AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Thirteen
“I can’t believeyou haven’t been here. It’s a crucial establishment of Arlington Park.” Luca dipped his spoon into his mint chocolate chip shake and dragged it across his tongue.
“I blame you and the others for that. It’s not my fault you guys have never told me about it.” I licked the rim of the cup where my chocolate dipped strawberry shake was melting over the side.
“I thought Vince or Sky would have taken you by now. They live for Larry’s.” He picked up a napkin and handed it to me before pointing to the opposite side of the cup where I had another stream coming from the top.
Larry’s drive-in was a tiny building with only outdoor seating near the park in the center of town. It was perfect weather to enjoy fries and shakes, but I didn’t know how they stayed open through the bitter winters. There was parking along both sides of the street, so I assumed people drove through for their orders and ate in their cars.
“I’ll make sure to tell them how mad I am. I could have been eating these for months.” I licked my spoon and nearly moaned. It was the most beautiful combination of chocolate, fresh strawberries, and ice cream in existence. I barely made a dent in mine, and I couldn’t wait for the next one.
“I know how much you dislike the fancy-schmancy places, so I thought you’d enjoy this little place. It’s been around forever, and the same couple that started it still comes around. I think their kids took it over about ten years ago, but they like to stop by and say hi to the customers.”
I put my hand over my heart. The place just got so much better. “No wonder the shakes are so sweet. They’re full of love.”
Luca’s eyes crinkled as he took another bite.
I clenched my cup and dug the spoon in. Any time I said the L word around the guys, even in the most general way, I felt awkward.
He didn’t seem to even notice. I was being paranoid, but I felt like if I used that word around any of them, they would know how I felt about them. I was ready to tell them, now that I’d said it to Gavin and wasn’t so terrified, but I wanted the timing to be right. Now would have been great except for the handful of kids running around and parents on their phones and a guy calling out orders at random intervals. This wasn’t exactly what I had in mind when I finally told Luca how much I loved him.
CeeCee and Gwyn were right, we weren’t normal or traditional, but this moment was something I could control. It felt important. The most I had to offer them were my bare and honest feelings. I would not blurt it out over the sounds of children crying.
Being in Gavin’s room while pretending to work on a project wasn’t what I had in mind either, but his unfiltered words made the moment so much better. It was like he couldn’t keep it in a second longer.
It was perfect for us. No pretenses or fluff. Just the two of us being completely comfortable and open. I wanted that with each of them, so I could contain myself for a while longer.
Luca bumped his knee against mine and gave me the most beautiful smile. Did he know what that did to me? How I melted inside and wanted nothing more than to pull him close and memorize every inch of him?
The park across the street was the one we’d come to before to talk. We’d parked on the other side when he got me to open up to him. When he asked me what about him kept me from liking him the same way I liked all his friends. I almost laughed. He’d been so wrong, and I practically screamed that at him. It was the place I admitted not only how I felt about him but about all five of them. I was so confused and overwhelmed. He was the first one to tell me it was okay and that we’d make it work.
I reached across the table and took his hand.
He paused with his spoon halfway to his mouth.
Maybe this wasn’t perfect, but this area was special to us and I wanted to tell him. I never wanted him to second guess himself like he did that night. I didn’t want to hold back anymore.
“Luca, I––”
“Oh, hold on.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and sighed. “I’ve got to answer.”
I nodded as he did.
“Hey, Dad.” He ran his hand over the back of his neck while he listened. I watched for any reaction, but he kept his face neutral until he sighed.
“Got it. I’ll be home in a few.” He stuffed the phone back and stood. “I’m so sorry, Ave. I’ve got to go.”
I nodded and watched him jog to his car. Well, there was my sign I wasn’t supposed to tell him today. I put the lid back on my cup and headed to my car. What was such a big deal that he had to rush off like that? Luca’s dad would be the first to know about big decisions that were made. If it was something to do with the Society, I knew Luca would tell us as soon as he could.
Dad already let me know he wasn’t going to be home, so I knew it was safe to go there. I figured I could get a ride in tonight since teachers had basically stopped giving out homework. They wanted us to start focusing on studying for finals, and I’d get to that eventually, but zoning out on my bike for an hour sounded wonderful.
When I got home, I put my shake in the freezer and headed to my room to change into bike shorts and a sports bra. My shoes were next to my bike, so I filled a water bottle and stretched my neck as I walked into the gym. I set up my music on the sound system and pulled on my shoes. I wasn’t sure how my body would react to being fed a heavy shake before exercising, so I started slow and planned on a long warmup. Our race was this weekend, so I didn’t want to overdo it and be sore for Sunday.
I was almost five miles in when my phone lit up with a message. It was Luca apologizing for taking off.
It’s fine. Everything okay?
I watched the three dots appear while he typed his response. We’ll see.
