46. Im not eating these veggies. Just saying
Chapter 46
I'm not eating these veggies. Just saying
Ariana
E ven though a lot has changed when it comes to Luca, I still enjoy annoying him. A lot. And Lil enjoys it even more. So we decide to drag him down The Finch Hills Farmers Market.
“Why exactly are we here?” Luca asks. He does not look excited.
Lil, on the other hand, looks very excited. “So many reasons, Luca. The fresh produce, the handmade candles, the boba tea, the gyros, and the ice cream, to name a few.”
“Yeah, none of that sounds like it’s worth dealing with all those people. And you’re not here for the fresh produce.” He’s looking around, doing his threat assessment thing. And also his ‘grump ass, I hate people’ thing. I watch him, doing my ‘god, my boyfriend is hot’ thing. It’s a new thing, but I’m pretty sure I’ve already perfected it. Because damn, my boyfriend is hot. And he’s very good with his tongue.
Okay, we haven’t officially put a label on it. But he’s obviously more than just our ‘babysitter.’
When his gaze drops to mine, I blink a few times and mentally shake the memories of his face between my legs out of my head before I get lost in them and clear my throat. “The cheese curds and iced coffees are worth it.”
“Well, if my girl wants cheese curds and coffee, I guess we’re going in there for cheese curds and coffee.” He grabs me by the waist and pulls me close while Lil groans at us.
We get coffee first. I parked close to the little cart on purpose because I fully intend to hit it on the way out, too. They make the best iced caramel white mochas I’ve ever found. Believe me, I’ve done my research. A lot of it. Luca would be horrified by the amount of research Lil and I have conducted on the subject.
We stop at more stalls than we normally would because Lil’s still determined in her quest to drive her cousin insane. We snack on cheese curds, and our canvas bags are soon filled with jams, a couple of bricks of fudge, some chocolate-covered espresso beans that I picked up just to see how far Luca’s eyes would roll, and a caricature of the three of us that’s going in a frame as soon as I can get one. Then it’s going on the wall in our living room. We even buy some fruits and vegetables for Luca’s gross protein shakes.
Lil was serious about the gyros and boba tea. They’re fantastic. We stop at both carts then find a place to eat our lunch.
I look up from my gyro to see Luca grinning at me from across the picnic table as we play footsie under it. “What?”
He reaches out and wipes some sauce from the corner of my mouth, but instead of grabbing a napkin, he pops his thumb between his lips.
God. Damn. It. That was so hot. I’m going to have to start carrying extra panties around in my purse or something. And the grin on his face says he knows it.
A balled-up gyro wrapper hits him in the side of his face as Lil cackles. “She’s so mature,” he says, not breaking eye contact with me.
I nod. “Oh yes, the most mature person I know.”
“Shut up, the both of you. Finish your gyro, Ari. I want some ice cream.”
“I’m done,” I say, setting the last bit of my gyro down because now I want ice cream, too. Luca grabs it and finishes it in one bite.
I’m not one to turn down ice cream. Not only is it one of my favorite foods, but it’s also a great tool to tease Luca with. If the quiet groans and lust-filled eyes are any indication, it works like a charm. He even leans over and licks my bubblegum-flavored scoop with a smirk and that sexy eyebrow raised.
Fuck, these poor panties really are done for.
We make our way back to the coffee stand and order drinks for the drive home. Luca puts his hands on my hips and kisses me. My arms go up around his neck, my bags full of stuff sitting on the ground at my feet. There’s someone playing a guitar nearby, and we start swaying to the music.
He presses a kiss just below my ear, sending lightning bolts throughout my body and straight to my core. “Have I told you that I love you today?” His whisper sends more bolts, but these ones land in my heart.
“Mmmm, that’s one of the first things you said to me this morning, but I don’t mind hearing it again.”
He chuckles. Everything he does, every sound he makes, turns me on.
“I love you, too, you know. Almost as much as I love this coffee stand,” I say.
“That’s high praise coming from you.”
“It really is,” I confirm.
“I’m going to start carrying a water gun to shoot you two with when you get to be too much.” Lil grabs our coffees from the counter. “Break it up, or I’m drinking yours.”
“That’s just mean, Lil.” I look at Luca as seriously as I can. “To be continued later, after I’ve had that coffee Lil’s holding hostage. ”
On our walk back to the car, the hair on the back of my neck stands up, and the skin there goes cold. The feeling is more intense than the other times and I freeze.
There’s no ignoring it, no pretending anymore.
“What’s wrong?” Luca asks, glancing around discreetly while stepping close to me, all our bags hanging from his strong arms. I don’t answer right away. I don’t know how to answer. I can’t get words out of my fucking mouth.
“Ari.” Lil’s pinky curls around mine. “Ice neck?”
I nod the smallest nod possible. She gets me to the car and once we’re all in, I drive away without even waiting for Luca to buckle his seatbelt.
“What’s ice neck?” Luca asks.
“It’s a feeling she gets, like someone holding an ice cube to the back of her neck,” Lil answers for me, knowing I’m going to have a hard time talking at all right now. “How many times, Ari?” Lil’s still speaking at a much quieter and more serious tone than is normal for her.
“A few,” I admit. I clear my throat and try to even out my breathing. Being in control of the car helps calm me. “Lunch with Mom. Thought it was a fluke. Then Gordie’s. And leaving The Canal Shoppe.”
“That’s what brought on the last couple of hoodie days,” Lil says. It’s a statement, not a question. Thankfully, she doesn’t bring up the nightmares. I can’t talk about those right now.
“What does it mean, Ariana?” Luca asks, his voice thick with worry.
“It means someone’s out there, and she’s not safe.” Lil answers before I can, her voice deadly. It softens a little when she says, “And you have to tell Dad, Ari. You should have told him already. You should have told me.”
“I know,” I say softly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want it to be real.” I meet Luca’s concerned gaze in the rearview mirror but quickly look away.
As soon as I step out of the car at home, Luca’s there. He grabs me in a fierce hug that has me fighting back tears because it’s like he somehow pours all his love, strength, and support into that hug. I take a deep breath and close my eyes.
“I’m not letting anything happen to you.” His voice is muffled by my hair.
“I know.” My voice is muffled by his chest.
“Okay, my turn. You’re hogging Ariana, and I’m not used to sharing.” Luca releases me, and I’m instantly in Lil’s arms. She and I walk hand in hand into the house so I can tell Dad someone is watching me. Again.
But Dad isn’t home. He and Mom are having a night away, staying at a hotel somewhere, even though date night was the night before. I promise to tell him tomorrow because there’s no way I’m ruining their good time tonight.
I spend the evening curled up on the couch, wedged between Luca and Lil.