Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
LUCA
“Hey, Ritchie,” Luca called over his shoulder. “You got the paint guns?”
Luca ripped open another box in his empty new shop in Fairwick Falls.
Jon, his part-timer, lifted up a giant box. “Right here.”
“All right, that goes in that cabinet. Hey, where’s Braden?”
“Here,” a squeaky voice called as the person in question ran through the shop. Luca handed him two boxes.
“You set up the desk like I asked you?”
“Yep.” Braden nodded as he held the heavy boxes.
“Young fuck almost put your chair together backwards,” Ritchie said as he walked by and tousled Braden’s hair.
Braden shifted the boxes with a nervous look in his eye. “I fixed it.”
Luca nodded at him. “Good job.” The guys ragged on Braden, but frankly, it was a rite of passage in a shop like theirs. And young kids were prone to making mistakes. He’d made a fuck-ton of them when he was young, too. “Go set up those boxes over in that cabinet.”
Braden ran with the boxes, almost slipping on the slick concrete. Luca held his breath.
“I said I would do all the unpacking,” Angie, his office manager, yelled at him, holding a clipboard.
“I know.” Luca pulled another two boxes off the pile. “I just want it done my way.”
She shook her head at him. “You pay me so things will be done my way. So you can do things like talk to those fancy-ass guys who want all of their vans redone.”
Their last big client had recommended them to a catering company in Erie. Their fleet of used vans needed a full custom job. He’d drive two hours tomorrow to secure a deal big enough to pay their shop rent for the next year.
“Why have an office manager if I can’t manage the office?” Angie hounded him as he walked a box over to his desk.
He ignored her question. He was too worried that everything would be set up in the wrong place and would cause chaos later. “Can you go check to make sure Ritchie is labeling everything?”
Angie’s huff let him know that she was not happy as she turned around.
Bright, happy voices echoed in the empty shop as he unpacked his desk.
Olivia held AB’s hand as they walked in through the open garage door. She’d stopped to ask Braden a question.
Luca stopped and stared. Luca fucking loved that she treated even the youngest guy on his crew like they were a professional. He glowed at her kindness, her class.
Braden was melting with pride and embarrassment as he talked to Olivia. He uttered an embarrassed thanks and pointed his thumb toward Luca’s office.
Luca smirked at Braden’s lovesick stare as Olivia walked away.
Join the club, pal.
“It’s looking exciting,” Olivia said to him with a bright smile. “Has that new-shop smell.”
Annabelle flopped her feet as if she was exhausted as they walked into his office.
“Hey, goober,” he said, opening his arms for a hug. AB walked slowly over to him, flopping each foot harder as she went.
“Hey,” he said, trying to see what was wrong.
“I’m tired,” Annabelle whined.
It was only 4:30. “Long day in first grade?”
Annabelle nodded her head as if it weighed fifty pounds.
“How’d your math races go?” Luca said.
AB shrugged, looking miserable. “I got out on sevens.” She laid her head against his shoulder.
She was clingy, and that usually meant she didn’t feel good.
He felt her forehead. “You’re pretty warm.” He leaned down. “Does your throat hurt?”
Annabelle shrugged.
He looked up at Olivia, who looked bewildered. “She hasn’t said anything.”
He picked Annabelle up and she cuddled against him.
“Cold,” she said into his chest.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize,” Olivia said, full of concern, her hand coming to smooth down AB’s hair beside him.
Luca rolled his lips together, cursing the bad timing. “I was planning to run by the old shop to do the last sweep tonight.” Today was their last day on the lease.
He never liked seeing AB not feel good. It was a wrench in his plans, but she was his number one priority, always. “I’ll call the landlord and see if I can extend it to tomorrow morning.”
The bullet that was Angie with a clipboard nearly sped past but screeched to a halt as she popped her head in. “Oh, hey, little boss.” Angie smiled at Annabelle, who waved back meekly. She loved Angie, who completely spoiled her.
“Why don’t you let Angie close up the other shop?” Olivia suggested.
“Yeah, why don’t you let Angie close up the other shop?” Angie parroted.
Luca sighed. “She has a lot to do.”
“He’s nervous for the thing tomorrow,” Angie said to Olivia, ignoring him completely.
“I’m not nervous.” He rolled his eyes.
“See.” Angie pointed at his face as she talked to Olivia. “When the brows come all the way together, he’s mad. But when they just scrunch like that, he’s nervous.”
Olivia tried not to smile.
“I just have to go to Erie to pitch to these guys. It’s fine. I’ll finish everything up in the morning. Sometimes AB just needs a good night’s sleep to feel better. Want to go home and put your pj’s on?” he said quietly to Annabelle.
She nodded, cuddling against him. He loved feeling the weight of her against his chest.
