So that’s what we do on Friday. We get a huge order of cheese fries, as well as regular fries. Lil and I order our strawberry shakes,DeVille style, and talk Luca into ordering a root beer float. We tell Luca whatever stories pop into our heads. He mostly just listens, but he laughs more than a few times. And he stares at me with a different kind of hunger in his eyes when I steal his float and take a sip through his straw.
About halfway through our meal, the back of my neck goes cold again. I breathe a sigh of relief when it lets up after a few seconds and shift in my chair. Without meaning to, I pick at the polish on my nails and chew on my lip.It’s nothing. It’s fine. You’re fine. Just ignore it.
Glancing up, I see Luca watching me curiously, his body stiff. I shrug a shoulder. “Thought I saw someone we knew,” I lie, instantly feeling like a dick. Especially when he relaxes.
When we get home, Mom and Dad are playing rummy at the dining room table.
“We want in!” Lil yells as soon as she sees them. But Luca hangs back when we head their way.
“What’s wrong?” I ask him.
“I don’t know how to play.”
“What? Seriously?”
He pinches his eyebrows together. “Why would I lie about that?”
I grab his hand and drag him over to the table. “Hey, we’re gonna teach Luca how to play rummy.” I push him into a chair and then sit in the next one over.
Dad stares at Luca, slowly raising his eyebrow. “My brother never taught you?”
Luca shakes his head. “We haven’t played games since my Go Fish and Uno days.”
Dad swears in Italian. Lil and I smirk at each other, pretending like we don’t know exactly what he says.
We teach Luca a bunch of card games and play for hours.
When Mom and Dad head for bed, Dad says, “No poker. Imean it.” He points at each of us in turn, ending with me and narrowing his gaze.
“What? It was one time. Jeez.”
“It was more than one time, and I know that’s how you ended up with that goddamned motorcycle you have hidden in the garage, Ariana.”
I smirk as I shuffle the cards. “There are two motorcycles hidden in the garage.”
“No poker.” He tries to hide a smile as he turns to leave hand in hand with Mom.
“So, five-card stud?” I ask loudly.
“Ariana!” This time, it’s Mom, and we all bust up laughing.
“Cribbage? Spades? Idiot? Bullshit?”
“Cribbage!” Lil declares. “Um, why did you spill the beans about the second motorcycle?” Lil asks me.
“Because then they’ll never think to look for the third.”
“Such a DeVille thing to say.” Lil chuckles and sets up the cribbage board. Luca purses his lips like he doesn’t know what the hell to do with me, and that makes me smile even bigger at him.
Chapter 29
Glam and Gogurt
Ariana
Lil makes me wake up extra early on Saturday because she’s determined to do my hair and makeup, full glam style. Since I almost never ever let her do it, I agreed when she begged me a few weeks before. Now I’m regretting it because sleep is way more fun than a makeover, in my opinion.
In the kitchen, I pour a cup of coffee and turn to find Luca staring at me in my new dress and cute sandals.
