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Oh, she offered, did she? I eye Drago and he just shrugs. Pulling open the refrigerator door, he grabs a bottle of beer. After twisting the top off and tossing it into the trash, he starts to walk out of the kitchen, but before he leaves, he looks back and nods his head for me to follow.
Turning toward Mona, I say, “Thank you. I want you to know I’m grateful and appreciative.”
She waves me off like it isn’t a big deal, but it is. She doesn’t know me, not really, and to go out of her way to do this is something I won’t forget.
* * *
I showeredafter Mona said dinner would be ready in half an hour. That was nearly an hour ago.
According to Caprice, she has no concept of time, and if she says something will be ready in thirty minutes, that’s not accurate. It could be an hour, two hours, or who knows. Food is ready when it’s ready I’ve been told.
CC has taken a liking to Gabriel and that makes me happy. I’m glad D’s family is handling his presence like it’s not even a big deal. Most of that’s probably because Drago hasn’t been fully honest with Mona, but then his siblings know, so maybe if he decides to tell her too, she’ll take the news as well as can be expected.
When I followed Drago to his room, he told me he couldn’t tell Mona everything, at least not yet, so he was vague about knocking up someone he met at a bar.
In all honesty, I’m not sure I would have gone that route. He said she gave him an earful; worse than the one she gave Luca when his ex showed up pregnant with Mia.
Mia hasn’t been back over since last week. I’m not really clear on when Luca has her and when she’s with her mom. I haven’t asked, but I did spend the weekend getting to know them better, and there isn’t anything about them that I don’t already love. CC is sweet and kind and very caring; not to just her family. It’s in her nature and very obvious when you talk to her. She’s definitely shy, but she seems to be opening up more with each day that passes.
At the thought of Luca and his humor that I’ve always liked from the first time I met him, I glance up to him dropping a duffle bag by the stairs. He must have come in through the front door, but I didn’t hear it open. That’s not like me. I’m usually more aware of things.
Jeez, the lines marring Luca’s forehead make him look ten years older. Something has happened or is wrong. He isn’t his happy-go-lucky self tonight.
“What’s up with you?” I ask, needing to know. Something inside has me feeling as though I need to turn his bad mood around and make him smile.
He shakes his head. “Nothing worth talking about.”
“That means London.” CC blows out a dramatic sigh, her hair flying around her face. “And that means I need to leave the room before I get mad.”
She pushes off the couch, standing and reaching down for Gabriel. I hand him over, answering her silent request. Once she’s left the living room, I gesture to the empty space on the couch next to me. Luca stares at me for a second, and when I think he’s not going to indulge me, he plops down, his hip brushing against mine he’s so close.
“What do you want to know?”
“Is your sister right? Is this un-Luca-like, mopey thing you got going on because of your ex?”
“Future, sis.” A smile tugs at the corner of his lips. “That’s what I’m going to call you now, since that’s where I see this thing going you and D have.” His smile leaves, turning into a frown with his brows furrowing together. “Everything is always about L.”
“Did she do something?” He has me worried. Does this bitch use Mia against him? I don’t know her. We’ve never met. I only know that she has an addiction problem that led to them splitting up. Maybe I shouldn’t judge, but Luca is a fun, caring guy. He deserves someone that’s going to love him just as hard as he loves them. And someone with a dope problem will never love anyone more than the substance they seek.
“No.” He shakes his head tiredly. “I did,” he admits. “Well, my dick did. I’m going to blame it on him.” He’s going for humor, but guilt seeps out of his warm brown eyes.
“You slept with her?”
“More or less.” He shrugs.
“Well you either did, or you didn’t.” His brows furrow even more as if that was even possible, annoyed with my remark.
“Fine! I fucked her, happy?” His back hits the back of the couch before grabbing the remote. I don’t say anything as he starts flipping through the channels. It’s not like I was watching whatever it was that was on. “I didn’t go over there to have sex with her. I told myself before I went in that it couldn’t happen again.”
Again.Does he realize one doesn’t usually remain an “ex” when you’re actively jumping in the sack together?
I raise an eyebrow, silently asking him to elaborate. After a few seconds of mindlessly flipping the channels, he makes it back around to what I’m pretty sure was on when he sat down.
“She asked me to watch Mia for a couple of hours so that she could go to a job interview. So, I did. When she returned, she looked so defeated and near tears.”
His head rolls to look at me.
“I really can’t handle a woman crying. It makes something inside me ignite, and the only thing I want to do is put a smile on her face. There’s one sure way I know how to do that...” He sighs, the breath from his mouth fanning my face.
