“Mia knows what we do in here, but she doesn’t like to see evidence of it.” He claps me on my shoulder after I drag the clean shirt over my head. “Not quite the introduction to DeVille business I had planned for you, but an important one all the same.”
I follow him out into the backyard. I hadn’t paid much attentionwhen we got here, but now I realize how big the house is. It’s stupid big and probably has a shit ton of bathrooms and a theater.
We walk through a set of French doors and find Mia, Ariana, Lil, and an older woman Marco introduces as Becca in the kitchen. Marco crosses the room to Mia, murmuring, “My love,” and kissing her. They make a handsome couple. He’s a couple years older than my dad, putting him somewhere around forty-seven. His dark hair has started to go silver at the temples, but he clearly hits the gym. Mia’s a few years younger than him, if I remember correctly. She’s tall and blonde like Lil, and she was always kind to me when I was a kid.
“Ugh. Gross. Get a room.” Lil puts a hand over her eyes but has a grin on her face.
This house is so different from what I’m used to. There are photos on the walls. Magnets on the fridge that look like they’re from family vacations. It’s clean, but not sterile. It feels like a home. I’m uncomfortable and somehow content at the same time.
Ariana giggles and points a spoon at Marco and Mia. “Ah, you know they’re fucking adorable, Lil.”
Her legs dangle from where she sits on the counter, constantly moving just a little as she takes small bites of ice cream. She grimaces every time she opens her mouth, but she keeps eating it. The blood and makeup have been washed from her face, and her hair is up into a messy bun.
I think she’s even more beautiful this way. Which is saying something because I thought she was stunning before. Little hoops line the outsides of both her ears. The right side of her nose is pierced with a small stud, and there’s a tattoo on the top of her left foot. A little heart-shaped locket hangs from a chain wrapped around her wrist that I’m certain wasn’t there earlier. I can’t stop myself from stalking over to her and tilting her head up again, this time checking her stitches. Her breath catches, her legs still, and she closes her eyes. It’s like time freezes. I wonder if I’m havingthe same effect on her that she is on me. When she opens her eyes again, the lighting makes them look purple. She smells like some kind of fruity soap. Apricot? Mango? Pomegranate maybe? Whatever it is, it’s my new favorite scent.
“Doc does good work when he wants to. Much better than the job he did on my leg last year.” Marco grabs two beers out of the fridge and raises his eyebrow to ask if I want one. I nod and take it from him. I might only be twenty, but I just helped kill a man. Underage drinking is the least of our illegal activities tonight.
Stepping away from Ariana, I twist the top off and take a drink as I look around the big open kitchen. Fuck, it’s huge. Six people are in it, and it doesn’t seem crowded. There are four ovens built into the wall, and the fridge is double the size of a normal one.
“Well, when he has a lot of people to sew up, he doesn’t have time for pretty stitches.” Mia is standing in front of Marco and leans back against his chest as his arms come around her. My confusion must show on my face because she says, “Lil found a stray dog outside the walls and brought it in, and that damn thing ran around biting everyone it could get ahold of. I think Ari’s the only one who didn’t end up needing stitches that day.”
“Because she took one look at the dog, yelled ‘nope,’ and locked herself in the bathroom.” Lil shakes her head while rolling her eyes.
Ariana shrugs a shoulder and makes little circles in the air with her feet. “I’ve been telling you since we were five, no dogs, Lilith May.”
“And one day, you’ll tell me why, Ariana Ray.”
Fuck, her name is as gorgeous as she is. I’ve been fighting a boner since I first saw her, and it’s getting harder to fight it.
Harder.I almost snort.
What the fuck, I’m making dick jokes in my head tonight and laughing at them? Who the fuck am I?
And wait, their fucking middle names rhyme?
“Doubtful,” Ariana smirks at Lil.
“Damn. That makes beer, hard liquor, pot, some stuff I won’t mention,” Lil ticks off her fingers as she lists shit, “and now whatever Doc gave you tonight that hasn’t worked to get that story out of you.” She scowls at Ariana, but there’s no heat behind it. “You keep one secret from me in fifteen years, and it’s fucking killing me. I’m going to have to resort to hard drugs. Dad, do you know where we could find some coke?” She tries to look innocent and bats her eyes.
“Very funny, Lilith,” Marco replies. They continue to banter for a while, and I try not to watch Ariana out of the corner of my eye. Which is why I miss it when she sways. Luckily, Mia’s paying attention.
“Luca, catch Ariana!” she shouts. I turn and grab a suddenly very drowsy Ariana off the counter and hold her in my arms against my chest. She looks up at me with glazed eyes, then closes them.
“I… hate… meds…” she slurs. My heart does a weird lurch. Again. This girl makes me feel things I’ve never felt before. Things I didn’t even know were real.
Mia rushes over to us. “I know, baby girl. But it’s just tonight. Tomorrow, you can rest and take regular ibuprofen.” She gently brushes a wayward lock of hair off of Ariana’s face.
“Promise, Mama?” Ariana’s voice is small and vulnerable and breaks my fucking heart.
“Promise.” Mia kisses her cheek. Ariana relaxes against me and is out within seconds.
Something settles inside me. I didn’t realize I was missing something. But I was. I was missing her. This girl holds the other half of my everything.
Mia’s tear-filled eyes meet mine as Lil wraps an arm around her waist. “Luca, do you mind carrying her upstairs?”
“No, ma’am.” I don’t mind. I don’t mind one fucking bit. I’m going to mind having to put her down at some point, though.
“You can call me Mia or Aunt Mia or Auntie for all I care, but none of that ma’am bullshit.” She turns her head toward Lil, rubbing a hand down her daughter’s arm. “Can you show Luca where to put Ariana, please?”
