Chapter 16 #3
Enzo’s hand, lingering on Will’s leg, squeezed his knee reassuringly.
I’m here. I got you. He couldn’t say it out loud, but he could tell Will in every other way that they were a team in this.
Setting boundaries was hard and painful.
Nobody would leave this conversation happy, but it had to be done.
“It’s not,” Will argued. “How would you even know? You’ve just showed up here for the first time. And only because you needed something.”
“Well, it’s good we did, or we might never know you were hiding a boyfriend,” Carla said, amused.
“If Enzo’s traveling all the time for work, then I don’t see what the big deal is that Will travels, too,” Patrick argued.
He would think that. Enzo was beginning to understand why Will had gotten frustrated arguing with his parents. They were pretty damn slippery.
“It’s not about me traveling,” Will argued. “It’s about me setting down roots here. We’re trying to make a life here.”
“You just started dating,” Carla said. Enzo had a feeling she wasn’t trying to be dismissive but it came across dismissive anyway.
Enzo had been trying to not escalate the situation, but he wasn’t sure he had a choice anymore.
Enzo squeezed Will’s hand again. A warning. And something else too. A prepare yourself.
“Not just dating,” he said, working hard at keeping his voice even. “Will’s not just my boyfriend; he’s my fiancé. We’re getting married. Will can’t leave, not now. Not just because of his business. That’s the kind of life we’re building together.”
“What,” Carla exclaimed.
“I thought you said this was new!” Patrick argued. “How could you be engaged?”
Enzo was afraid to see the look on Will’s face when he turned to look at him, but there was no anger, no frustration, no anything except pure fucking relief.
He’d taken a risk, but he’d also known how it had felt, when he’d had to do this exact same thing with his mother. The guilt he’d endured.
Maybe if Will’s parents didn’t think that it was just a fleeting thing, if they knew it was serious between them, maybe they’d stop pushing so goddamned hard.
“We uh . . .we’ve been talking for a long time, before we met in person,” Will improvised.
“His mom thought we’d be a good match and gave me his phone number.
When we met in person . . .” Will trailed off and gazed into Enzo’s eyes, deeply.
He’s really good at faking this. If he’s faking it at all.
“I already knew he was the man for me. Seeing him in person, being with Enzo, it only confirmed what I already knew.”
“Oh. Well. That does change things a bit.” Carla appeared to have softened, considerably. “We’re very happy for you two. Congratulations.”
“A bit surprised,” Patrick added, but he was smiling now, “but yes, very happy. We’ll manage on Tybee.”
Enzo could barely believe that had worked. He’d hoped it might, but he certainly hadn’t expected it to.
“Thanks, Dad,” Will said dryly.
No doubt he was thinking the same thing Enzo was: they wouldn’t accept me saying no when it was about my business, but I meet a man and that’s all that matters.
It was ridiculous but Enzo wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth.
“Good, ’cause I’m not ready to let go of him yet,” Will said, and his voice wasn’t quite steady.
“I’d hope not,” Patrick said, “if you’re going to marry him.”
Enzo was insane.
Enzo was insane and wonderful and brilliant, and Will had never wanted to kiss him more than he did right now.
Or tell him he loved him. Because he’d thought he might, before, but when Enzo had walked in, cocky and confident and so sure, ready to face head-on the messiness of his parents even though Will had warned him off, he’d been sure.
It was the moment he knew.
Maybe not the moment he’d knew he’d marry Enzo, but the moment he knew this was serious for him.
Though . . .considering what Enzo had just announced to his parents . . .maybe there would be wedding bells sometime in their future.
But not now. No way. Will was crazy about this guy but not crazy enough to marry him after dating him for only a few weeks. No matter how good the dating was.
“When’s the wedding?” his mom asked excitedly.
Of course, Rocco had just arrived at their table with his hands full of sandwiches, and his jaw dropped open at her question.
Shit. Shit, shit, shit.
Will was very certain Enzo had felt comfortable and safe making that declaration because his parents would be gone by tonight, and nobody else in town would know.
But now Rocco knew.
And if Rocco knew, Giana was sure to find out.
“Uh,” Enzo said, very eloquently.
