Why do I want his frowny lips on mine so bad? I seriously considered saying fuck it and kissing him. Fuck, I seriously considered dragging him to a vacant bedroom.
Forcing thoughts of Luca out of my brain, I plop down onto an oversized cushion and pop open a soda. After chugging some, I pour cinnamon whiskey in the can. Lil does the same, but with watermelon vodka. I pull up a playlist and music starts playing through the Bluetooth speaker in the wall.
“I have an idea.” There’s mischief in my sister’s baby blue eyes.
I cock my eyebrow as I take a drink. “Hit me with it.”
“We make a list?—”
I interrupt her with an overdramatic groan. Lil likes to make a lot of lists. I only make them when I have to, which is more often than I like because otherwise I forget stuff.
“Shush and listen, bitch,” she laughs and throws a pillow shaped like a giant dino nugget at me. “A list of shit to do this summer that will drive Luca insane.”
Well, there goes any chance I had of keeping my mind off Luca. Okay, there was no chance that was happening anyway. “That’s evil, even for us. Let’s do it!” Sure, I might be crushing on him, but I think annoying him will be fun. And possibly productive. Maybe crack that armor some more.
“Okay, so first thing is shopping.”
My top lip curls on instinct, and I flinch a little at the pull on my wound. “But we kind of hate just shopping.”
“Yeah, but I bet he hates it more. And we can go to specific places wedolike. We haven’t gone to The Canal Shoppe in forever, and something tells me the whole setup in the Venetian will annoy Luca. I always need new makeup, you always need new shoes, and think how awkward he would be, standing around the lingerie store.” She starts writing in a notebook she keeps in here just for making fucking lists.
“Why do you think he would be awkward there? He’s probably been loads of times with girlfriends.” I chew on my lower lip and fidget with the locket around my wrist. Lil’s eyes narrow in on my fingers moving the charm along the chain. I drop it and pick up my drink.
She lifts her eyes to mine and tilts her head. “Going to the lingerie store with his cousins will definitely be awkward.”
“Hey, your cousin. Not mine.” I gesture at her with my can.
“Right. Sure. It’s not like he’s Dad’s nephew and has the same last name or anything. If Dad’s best friend is our uncle, isn’t his brother, too?”
“I don’t remember ever meeting the man, so no. And we’re going off-topic here.”
“Because you got weird about the lingerie store and Luca and old girlfriends?—”
“What’s next on your list, Lilith?”
She purses her lips exactly like Mom. “Fine. Moving on. Will circle back to you being weird. Nail salon. Pedicures for sure, manis if we’re feeling like committing.” I pick the polish off my fingers so fast it’s not worth sitting through a manicure very often, but pedicures are heaven.
“Ooooohhh we haven’t done that in too long. Maybe hair, too. The pink is fading.” I twirl a lock around my finger, debating whether or not I’ll change it. The purple I had a few months ago was pretty.
“Yes!” She smiles and adds to our list.
My can is about half gone, so I hold it out to her. “Switch with me.” She takes another swig of hers, and then we swap.
“Maybe a spa day. Mud bath, facials, those super massage chairs… that place Mom took us to for my birthday last year.”
I’m not sure if the mushy feeling in my chest is from the alcohol or the thoughtfulness of my family, but I haven’t hadmuch to drink yet. None of those spa treatments require me to get naked in front of someone.
“If they let us back in after the mud fight we had last time, you mean?”
“We’re DeVilles.” She adds it to her list. “What else?”
My phone dings, and a few seconds later, so does Lil’s. Luca isn’t using the group chat tonight.
Luca Drinks Boring Coffee
Where r u?
I’m sorry, I don’t understand when you don’t use full words.
