Chapter 27 #5
She tries to look innocent. Fails. "Well," I say, smirking, "that dork made Charles shut the fuck up. For real. With words. Didn’t raise a hand. Just straight-up verbal annihilation." Her jaw drops a little.
"You should’ve seen it. The way he stood up for me. And for him. You’d have been shocked. Mouth on the floor. He turned Charles into a statue." I grin wide. "The man totally snapped, I swear to God."
"Oh my god." She shakes her head, stunned. "You’re actually in love." She blinks rapidly. "My little Giovanni, you finally fell in love with something other than a chunk of metal on wheels."
I burst out laughing.
"Okay, rude, but accurate," I say, grinning. She reaches over and pinches my cheek with mock annoyance. "You’re glowing, you brat."
I shrug. Don’t even argue. Maybe I am.
She looks at me with the softest expression, then she reaches over, brushes her thumb against my hand.
"I’m so happy to see you like this," she says quietly. "I’m sorry I used to tell you to stay away. From him. From feeling anything, really." I frown a little. "Mom—"
"No. I mean it. I thought I was protecting you. But, look at us. Look where we are." She smiles, sad and warm all at once.
"This life is too unpredictable for us to hide from the things we feel." And for once, I don’t push back. I just nod. "Yeah," I say. "I’m glad you said that."
Because truth is, I haven’t had one moment like this with her in years. And I needed it. After a few seconds, she tilts her head.
"So…what are you going to do?"
"About what?"
She gives me a look. "About Rava. About the fact that he has to leave." I sigh. Sit back in the chair again. "I don’t know yet," I admit. "But I’ll figure it out. I know I will. Whatever happens, I can’t lose him. I won’t. Not this time."
Suddenly, she starts crying. "Hey," I say, sitting forward. "Why are you crying?"
She sniffles. Shakes her head, laughing through it. "I just wish your father could be here." Her voice cracks. "He would’ve been so proud of you, Giovanni. Not just for loving someone. But for the man you’ve become."
I freeze. Shit. "Stop," I say quickly. "Don’t make me cry too. We’ll look pathetic in here." She laughs, wiping under her eyes.
"Sorry, sorry." Then she reaches up, touches my cheek. Her thumb hovers over the bruise. "You didn’t just get his face," she says softly. "You got his good heart too."
I look down. Smile. Then look back up at her. "That means more than you know." She reaches toward my wrist. "Wait a minute. What’s that?"
I follow her gaze to the colorful bracelet.
GIO ? RAVA.
I grin. "This?" I ask. She gives me the look. The I-birthed-you-don’t-play-dumb-with-me look. "You didn’t make that."
"Obviously not," I say, holding my hand up. "Do I look like a guy who can handle string and beads? Please. I’d probably glue my fingers together somehow."
She laughs. "So who did?"
I lean back. "A little girl we met on the beach. Emiliana." She raises an eyebrow. "Go on."
"She’s like…six? Maybe? I don’t know, she has this plastic shovel and a scary amount of insight into my soul." My mom tilts her head, already amused.
"I helped her build a sandcastle," I say. "We’re just messing around at first. Then she started asking questions. About Rava. She clocked it immediately. Said I look at him like I want to kiss him and also cry. I didn’t even know I was doing that."
She laughs out loud.
"At the end of the day, she gave me two bracelets. This one, and a matching one for him. Said I should give it to him when I grow a pair and tell him how I feel."
My mom clutches her chest dramatically. "Oh my god. God bless that little girl."
"Right?! I swear, she has more emotional intelligence than most adults I know."
"And did you give it to him?"
"Yeah," I say, running my thumb across the beads. "After I told him I love him." She looks at me. Proud. A little in awe. "God bless that little girl." She laughs harder, then looks at it again.
"Wow," she says quietly. "You lived through all that…and I had no idea." I look at her. "You will now."
She blinks. "I mean it. I won’t hide anything else. No more secrets, no more half-truths. I want this to be real again. You and me." I touch her hand again. "So hurry up and get better, alright? Get out of this ridiculously clean place."
She wipes a tear from her eye, then smiles. "I’ll do my best," she whispers.
30) Husband Behavior
Rava
The house is quiet. Still, not the kind of quiet that feels lonely, if that makes sense. I stand in the middle of Gio's living room like I've accidentally broken into my favorite place. In his shirt. Lulu is curled on the rug like a tiny, spoiled dictator.
I have no idea what I'm supposed to do. What does someone do when they're alone in the house of the person they love? Wait on the couch like a polite guest? Bake something? Rearrange his spice rack?
I end up doing nothing for ten minutes. Just sit at his desk, staring at a cup of pens and a few receipts from god knows where.
And then it hits me. He's done so much for me. Protected me. Fed me. Slept beside me. Laughed when I couldn't. I want to do something for him. Even something small.