“Soon but it’s going to be very small,” Will said firmly.
“I just couldn’t let another day go by without making him mine, forever,” Enzo said, giving Will the gooiest smile in his repertoire. Will recognized it, because they’d exchanged quite a few of those looks on their fake dates.
And that was what this really was, wasn’t it? Just another iteration of that.
“Wow,” Rocco said.
Enzo shot his cousin a warning glare. “Not now, Rocco. Later.”
Rocco seemingly got the message, because he left then. Hopefully not to text every single person he knew in Indigo Bay.
“I can give you a list of what I usually do during a store opening. Brewer might find that helpful,” Will said, changing the subject.
He was grateful Enzo had intervened. Something had been needed and he’d provided it. But he also didn’t want to spend the rest of his lunch break talking about non-existent wedding plans.
“He would for sure,” Patrick said with a firm nod. “We’ve done this before, of course, but this is a big opening for us.”
Will asked about the location then, and as he’d expected, once his dad was off and running talking about business, the subject took over the whole conversation.
After Enzo finished his sandwich, he excused himself, and when he came back a few minutes later, Will was pretty sure he’d talked to Rocco and contained the situation.
The way Enzo reached down and squeezed his knee again seemed to confirm it.
“Well, it’s too bad we’re not staying,” Carla said, with true reluctance. “I’d love to spend more time with you, Enzo. You seem like an excellent young man, with true feelings for Will.”
“I’ve never felt this way before, about anyone,” Enzo said and for a moment, Will was almost sure there was the ring of truth in his voice. He’d heard Enzo fake it enough, after all, but nothing about how he sounded now felt fake.
“We’ll have to swing back around, after the opening,” his dad said firmly.
“Definitely. And you said your mother lives here, in town?” Carla asked, an innocent expression plastered across her face.
But Will didn’t believe it.
And he could feel Enzo freeze next to him.
Yep. There was no way he was letting his mother meet Giana Moretti anytime soon. And when they did eventually meet, it was going to be under very, very controlled circumstances.
Not when Enzo had just brazenly told his parents they were engaged.
“Yes,” Enzo said cautiously.
“Oh, next time we’re in town, I’ll definitely have to meet her.” Carla smiled.
“Yes, next time,” Will said, emphasizing the last part of his sentence.
“I’ve got to get back to work, but it was wonderful to meet you,” Enzo said, deploying another one of those smiles that melted his mother and even seemed to ensnare his father.
Enzo was something else.
Will adored him. Every single part of him.
“We’ll also have to stop by to see the mural, when it’s done,” Carla said.
“Definitely,” Enzo agreed, a twinkle in his eye.
He leaned down and apparently was not at all averse to PDA, even in front of Will’s parents, because he gave him a kiss that would leave him thinking about Enzo’s lips on his—on every single part of him—the rest of the afternoon.
Then he was gone, waving to Rocco, as he headed out the door.
“Well, he’s sure something else,” Carla said, with an approving nod as the door closed behind him.
“Yes,” Will agreed. He could hardly argue with that assessment. “I’ve got to get back, as well. But I’ll make sure to email you over that opening list, and some tips for Brewer.”
“We appreciate it,” Patrick said, putting a hand on Will’s arm as he stood. “I’m just sorry you weren’t able to come yourself.”
Will wasn’t surprised his father had gotten one last guilt trip in. Enzo had worked him hard, but Patrick Johnson wasn’t the kind of man who would ever put personal life above business. Mom might’ve been convinced, but Patrick wouldn’t be. Not entirely.
“I am too, but not that sorry,” she said, giving him a quick hug. “Not after we’ve met what’s keeping you here.”
“Cherry’s is what’s really keeping me here,” Will emphasized. “Enzo is just an added bonus.”
“But what a bonus,” Carla teased.
She was right, again.
Still, he was unbelievably grateful when he finally waved goodbye to them, a few minutes later and returned to Cherry’s, walking in the door feeling like he’d just gone through a war.
Kate looked up as he walked in, not even bothering to hide her curiosity. “How did it go?” she asked.
Will just laughed. “Good. I think.”
I just upgraded from a boyfriend to a fiancé.