me or texted me back.”He held up his phone and made a motion like he wanted to throw it on the ground.
“Okay.I get it,” I said.“What did you say …?”I paused as he gave me a look I knew too well.“Anyway, I guess you tried your best.”I didn’t want to get into a fight with Sergio because he was upset.Us Valenti brothers didn’t handle our emotions well.
“So what do we do now?”Santino asked, looking at me with a concerned expression.He’d been standing there observing our entire conversation without getting involved.He was the youngest but possibly the smartest of us all.
“Let’s just go and get drinks,” I said with a shrug.What else was there to do?
“Okay.So you still want to get drinks?”Santino asked, looking surprised.
“Yeah, I want to get drinks.Why wouldn’t I?”
“I don’t know.I felt like this whole thing was set up so you could see Valentina and—” Santino pressed his lips together as he looked at Sergio.
“You know what, guys?I love you both, but please don’t try to psychoanalyze this situation.Obviously, Valentina and Gabriella are over the Valenti boys.”
“What are you talking about?”Sergio looked pissed, and if I wasn’t so annoyed myself, I would have laughed.Gabriella had really gotten to him.I’d never seen him like this before.
“I feel like you guys want to be inside my head, but you’re not.So don’t assume that.”
“Oh my gosh.You’re protesting way too much,” Santino said.“I don’t even know why you’re going on.Like, if you didn’t want to see Valentina, then why did you ask Sergio to figure out what karaoke bar she and Gabriella were going to?”
“Because I thought it might be fun to do karaoke.Okay?”
Sergio looked at me through narrowed eyes.“You’ve never wanted to do karaoke.”
“Well, maybe I want to do it now.Maybe I think I have a chance to make it as a singer.”
“In what universe?”Santino said, laughing.
“Come on, guys.Let’s just get a drink.Want to just go to The Toad’s Hole?”
“Sure.”They both nodded.The Toad’s Hole was our safe spot.
“Let’s go.”I started walking, and I watched as Sergio pulled out his phone and checked the screen again.He shook his head and put it back in his pocket.
“I cannot believe she didn’t text me back.Like how rude is that?”
“I guess she’s not happy with you.”I stated the obvious.
“Like just because I made a joke?”He rolled his eyes.
“Maybe she didn't find it funny.”I shrugged.“It’s not like you're Dave Chappelle or anything.”
“Yeah.Whatever.These women are ridiculous.”
“Tell me about it,” I said with a nod even though I knew we were the problem.
We made our way into The Toad’s Hole and looked around.I took a deep breath of the stale beer air and felt myself relaxing a little bit.This was like my second home.
“You guys want beers?”I pulled out my wallet, already ready to be ten beers in.
“Yeah.”Sergio nodded.“I’ll go and grab us that booth over there.”I watched as he walked over to the corner of the room.Santino stood there staring at me.
