“Natalia!” I hiss. “Stop checking him out.”
Her eyes widen and she gapes at me. “I’m not, I’m just saying he could easily get someone.”
“I don’t think that’s what he wants,” Isa says.
“Me either.”
Natalia sighs. “Well, now you’ve both made me sad. I’m going to grab some more lemonade and spike it with the hidden tequila.”
“I don’t have any alcohol in this house,” I tell her.
“It’s in my purse, Lana, please.” Natalia rolls her eyes andgoes inside the house. I worry about her, but I try to not be an overbearing mother hen about it.
Isabelle sighs and sits beside me. “So? How is he behaving?”
I sigh, content. “I think I’m happy, Isa.”
“You think? Youarehappy. Look at you! The way you look at him and the way he looks at you.”
I shake my head. “It was always like that.”
“It looks different now,” she says. “Like this is it. Endgame.”
I shrug and sip from my lemonade. “I hope so.”
“It is,” Isabelle tells me. “The faith you put in him wasn’t for nothing.”
“He still hasn’t told me what happened.” I frown.
“I tried to get Luca to tell me.” Isabelle pulls me to her side with her arm around my shoulders. “He wouldn’t tell me. It isn’t anyone’s story to tell except Christian, babe. We just…have to wait until he’s ready.”
I rest my head on her shoulder. “Thank you.”
“Patience.”
My eyes find Christian’s, no sunglasses now, and he winks with a smiling tipping up his lips. Then he mouths,“ love you.
I smile back at him and sigh. “Patience.”
“We’re singing!” Isabelle shouts, her hands cupped around her mouth. “Everyone over here,now!”
“Isa,” Christian grimaces. “We reallydon’thave to sing.”
“Nonsense,” Isa scoffs, shoving him behind his cake anddown into the chair. “What’s the point of celebrating if you aren’t the center of attention?”
Luca scoffs even louder, rolling his eyes at his twin. Isabelle cocks her hip and crosses her arms. “You got something to say?”
Luca goes quiet.
“Lana,” Christian calls out for me.
“Oh, yes!” Isabelle perks. “Lana!”
Feeling the blood rush to my cheeks, I make my way to join Christian behind his cake. “Hey.”
His arm comes around my thighs and he’s smiling up at me with the softest eyes. My hand smooths across his back to his shoulder, and he turns his head, kissing my inner arm. “Hey.”
“Did you need help blowing out the candles or something?”