I stand up, suddenly determined. Okay. Housework. That's a thing people do. I'll clean. Where do I start? I look around. And then Lulu meows. She is staring directly at me. Right beside her litter box.
"Oh, right."
She blinks. Judging me. Obviously. I walk over, adjusting my glasses. "Alright, Your Majesty, we'll refresh your royal throne."
As I grab the scoop, I reach for my phone at the same time. There is one person who needs to know what happened last night. And the night before.
Noah.
I haven't told him yet. God, he's gonna lose his mind. I tap his contact.
Noah (DO NOT LET HIM NAME MY FUTURE KIDS).
It rings once. And I'm already smiling. Just thinking about it. About telling him that I said it. That Gio said it. That I'm standing barefoot in Gio's house, wearing his shirt, cleaning his cat's litter box. I look down at the bracelet on my wrist as the phone rings.
I'm so happy.
I have the scoop in one hand and my phone tucked between my ear and my shoulder, crouched over Lulu's litter box. She sits beside me, watching.
Noah picks up and immediately starts shouting. "OH MY GOD. Is this the Canadian virgin? The man, the myth??" I grin, shaking my head. "Hi, Noah."
"Is Lorenzo there?" he snaps.
"No?"
"Good. Tell that greasy bastard to check the reels I sent him RIGHT NOW or I'm buying a one-way ticket just to beat his ass with a sandal."
I laugh. "Amazing. Truly. Missed you too."
"Awww," he says, softly. "Sorry, my dramatic little affection sponge. I missed you so much I could eat drywall."
"I—what?"
"Anyway, pause that thought. Rava, you will NOT believe who Sophia's dating." I freeze mid-scoop. "I'm scared."
"You should be."
"I don't know if I want to know. I'm too mature to care about stuff like th—"
"My brother."
I stop. Just stare at Lulu. "WHAT?!"
He immediately bursts into fake sobbing over the phone. "Bro. She's with Dylan! She said he has a good heart! A fucking good heart, Rava! I'm gonna kill myself!"
"Are you serious?!"
"Deadass. I told him she was a cheating ass whore and this man says, and I quote, 'maybe I can change her.' MAYBE I CAN CHANGE HER."
I sit back, scoop still in hand. "Okay. I actually feel brain cells die."
"I hope she cheats on him," he sniffles. "I hope she cheats on him so I can walk up to the altar and say 'I TOLD YOU SO' with cannons. Made of red flags."
"You are so unbelievably unwell."
"Wait," I say, shifting the phone. "I'm putting you on video so I can prop you on the floor. This is hard with one hand."
"You just wanna see my pretty face again, don’t you," Noah says smugly. "Admit it. You missed me."
"Shut up, you clingy bitch." I flip the camera and set him on the floor beside me, next to a new bag of litter. Lulu is sitting there too, regal as hell. I look at her.
"For such a pretty and well-groomed cat," I mutter, "your litter box is fucking disgusting."
"Wait wait wait," Noah cuts in. His face zooms in too close on the screen. "Where are you right now?" I grin. "Gio's place."
He freezes. "And what exactly are you doing there?" he asks slowly. I shrug, casually scooping. "Cleaning Lulu's litter box. Gio's coming back soon."
Noah immediately starts laughing like crazy.
"What?" I frown at the screen. "What's so funny?"
"Bro," he says, pointing into the camera. "That's marriage. This is domestic. You're cleaning his cat's shit. In his shirt." I look up at the ceiling. Shit. My cheeks are definitely turning red.
Noah squints. "Wait. Were you about to fold his laundry next? Were you gonna sweep the floors too? Don't lie to me, Rava."
I stay silent.
"Oh my god," he whispers. "You were."
"I hate you."
"I respect it! Really, Gio must be giving you insane dick. You're gone, man."
"Shut the fuck up, idiot!" I snatch the phone up from the floor. "It's not about the sex, Jesus—he did something good for me and I'm returning the favor in my own way, alright?!"
"That's what they all say until they're crocheting his initials onto dish towels. You're in deep, baby. I'm proud of you."
I groan, grab the scoop again, and go back to cleaning. "God," I mutter. "I should've called Lorenzo instead."
"Too late," he sings. "You called me, and now I'm part of the domestic drama. So tell me, did you feed the cat, too? Are you brushing her next? Want me to send you a wife apron?"
"Shut. Up." Lulu meows approvingly. "At least my brother isn't dating a cheater," I say while scooping the last bit of Lulu's litter. Noah goes quiet for a second.
"Fair. Low blow. But fair. I accept that."
I look at Lulu, who is still watching me like I'm her butler. "Your throne is ready," I tell her. "You may now poop like royalty."
Noah loses it. "Why do I picture you building her a little golden staircase and monogrammed toilet paper?!"