69. We really were grounded a lot
Chapter 69
We really were grounded a lot
Ariana
L il and I are in the kitchen, shredding cheese and cutting up black olives, when Luca’s dad walks in. “What are you two lovely ladies up to?”
“Nachos,” I shrug. “We’re making enough for you guys, too.”
“We got the munchies,” Lil laughs as she throws an olive at me. I catch it in my mouth. “Cool, you can still do that after a couple of drinks and a pot gummy.”
“You questioned my black olive-catching skills? Rude, Lilith. Just rude.”
I cover two big baking sheets with chips, cheese, and jalape?o slices. One gets taco meat as well. They both get olives on half because as much as I love to eat them, I don’t like them in or on anything. I throw the nachos in the oven and start warming up the nacho cheese on the stovetop.
Anthony’s head is in the open fridge. “Can you grab the sour cream and salsa out while you’re in there?”
“Of course, Ari.” He places them on the counter, then goes back for a few beers. “Do you prefer Ari or Ariana?’
I shrug. “Either is fine, I give no fucks. What about you? Which do you prefer, Anthony or Tony?”
“Usually, Anthony.”
“Oh shit, and here I’ve been calling you Uncle Tony since you got here!” Lil says apologetically.
“I don’t mind when you call me Uncle Tony, Lil. Not one bit.”
“Well, I’m not calling my father-in-law Uncle Tony. That’s too weird,” I gigglesnort. Fucking vodka.
“Ah, sweetheart, you can call me Tony or Anthony or any form of the name. Or Dad or Pop, whatever you want. For the longest time, Marco was the only one who called me Anthony, and it always sounded so mature and dignified coming from him, even if he was pissed at me.”
“Anthony, there you are,” Dad says as he strides into the kitchen, sounding mature and dignified. I feel my smile grow when I see my almost-husband behind him.
“Dad has perfected the dignified even while pissed voice, hasn’t he? ‘Ariana, Lilith, I’m very disappointed, and that will be three weeks without your cell phones,’” I say in a very poor impersonation of Dad’s voice.
“And what exactly got you grounded from your phone for three weeks?” Luca asks, his eyes sparkling with humor and probably a couple of beers.
“Which time,” Lil asks.
“Pfft, three weeks never lasted three weeks anyway,” I say as Luca’s arms go around me. I lean into him. “We excel at being so annoying they gave us our phones back and begged us to go away.”
“Twelve days was the record. That was the time we got caught sneaking out junior year.”
“No, no, we ended up with a full three weeks after the road trip, even though it was supposed to be the rest of the summer,” I remind her .
“My god, you two sure are troublemakers!” Anthony grins at us.
“It’s her fault!” Lil and I both yell, pointing at each other. Luca chuckles and kisses the top of my head.
“Someone stir that nacho cheese.” I step over to the ovens and pull out the nachos. “I made enough to share.” I put the baking sheets on silicone mats while Lil gets some plates out of the cupboard. “We’re taking ours to-go because we haven’t finished watching our movie yet.” I load up a plate, kiss Luca, and say goodnight to Dad and Anthony. Before I get to the stairs, Luca’s arms go around me again. He kisses behind my ear. “Hey, none of that right now. I’ve got nachos to eat and a movie to finish.”
“I’ve got nachos to eat and pool to play, but then I’m going to come find you and drag you to bed because we actually need to sleep tonight, baby.”
I turn and kiss him. “If I’m asleep, just carry me to bed. Don’t leave me on Lil’s floor or wherever I end up.”
“Wasn’t planning on it.” He kisses me, then lightly slaps my ass as I walk away.
“Caveman,” I say over my shoulder with a grin. I might never get over how damn handsome and sweet he is. Or how much he loves my ass.
Lil and I finish watching our movie, then we turn on some music and have a dance party until we fall onto her bed, too exhausted to move anymore.
“Are you scared at all for tomorrow?”
“No. Well, I’m scared Luca’s mom is going to try and ruin the wedding. I’m scared I’ll fuck up the vows. I’m scared a bird is going to poop on someone. But that’s about it,” I shrug. I don’t care if people think it’s too fast, or we’re too young, or whatever other bullshit. He’s already mine, and I’m already his. Getting married just means we get to use words for what we mean to each other that make sense to the general population. There’s not a ‘ romantic soulmate’ box on paperwork, so we’ll settle for the closest legal option.
“Fuck. I swear to god, if a bird shits on my head tomorrow, I’m never going outside again,” Lil says, crossing her heart. We’re not stupid drunk tonight. We’ve just kept a decent buzz going. I roll to my side so I’m facing her.
“I never expected to be this happy, Lil. To love someone like this.”
“I know. We’ve been reading romance novels for years, hoping we could find something like what happens in them but never actually expecting it. I’m fucking glad you have it, Ari. You deserve it.”
“I don’t know if I deserve it, but I’m sure as fuck keeping it.”
“What, because you sometimes kill bad people? Because you stole the Maserati and named it Bruce? Because we push buttons and cause trouble? You deserve good shit, and not because of what happened to you. You just deserve it, Ari.”
I shift awkwardly, my face feeling warm. “Shut up, you’re making me sound like a superhero. I’m no superhero.”
“You’re my superhero. And you fit into this whole lifestyle way better than I do. I’m thankful for that because Dad needed it, and he was never going to push me to be something I’m not. And you and Luca, it’s like watching two halves of a whole come together.”
Then she laughs. “Sometimes it’s hearing two halves come together, and I need better headphones because you, Ariana Ray, are loud.”
I grab a pillow and whack her in the head with it.
“I’m serious. At least at night. If it’s daytime and you’re trying to be sneaky, you’re a lot quieter.”
Well, yeah, Luca usually has his hand over my mouth. Or his mouth on my mouth. Or he’s whispering in my ear that I need to be quiet and calling me his good girl when I am… But I’m not drunk or high enough to tell her that.
“But all bets are off if you’re in his room.”
I hit her with the pillow again.
“Thank god we’re on the opposite side of the house from Mom and Dad, or Luca would be a dead man,” I grumble.
“True story.”
“Ugh. I didn’t realize I was that loud. That’s slightly embarrassing.”
“Don’t worry. I bought you a ball gag for your wedding present.”
I hit her with the pillow one more time.