Franco doesn’t seem to miss a beat. “I know,” he says somberly. He takes a sip of his coffee, but his eyes never leave my face. “I know how fortunate I am to have the family I do. I complain about them, but…” He’s serious for a moment. “My family is a huge presence in my life. No matter how much I give them a hard time, I live my life with my parents on either shoulder. Most of the time, it’s a good thing.”
I’m not sure what he means by that, and I want to ask, but he’s moved on. I don’t want to redirect him. I want to know what he wants to share—and more—so I just listen.
“Ma will be more than happy to panic, freak out, and butt into everything you’ve got going on. And you’ve got a whole circle of women desperate to mother you until you feel smothered,” he says. “And I’m the oldest of four, so it’s just my nature. I’m the bossy older brother.”
He jumps up from the table and starts assembling some breakfast. He doesn’t ask me what I want; he just cuts up some fruit and starts scrambling eggs.
I’m thrilled because I’m starving, and while his back is to me, I can sort out how I’m feeling.
I realize he’s handling me, I guess, like he’s my bossy older brother. Except when I think of his hand under my sleep tee, hot against my skin. No. There was nothing brotherly about how he held me last night.
I look over the sheet of paper Franco left on the table. “So, um, what’s on the to-do list?” I ask.
“Well, I think, first,” he says, “we need to get your phone replaced. And then I was thinking…”
Of course, I hear nothing after that because I have no way of paying for a new phone. The one I had was five years old, so not new by any means but still decent as far as smartphone technology goes.
I wonder if Aunt Ann had insurance on the store. I’m sure she did, but the deductible on policies like that is normally very high. And even if I did make a claim, all that will take more time than I have. How long can I reasonably go without a cell phone?
The coffee starts to sour in my stomach, and I push back from the table. “Franco,” I start. “I…”
He sets down the fork he’s using to whisk the eggs and looks at me. “What?”
I shake my head. “The phone thing is going to be a problem. I…”
This is all just really, really hard to share. I have such shame around the whole situation.
I need capital. A rainy day fund. And with this unexpected setback? I mean, a serious crime would set anyone back. But I didn’t even lose the money in the robbery. Just my phone.
At my age, I should have something in savings and far more than a crap car with no gas in it. And yet, here I am.
“Maybe this is a sign from the universe that I should go home,” I say quietly. “That I shouldn’t be here. That this is not something I can do.”
“Wait, what?” He looks confused. He sets the bowl of eggs on the counter and joins me at the table. “I feel like you’re not saying what you’re thinking.”
I’m standing beside my chair, and he comes closer but doesn’t touch me.
Just cocks his chin and narrows his eyes. “Talk to me, Chloe. What’s really going on in here?” He brings his hand to the side of my face. He taps my temple gently with two fingers to emphasizein hereand then sort of caresses the side of my cheek before dropping his hand to his side. “Sorry,” he mutters. “I can’t seem to keep my hands off you.” He’s shaking his head as if he’s scolding himself.
“You have an all-access pass,” I assure him, flushing hard and laughing. “I’m the one who invited myself into your bed.”
He smiles, and his whole face relaxes. He lowers his chin and stares at me, and in that moment, I feel like I’m seeing a whole new side of Franco. Not a more honest side. Because I think he is always exactly who he is.
The grumpy hot guy thing is not a façade or an act, which somehow makes it so much hotter. He’s just always himself. At ease in his body and his life and who he is.
It’s reassuring to be around, not only because I like who he is, but because I feel somehow like I have permission to just be me. I want to be more like he is in that way.
Honest.
No apologies.
“It’s not comfortable to talk about,” I explain, trying on this more honest version of myself. “I know I need to replace my phone, but I walked to dinner at your parents’ the other night because I’d used most of the cash I had to buy that stupid television. I know it seems like a weird splurge, but I want to start running events at the store. I thought I could… I don’t know.”
I sigh.
I lift the list and look over the things he’s so thoughtfully penned. “A cell phone, a security system…” I swallow and meet Franco’s eyes.
I can do this. I can be brave and honest.
