Chapter 8
the guy is pure eye candy
MIA
August
With a mug of hot chocolate in front of me, I stare at the kitchen wall.
I only lived here for a matter of weeks before I moved to Phoenix, so this place doesn’t exactly feel like home.
Not after I put all my things in my room.
Not after I took a bath. Not after I refamiliarized myself with the kitchen and made deep-fried chicken with rice for lunch. The hot chocolate isn’t even helping.
God, I really hope things change once Matt is home. And Mom.
It’s seven p.m. when my phone dings with a new text message. When I see the sender’s name, a huge smile splits my lips.
Chiara:
I can’t believe my prodigal best friend finally remembered me
Me:
We talked a week ago
Chiara:
Exactly! I could’ve been abducted by aliens and you wouldn’t even know!
Me:
I’d be very, very sad if that happened
Chiara:
It would serve you right. Maybe then, you’d keep in touch a little better
Me:
I promise to work on it. Any chance you can come over and stay the night? We haven’t done that in years!
Chiara:
4 years and almost 10 months, to be precise. Pretty sure we were 13 last time
Me:
See? We need a sleepover. Pleaseeeeeeee
Chiara:
Fine
I smile broadly, my whole body feeling lighter.
Chiara:
Open the door, Ashton
Squealing, I jump to my feet and race to the front door—and there she is, my exceptionally beautiful best friend. Half her dark hair is in two little buns on top of her head, and the rest drapes down her shoulders. Her brown eyes twinkle as she smiles brightly at me.
I throw myself at her, wrapping my arms around her shoulders and hugging her as tight as I can. “I missed you so much!”
She hugs me back, chuckling. “I missed you too.”
Fifteen minutes later, we’re in our pjs, mugs of hot chocolate and a pack of donuts on the coffee table in front of us.
Chiara reclines on the couch and sips her cocoa. With a sigh, she says, “I’ve been waiting tables all summer, and it’s good money, but I’m tired as fuck. With college starting in two weeks, I’m ready to go into hibernation just to catch up on my sleep.”
“That bad?”
“No.” She waves me off. “I’m being overly dramatic, as always. It’s actually been great. I made lots of friends, saved up some money. It’s all good.”
“What about your love life?”
She rolls her eyes. “Nonexistent. Guys hit on me here and there, but I don’t know. I don’t think I’m ready for anything serious.”
Brow arched, I lean in. “What about girls?”
Her cheeks turn a deep shade of pink, and she shoots me a glare. “You promised not to bring that up.”
“I’m not judging.”
“I know.” She exhales deeply. “I’m just not ready for this conversation.” She brings her mug to her mouth but lowers it without taking a sip. “I met one girl, and I think there was a spark, but…I kinda chickened out. You know how my mama is, so I’m very cautious about this stuff.”
I cover her hand with mine where it rests on the back of the couch. “I’m here for you. Always.”
Smiling, she entwines our fingers. “Thank you. If you only knew how happy I am that you’re finally back. I needed my best friend more than you know.”
My heart pangs. “I needed you too.”
Eyes narrowed, she studies me. I arch an eyebrow in return.
Finally, she says, “How is Jeff doing?”
I burst into laughter. “You still can’t forgive me for having another best friend?”
“What did you expect? I waited for you while you went and cheated on me with Jeff and then with Tessa.”
“Oh my God.” I shake my head. “You know the story with Jeff. The dating, only to realize we were better off as friends. And yes, I’m close to Tessa, but I’ve only known her for a year, and we became friends by default when she and Jeff started dating.
She is not my best friend. That title is reserved for you and Jeff.
He’s wonderful. You’re gonna love him, I promise. ”
“That remains to be seen,” she teases as she picks up a donut. “Your turn. How are you?”
I take my mug from the table and hold it between my palms. “I genuinely thought this would be easier, but something is off.”
“It’s probably because your family isn’t here. I’m sure you would’ve felt a thousand times more welcome had your mom and Matt been here when you arrived.”
“Maybe.” I bite my bottom lip. “How are you feeling about Matt these days?”
Head thrown back, Chiara laughs. “My childhood crush is thankfully over. Don’t get me wrong, your brother è un bonazzo, but he’s so not into me. Honestly, it was pretty pathetic how long I held out hope for something.”
“è un bonazzo?”
She tilts her head, her lips twitching. “You told me you were studying Italian with your dad.”
“I am, but you don’t need to throw it at me like that. I need to prepare myself.”
She scoffs. “Let’s imagine you’re visiting your dad, and someone starts speaking to you in Italian. Will you say, ‘Wait, I need to prepare myself’?”
“Of course not, but I have a lot to learn. I plan to keep studying so when I do visit, I can understand the language and speak it. Or I’ll bring you with me, and you can do all the talking.” I grin.
