That would have been embarrassing.
“Where’s Luca?”Ashton asks, glancing at me.
“He’s putting on the kettle to make some hot cocoa.”I sit back down on my lawn chair beside Nova.She hands me the bag of marshmallows.
“Hot chocolate must have marshmallows.The hot chocolate in the house is missing the best ingredient,” Nova says.
After Nova gets tired of the bonfire and we’re invited back into the house for cake, Luca produces a present wrapped haphazardly in birthday paper.Although it looks like two rolls of different gift-wrap.It’s a huge box, and I’m not quite sure when he brought it inside.He must have done so when we clearly weren’t looking.
“Sorry, I ran out of wrapping paper.The dollar store stuff wasn’t a full roll.”
Nova laughs and shrugs.“Do you think I care about the wrapping paper?It’s huge!What is it?”
“Open it,” Luca says and leans back against the kitchen wall.
I could have sworn he didn’t get her anything, but maybe he was hiding his present all along?
Both of her parents are in the kitchen.Paige is nursing a glass of wine, and Moreno keeps glancing at his phone, clearly distracted by something—I’m guessing his job.He’s still in a suit.The man looks like he hasn’t gotten off work yet, and it’s well past ten o’clock.
I’m on my third cup of hot cocoa, craving chocolate, and it’s absolutely delicious.I swear Luca put something in it that makes me want another cup.
Nova tears the wrapping paper off the cardboard box.She yanks open the box and pulls out packaging paper, looking inside for her present.The box is huge, knee high and the amount of paper just keeps coming out.
“Did you forget the present?”Nova asks.
Luca grins.“It’s two presents in one.A moving box.”
Nova’s eyes narrow.“I don’t get it.”
Paige smiles, like she’s in on the surprise, or maybe she has an inkling of an idea what Luca got her as a gift.
“Since you’re attending EU next semester, you’ll have a place to stay with us.Jessie graduates early, and when he moves out, you’ll have a place this winter to move into, if you want to live with us.”
Nova’s eyes widen, and she takes a step back, clearly overwhelmed.
“Wait.You want me to move into your gross apartment?No way!”Her nose scrunches up in disgust.“You boys never clean that place.I’m not moving in to be your housemaid or whatever.Worst gift ever, Luca.”She tosses her hand up and gives him the finger.
“Nova!”Paige scolds her daughter.
Moreno ignores the entire exchange, texting on his phone as he’s physically present in the kitchen, but mentally, he’s a million miles away.
Is that how Luca’s parents are as well?He certainly seems closer to his mother than his father, at least the brief encounters I’ve seen at their house today.
“Keep digging.There’s a gift card at the bottom,” Luca says.
Nova rolls her eyes and lifts the entire box, tossing it upside down, allowing all the contents to drop to the kitchen floor and spill out.She fumbles around through the paper, finally finding a small envelope with a gift card inside.
She tears open the envelope and squeals.“Holy cow!It’s two hundred dollars for a spa day!”she squeals with delight.
“I thought you might take your new bestie with you,” Luca says, nodding toward me.
“That was really nice of you,” I say, taking his hand and giving it a squeeze.Not that I was expecting to be included in the spa day present, but that he clearly spent quite a bit on her birthday.Not to mention inviting her to live with him.Although I don’t blame her for being grossed out at the idea of living with her brother and his teammates.
I’m not entirely sure he really thought that through, unless he was hoping to keep an eye on her.He’s made it clear to his teammates that she’s off-limits.I’ve heard the way Luca talks; he’s protective of Nova.
It’s actually quite sweet.
“Happy eighteenth birthday, Nova,” he says.“I’m really excited that you’ll be joining us next semester at Evergreen.”
