He nods like he does so often. “I’ll discuss it with Luca before telling Anthony anything.”
“He’ll appreciate that you talked to me first.”
“Yes, he will.” Dad’s face softens, and he smiles warmly. “All a father can hope for is that someone looks at his daughter the way Luca looks at you, Ariana. I knew he needed people in his life who cared about him, but I never expected you two to be such a match. He loves you very much.”
“Mmhmm,” I hum in agreement. But my brain is swirling. And my face must give me away.
“What’s wrong?” Dad sits on one of the stools. Thankfully, it’s not the one Luca and I defiled. Unless they got moved around.Shit…
“He… I think he loves me more than I love him. Which doesn’t seem possible because I love him so fucking much, but even with as much as I love him, he’s on a different level. I’m selfish and impulsive and don’t ever want to live apart from any of you. And Ican’tlive apart from Lil, ever. But Luca, he thinks about me first in everything. And even though he loves you all, too, he would be okay with just me.” I take a deep breath and meet Dad’s gaze with teary eyes. “I wouldn’t be okay with just him.”
“Oh, sweet girl.” He cups my cheeks in his hands, wiping a tear away. “Love isn’t always a balanced thing. You and Lil share a bond like I’ve never seen. That doesn’t mean you love Luca less than he loves you. You’ve had more love in your life than he has, and you’ve had to split it up between us all over the last fifteen years. Luca hardly had any. Giving or receiving. He didn’t care about anything before he came here, and you filled his heart with love. You brought that boy to life.”
Sniffing, I give him a weak smile. “Jeez, you’re such a sap, DeVille.”
He stands, laughing. “I blame you, your sister, and your mother.”
I wrap my arms around his middle. He immediately returns the hug. “Thanks, Dad.”
“For what, sweetheart?”
“For never making us feel like that. Like we weren’t loved.” We stand there for a minute before he speaks again.
“I’m proud of this woman you’ve become, Ariana. Your mom and I both, we’re so very proud of you.”
“Oh god, okay, enough mushy stuff. I’m getting emotional and hangry.”
He chuckles and grabs two different packages of hot dogs out of the fridge before going outside. I used to feel bad about not being able to eat the brand they all prefer, but I don’t anymore.
Sometimes, you just do what’s needed for the people you love, and my family is always willing to go the extra step.
Chapter 76
More personal than a physical
Luca
It’s hard to imagine we had a wedding here just last night. The backyard looks like it usually does. I start the grill, crack open a beer, and sit down at a table with my dad and Lil.
I’m not exactly surprised when Dad tells me Mom took off already. But I wasn’t by the news that she’s been cheating on Dad for years, either. Parker found a lot of shit on her.
“I had hoped your mother would at least say goodbye to you before she left,” Dad says, peeling the label off his bottle.
“Honestly, I don’t care at this point. She hardly came out of her room and made a point to interact with Ariana as little as possible, so she can go fuck herself.”
“I’m only going back to Reno for court and to get my things from the house. I owe Ari a set of records, a boat, and the Mustang.” The genuine grin on his face tells me he’s not at all sad.
“I know you filed for divorce, but I didn’t realize you weren’t going back.”
He gestures at me with his beer. “My son is here. My new amazing daughter-in-law is here. My brother and his wife arehere. And my hilarious niece is here. There’s nothing for me there. Everything is here, Luca.”
Marco steps outside, waving a pack of hotdogs in each hand. “Okay, Lil and Mia, how many?
“Two,” Lil says.
“Just one, babe,” Mia answers from her lounge chair by the pool.
“Luca, Anthony, which kind and how many?” He holds up both packs.
