“My head ping-ponged a bunch of times, it was kind of hard to stay conscious after that,” Ari says. I stare at her until she stares back. “Hey, there’s a reason I don’t let her drive anymore.”
I try to get the image of the car wreck out of my head and move back to the topic of self-defense. “Anyway, neither of you works out. And you don’t even have to leave the house. The gym is right here. I can draw you a map if you’ve never been there.” I tease.
“Holy shit, did you just make a joke?” Lil looks shocked.
“Well, joke’s on you, Luca,” Ariana says with a smirk. “We worked out really hard one time last year. And we looked so cute in our activewear.”
“Whatever happened to those cute clothes?” Lil asks.
“They got ruined,” Ariana replies.
“Ruined? What the fuck happened?” I ask, imagining some kind of equipment malfunction or fall.
Ariana shrugs a shoulder. “Nacho cheese and popcorn butter may have been involved.”
I lose it. I finally lose my shit and laugh. A big belly laugh, complete with tears at the corners of my eyes.
When I finally calm down, both girls are grinning at me.
Ariana’s smile makes my heart feel full.
“I didn’t know you had dimples.” Her smile somehow gets even brighter.
“Me, neither,” I shrug.
“They look good on you,” she declares, winking at me. God, I love her. There’s no way I’m ever going to be able to live without this girl.
Chapter 28
Do not pee in my car
Ariana
Apparently, I take too long waking up on the last Monday of the semester becauseLil full-on body-slamming me is how it happens.
“Ooooooofffff! Fuck, Lil!”
“Geeettttttt uuuuuuppppppp!!!” She says, an inch from my face. Her toothpaste-y breath hits me right in the eye.
“Geeetttttt oooooofffffffff!!!!” I push at her, and she laughs as she rolls off me. So I jump on her back and take her down. After wrestling for a minute, we’re both spread out on the floor like starfish, breathing heavily. “Fuck, Dad’s right. We don’t work out enough.”
“Do not tell Dad he’s right,” Lil demands.
“Wasn’t planning on it.” I drag myself up and get ready.
Luca’s waiting for us in the kitchen, chatting with Becca.
“Good morning, my sweet girls. I was just telling Luca about the time Lil baked me a cake with salt instead of sugar.” Becca smiles fondly.
Lil groans. Luca grins behind his coffee cup.I’m hoping he smiles that big fucking smile, and his dimples come out to play again. I’m not sure which I love more, his sexy eyebrow or those dimples.
As we’re heading out of the gate, Lil’s phone dings.
“Damn. Amanda says the freeway is fucked.”
“Oooohhhh, backroads!!!” I yell, cranking up the radio.
“No. Not backroads.” Lil shakes her head at me, yelling over the music.
