Chapter 13
Austin
I’m covered in Luca. This is new.
Sure, as kids, and even in our early teens, we slept in the same bed together. But I’ve never woken up quite like this.
Luca is sprawled across me, his head resting on my chest, hair tickling my chin, an arm wrapped around my stomach, and his legs draped over mine. I chuckle a bit to myself. At least he’s comfortable, I guess. I’m good with anything as long as he’s able to sleep and not toss and turn all night long.
I have to pee, though, so as much as I hate to, I’m gonna have to move him. The problem is that I’m not really sure how to without waking him up. My bladder gives a dull throb. Okay, so I’m just gonna have to move him. Otherwise, he’s gonna wake up in a not-so-pleasant way.
I try to carefully untangle him from me without pissing on myself, but he just tightens his hold, scooting a little closer and jostling my bladder. Fuck. “Luc,” I say, shaking him a bit. He stirs, letting out a little hum. “You gotta let me up. I have to pee.”
He grumbles. “Go then. M’not stopping you.”
I can’t help but laugh. “Yeah, actually, you are.”
“Talking ‘bout?” he says, confusion and sleep heavy in his voice.
Oh my God. I don’t have time for this. I grip his arm and damn near throw him off me. I can’t even be bothered by his annoyed little huff as I jump up and rush to the bathroom.
After I’m done and I’ve washed my hands, I step back into the bedroom. Luca’s sitting upright in the middle of my bed, looking confused and pink-cheeked. “Morning, snuggle bug,” I say, smirking at him.
His cheeks flame brighter. “Shut up. I don’t know what all that was,” he says, waving a hand around.
“First time we’ve ever cuddled.” I raise an eyebrow. “Better mark it on the calendar. I thought we had already done all the best friend firsts.”
Luca rolls his eyes, grabbing a pillow from the bed and launching it at me. It hits my chest with a dull thud before it falls to the ground. He gets up, face still red, and strolls past me. “I’m making coffee. Do you want any?”
I pick up the pillow and toss it back on the bed, smiling. “Sure thing. What do you want for breakfast?”
“I’ll make it,” he calls over his shoulder as he walks away.
I’ve been very against him cooking breakfast or dinner for me.
Mostly because I don’t want him to feel like he has to, but at some point he’ll have to, right?
I can’t just ban him from cooking again.
Even though I really want to. It’s not realistic, though, and also not fair.
I sigh. “Fine!” I call back. “But I want biscuits and gravy.”
He groans. “Best I can do is toast and scrambled eggs.”
I grin, then make my way into the kitchen. “Fine. I can deal with that, I guess.”
Luca smiles at me, his eyes dropping to my chest, then he looks back at the coffee maker quickly. That gives me pause. It’s not like him to not be able to hold eye contact with me. When he first got here, he struggled a bit, but he’s been doing better with it. “You okay, Luc?”
“Huh?” He glances at me, then back to the coffee maker. “Yeah, I’m fine. Aren’t you cold?”
I glance down at my bare torso, frowning. “Not really. Are you?”
He shakes his head. “Nope.”
Ah, I think I know what’s going on. “Are you nervous about going to the diner today?”
I study him carefully. He thinks on it for a second before nodding slowly. “Yeah, that’s it. I’m just nervous.”
“You know, if you’re not ready yet, that’s okay. No one will blame you.”
Luca doesn’t answer right away; instead, he pulls down two mugs from the cabinet, making first my coffee and then his. After he passes my mug to me, he looks at me. “I know. But I’m ready. I can do this.”
“Of course you can do this.” That was never even a thought in my mind. “But if you’re not ready yet…”
He shakes his head, then takes a small sip of his coffee, closing his eyes as he does.
“I’m ready. Let me get breakfast done so I can get dressed.
” Setting his coffee mug on the counter, he leans down to get a pan from the lower cabinet.
“Wait.” He pauses, glancing up at me. “You can drive me, right? I didn’t even think about that. ”
“Take the truck.” It’s not like I have any plans to go anywhere. Might be nice to hang out with Jasper and grab a beer, but he can always come pick me up.
Luca studies me for a second before standing. “Are you sure?”
I nod. “Of course.”
He hits me with a blinding smile, then starts cooking breakfast.
When Jasper pulls up a few hours after Luca leaves, I know the bar is the last place I want to be.
He rolls down the passenger window and waves at me. He’s attractive in a rugged sort of way—built like a brick shithouse and prematurely graying. You’d think it would make him look older, but it doesn’t.
“Hey, can we go get lunch instead?” I ask, opening the door and climbing in.
Jasper shoots me a curious look. “I guess. Doesn’t matter much to me. Where?”
God, I hope I don’t piss Luca off. “Daisy’s.”
“Sure.” Jasper chuckles a bit. “Not doing well on his first day of work?”
It’s not that. He told me when he made it there and when he went on his first break.
He’s fine. Probably. But I can’t stop worrying.
I’m almost making myself sick with it, which is ridiculous because he’s with my mom at the diner he basically grew up in.
He’s fine. But I can’t help it that I want to check in on him. “I think he’s alright. I just…”
Jasper hums. “You’re not.”
“Not what?” I ask, turning my head to face him.
The way he rolls his eyes should annoy me, but it doesn’t. “You’re not alright. That’s fine. We can go. As long as you think I can sweet-talk your ma into whipping me up some of that fried catfish she makes.”