She sighs. “I’d love to go to Milan, and I can’t imagine my parents saying no. You should’ve seen Mama’s face when I told her your dad is moving to Italy.”
“We should plan a trip for next summer.”
For several minutes, we’re quiet, just drinking cocoa and enjoying the other’s presence. Eventually, though, Chia tilts her head and asks, “If everybody is out of town, how did you get in? Have you been holding on to a key all these years?”
“No.” I grimace. “Some girl brought a spare key.”
“Some girl?”
“Her name is Remi.” It takes effort to not spit her name.
“Ohhhh.” Chia’s eyes widen as she assesses me.
“What does that mean? I haven’t lived here in five years, and other than the occasional comment from Matt, I know nothing about what’s going on with Dominic.”
“So your crush is over?”
“Over.” I shrug.
The out of sight, out of mind tactic worked wonders for my crush.
At first, it was hard, especially when Matt would fill me in on what Dominic was up to.
But as time passed, I found myself thinking about him less and less.
Distance cured me, though it would be a lie to say that what happened last year didn’t sway my heart in his direction again.
Just a little.
“Good.” She nods once. “Because he and Remi are…complicated. I don’t want you in the middle of it.”
A low, unamused chuckle escapes me. “She asked me if I still had a crush on him today.”
Chiara rolls her eyes. “Oh my fucking God! She’s unbelievable.”
I toy with my earring, hesitating. “She said it was obvious to everyone I was in love with him back when I still lived here. Can you believe it?”
She presses her lips into a straight line. “Um, kinda.”
My heart stumbles at her response. Shit.
“It was kind of obvious, but only if you were looking.” She gives me a reassuring smile. “And I don’t think he was looking.”
“He definitely wasn’t.” I brush at a piece of lint on the couch cushion. “But when you say he and that girl are complicated, what do you mean?”
She shifts, pulling one leg under her. “They were hooking up before you left, right?”
I nod. I wish I could wipe those memories from my brain.
“After graduation, they were on-again, off-again, but when he got hurt, she jumped in and helped a lot. It brought them closer.”
My heart squeezes painfully, but not because of Remi.
As much as I try to avoid thinking of Dominic, I can’t help but feel heartbroken when I remember the call from Matt two years ago, during their junior year of college.
Not only did Dom’s shoulder injury take months to heal, but it was so severe, it destroyed any hope he had of being drafted to the NFL.
Chia scratches the back of her neck. “My cousin Sara went to school with them. According to her, the relationship was always very one-sided. Remi is crazy about him while he kinda lets her love him.”
“She’s crazy jealous about him for sure,” I comment. “But what does that have to do with me? Does she really think that after almost five years, I’m still chasing the boy I liked when I was fourteen? My stepbrother?”
The corners of her mouth tip up, and there’s a naughty sparkle in her eyes as she angles in. “Boy? I get that you haven’t seen him in person since the day you left, but Mia, there’s nothing boyish about Dominic Watson. The guy is pure eye candy.”
I scoff, willing my body not to react to the thought. “We’ll see if I still think so.”
I take a sip of my drink and avert my eyes. Chiara is the only person who knew I was in town last year. She was with me that night, but she has no idea why I left so abruptly or why, instead of heading to this house, I went straight to the airport and flew back to Dad.
“You will.” She scoots closer. “Have you hooked up with anyone worth mentioning since you and Jeff broke up?”
I laugh, shaking my head. “I’ve told you before, I never slept with Jeff.”
She turns so she’s facing me head-on. “No? Why did I think you did?”
“Maybe because I lost my virginity to his older brother?”
Her jaw unhinges.
Sighing, I press my fingers to the underside of her chin and close her mouth. “You look like a fish.”
“How could I not? Damn, girl. I wish I had your boldness.”
“Dad says I have a talent for messing things up, and I have to agree. It’s not something to be envious of, trust me.”
“Still. You’re bratty but not bitchy, bold but not arrogant, you know?”
“No?” I giggle and set my mug back on the table.
“You’re impossible,” she crows, flopping back against the couch. “Boldness like yours might actually help me work up the nerve to tell my mama and papa that I’m bi.”
I lean over and press my temple to hers. “You’ll tell them when you’re ready, and it’s okay if you’re not there yet.”
“I hope you’re right.”
Silence settles between us, and a sense of comfort washes over me for the first time since I touched down in California.
Though we’ve barely seen each other in person in five years, we made a pact to stay close, and we followed through.
We FaceTimed constantly, talking, laughing.
We’d do homework together and spam one another with ridiculous memes and GIFs.
Our favorite was to hit play on a movie or an episode of a TV show at the same time and text our reactions the whole way through.
I love this girl to the moon and back, and I know she loves me just as much.