AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Gio!”
My aunts erupt in protest; my uncles just chuckle.
Then my little cousin Luca runs into frame, takes aim at the TV with his Nerf gun, and fires. The FaceTime screen goes black while everyone starts cursing at him.
His wild laughter dies out swiftly as soon as his mom gets ahold of her son.
“That’s it. The Nerf gun is mine!”
“I bought it with my own allowance!”
Gio gets the camera figured out again, and then it’s like I’m really right there with them. They serve dinner. Nonna blesses the food in Italian, and everyone tucks in. Tonight, it’s Nonna’s tagliatelle al ragù, lasagna, polenta, and cacio e pepe, followed up with cannoli and coffee. My bowl of spaghetti doesn’t cut it, and the homesickness feels so heavy I can barely stand it. Everyone’s sitting around the table, chattering about nothing really—all the same things they chatter on about every Sunday—but it’s enough just to sit and listen.
I hear the front door open, and I mute myself on FaceTime and turn the volume down so my crazy family is nothing but a soft murmur in the background. Luke and Harper walk into the kitchen. Harper has what look to be chocolate stains on the front of her white dress and a nice big chocolate mustache above her top lip. Luke is carrying a takeout container and a pint of ice cream. He’s dressed casual in jeans, a simple gray t-shirt, and cool sneakers, and he’s still the most delectable man I have ever laid eyes on.
He holds the pint up. “For you. We stopped after dinner and Harper thought you might want some. Hope chocolate’s okay.”
“Oh thanks! That was really nice of you. I’m actually FaceTiming with my family.”
“Really!?” Harper asks excitedly. “Can I meet them?”
She’s already running over, but I figure Luke wouldn’t be totally comfortable with that.
“Here, why don’t you stand here, off camera so you can see them. I have it muted so they won’t be able to hear you if you say anything.”
She gasps. “Oh my gosh! There are so many of them!”
I laugh. “This isn’t even everyone. My cousins are off playing somewhere. That guy right there is my brother.”
“Really?” She sounds like she’s in disbelief. “He’s so big. He doesn’t even look like you.”
“We have the same complexion and the same eyes, but yeah, he’s huge. That’s my dad and my mom there.”
“Aw, and is that your grandma?”
I smile. “Yeah, that’s Nonna at the head of the table.”
“Everyone lives together like this?”
“No no, this is just our Sunday dinner. Everyone comes over to my parents’ house on Sundays to cook and eat Italian food together. It lasts for hours.”
“Oh that sounds fun. I want to go.”
I smile. “Yeah. You’d like it.”
“Can I say hi to them?”
“How about I say hi instead?” Luke suggests.
I’ve been aware of his presence this whole time. He came over soon after Harper did, leaning down to look at my screen, to see what his daughter was seeing, I’m sure. Now, he stands just behind her with his hands tucked into the pockets of his jeans. There’s a timid smile stretched across his handsome face. This might be his way of apologizing for how stern he was with Harper and me earlier.
My jaw drops at his suggestion. “Are you serious? I signed all that paperwork. I thought I couldn’t tell anyone who I was working for.”
He grimaces. God, he almost looks embarrassed by his celebrity.
“That’s mostly my lawyers being overly cautious. I don’t really mind if they know.”
“You don’t understand.” I laugh. “They’re going to flip out.”
His eyes widen in alarm.
“I mean in a good way! They’re like huge huge fans.”
Harper laughs. “Yes! Do it, Chloe!”
Before Luke can chicken out, I unmute my microphone and turn up the volume on my phone once again. Everyone is still talking, none the wiser that I’ve been quiet for the last few minutes. Now, it takes me a second to get everyone’s attention.
“Hey! Guys!”
“We’re talkin’ here, Clo,” my brother says.
My mom tells him off. “Gio, be nice to your sister. What, Chloe?”
I grab Luke’s arm and tug him into the frame. Well, I tug his torso into the frame. Since I’m sitting down and he’s so tall, he has to bend down so they can see him. Once his face fills that little rectangle on my screen, I let loose a gloating smile.
“Say hello to my boss.”
He doesn’t say anything. Not one word, but it doesn’t matter.
That entire room goes dead quiet.
My mother does the sign of the cross.
My dad screams like a little girl.
One of my uncles falls back in his chair as another spits out his drink.
My brother’s jaw drops, and then I know without a shadow of a doubt he’s about to let loose a curse word, so I reach over and cover Harper’s ears just before he lets it rip.