“I’m sure she’ll do that. I mean… it is a menu item.”
With a chuckle and a shake of his head, Jasper backs up, then heads toward the main road.
I have no idea why I’m so worried about Luca.
I never worried like this before. But I guess I’ve also never seen him bloody and bruised at the hands of someone else before.
It’s not that I think he needs me. I don’t.
He’s always been far more strong-willed than I am.
I think it’s actually that I’ve started to need him…
Somewhere between not having Luca for years and now having him in my space and in my bed and just…
back in my life again, something’s changed.
He’s always been around in my mind, of course, but now it feels different, and I’m not really sure what to make of that.
“Earth to Austin.”
“What?” I whip my head around to stare at Jasper. He glances at me, then back to the road.
“I asked if you thought Luca would enjoy some self-defense training.”
Oh. “Maybe? We can ask him when we get there.”
“Well, lucky you,” Jasper snorts, pulling into the parking lot at Daisy’s.
Good Lord, how in my own head was I? Jasper parks next to my truck and glances at me, rubbing his stomach. “I’m starving. Can’t wait to have a belly full of catfish.”
We get out of the truck and walk in the front door. I’m already searching for Luca. It’s like some part of me is attuned to him because it doesn’t take me long to find him. He’s standing next to the food counter, a smile on his face as he peers through it and into the kitchen.
He’s smiling. Relief washes through me. I’m not sure I realized just how much I was worried until I saw that smile.
“Hi. Take a seat, and we’ll be right with you.
” Arlo’s voice pulls my attention away from Luca.
Arlo’s worked for my mom for close to a month now, and he fits right in like he’s never not been here.
He’s a couple of years younger than I am, but I don’t know much about him outside of that.
He seems to be entranced by Jasper, though, who just offers him a megawatt smile and heads to a booth.
“Hey, Arlo,” I say, nodding at him as I follow Jasper. Before I get too far, I turn back and look at him. “Can you let Ma know I’m here?”
He blinks at me a couple of times, his eyes leaving mine only to look behind me at Jasper again. Poor guy. Barking up the wrong tree with that one. Oh well. I sit down across from Jasper, hoping that Luca will come over and take our order. He doesn’t.
Arlo comes around from the back, making his way over to our booth. “Your ma said… uh, she said she’ll be out in a bit. Can I…” His eyes dart to Jasper, and I fight a grin. “Can I get you guys something to drink?”
Jasper glances down at his menu for a second, then back to Arlo. “Whatcha got, sweetheart?”
He’s a menace. He knows damn well what we’ve got. Arlo nibbles his bottom lip, a flush rising on his cheeks. “Pepsi products, water, iced tea, lemonade.”
“I’ll take a water.”
With a nod, Arlo turns back to me. “What about you, Austin?”
I study the two of them for a second, then shake my head. “I’ll have the same. I think we’re ready to order.”
After we rattle off our orders, Arlo races off, his cheeks still flaming.
I don’t even have time to tease Jasper before Luca is standing at the edge of our table. “Hey. What are you doing here?”
“We were hungry,” I say with a shrug, my heart thrumming at his proximity. Jesus, what is happening to me?
Luca narrows his eyes. “I don’t believe you. You wanted to check in on me.”
I mean, that’s true too, but that’s not the only reason. Okay, so it’s the biggest reason, but he doesn’t need to know that.
“You’re not wrong,” Jasper drawls. Way to sell me out, asshole. “We were supposed to be getting a drink, but here we are.”
“That’s not the whole truth,” I interject, trying to save face. Honestly, I can’t lie to Luca, though, so I sigh. “Okay, yes, I was worried.”
Luca rolls his eyes, but there’s a smile tugging at his lips. “Alright. Fine. You wanted to check on me. I’m fine.”
“I can see that.”
“Well,” Luca says, glancing between Jasper and me. “I’ll let you guys get back to it.”
Jasper shifts in his seat. “Wait, I was wondering if you’d be interested in some self-defense training?”
Luca’s eyes light up in excitement. “Really? Do you know anyone around here who does it?”
“I do,” Jasper says with a smile.
“Who is it?” Luca asks.
Jasper’s warm chuckle makes me smile. “Me. I do.”
“Oh.”
Oh? What does that mean? “You don’t have to. You can think about it,” I rush to assure him.
“Definitely,” Jasper agrees. “The offer is on the table.”
When Arlo shows up with our drinks, Luca backs away from the table. “He’s nice,” Arlo says, setting my water in front of me. “I think your mom is trying to set us up or something.”
Something hot and aching rushes through me, my stomach twisting with what feels like jealousy. “Oh?” I say, laughing to try to cover it.
Arlo shrugs, flushing when he glances at Jasper from the corner of his eyes. “Yeah. I’m not sure either of us is interested, though.”
Of course not. Luca swore off dating not two weeks ago. That same pang hits my stomach again, and I rub it. “Hey, Arlo? If my mom hasn’t started our food yet, can you tell her not to bother with mine? I’m not feeling too hot.”
I can feel Jasper’s eyes boring into the side of my face, but I don’t take my eyes off Arlo. His eyebrows shoot up in confusion. “Uh, sure.”
And with that, he turns and rushes from the table.