He really really hoped this was an overnight bug.
But what if it isn’t?
What if I can’t check the other shop in time to make sure we got everything important?
Lots of people want to help you echoed in his head as he looked at Olivia, who reminded him of this with only her arched eyebrows.
Luca admitted defeat, grinding his teeth. “Ang, can you help make sure everything’s gone from the old shop?”
Angie walked over to Olivia and took her by both shoulders. “I don’t know you, but I’m in love with you.” Olivia burst out laughing. “Whatever witchcraft you’re doing,” she said, waving a hand at her, “just keep doing it.”
A little while later, he and AB made it home.
Annabelle fought him putting on her pajamas because she was hot.
He settled for a light nightgown and cuddled with her on the couch as they watched her favorite show.
She eventually fell asleep as the light turned from a golden orange into a dusky purple.
OLIVIA
How’s she doing?
Can I get you anything?
Luca sighed. He wasn’t used to having people try to look out for him.
LUCA
Fever of 101. She’s asleep. Hopefully, she’ll be better tomorrow.
OLIVIA
How are YOU doing? Can I get you anything?
I am very good at reheating soup.
Or I can come over and watch her tomorrow.
He gulped, knowing he could trust Olivia, but still feeling uncomfortable asking.
LUCA
I might need your help if she’s not back to school tomorrow.
I hate to leave her, but the Erie client has been hard to schedule. I’d leave and come right back.
OLIVIA
No problem. I’m sewing costumes and happy to take over cartoon and cuddle duty.
He stroked Annabelle’s hair and pulled the cover up tighter around her.
She clutched at Platypus. He didn’t like the idea of leaving her when she was sick, but she’d probably just watch TV all day if her past colds were any indication.
AB coughed in her sleep and then stirred.
It sounded like she was developing congestion.
LUCA
Let’s see how she fares tonight.
Thank you for being someone she’d happily be sick around.
OLIVIA
The honor is all mine
God, this woman. He needed to come to terms with whatever situationship he was in right now.
They snuck kisses, he depended on her, she made him laugh, and she’d nearly melted his heart out of his body on Saturday with the cupcake thing. And when they actually could find time to…make out? Orgasm their brains out? He felt like a caveman possessed his body, he needed to claim her so badly.
Was he brave enough to potentially lose himself again? He opened a different contact to message.
LUCA
Was I really that out of it? When Marcy died?
SHE-DEMON SISTER
bruh.
yes.
also...whyyyyy??? are you asking me about this????
ooooo
might it perhaps have to do with a ballet dancer that turns you into luca soup when you look at her?
LUCA
I don’t know how much longer I can fight whatever this is.
I’m doing a pretty bad job of fighting it now.
But the thought of losing her is terrifying.
I thought maybe I overexaggerated how bad it had been in my head when Marcy died.
SHE-DEMON SISTER
look, normally i’d make fun of you
because usually you deserve it
but….
…..
i kinda get it now. reed is my soul. my person outside my body. if anything ever happened to him….
oh fuck you for making me cry tonight
AND i have you to depend on.
and friends (weird, right??). i know i could get through it.
you didn’t really have anybody to lean on. i was still hitting you up for money then and was barely a legal adult.
LUCA
But you came through for us, which is all that matters.
SHE-DEMON SISTER
look, what happened with marcy was a fucking tragedy. but you have to be brave enough to try again.
olivia is great.
i mean, she could use some tattoos and her knowledge of 1970s san francisco punk is lacking. but! nobody’s perfect.
it could all work out.
who knows, you could romantically feed each other pureed prunes in your retirement home
have matching denture glasses on your matching bedside tables.
LUCA
Alright, I get the picture.
SHE-DEMON SISTER
oh! matching bedpans
LUCA
PEARL.
SHE-DEMON SISTER
night buttface
LUCA
Night little monster
And since I don’t say it enough
AB and I love you a lot.
SHE-DEMON SISTER
ewwww such a SAP now that you’re in LOVE
jkjk i love you or whatever weirdo
Luca tossed his phone onto the couch and bundled AB up to take her to bed.
Brave enough to try again? He sighed, pushing it from his mind for now.
* * *
He didn’t sleep well that night, getting up every few hours to check on Annabelle, giving her more cough medicine so she could sleep, and turned on the humidifier.
By the next morning, her temperature was still at 100, even though she was up and watching cartoons. Dr. Lopez hadn’t seemed too worried, but told him to bring her in if it got higher.
It was only 7:30 AM, but he already felt like he’d been through the wringer, running on little sleep.
Annabelle, however, seemed in good spirits as she ate breakfast and played on the couch. He thought about Olivia’s offer.
They watched an animated show on the TV, and he cuddled AB closer. “I think you need to stay home from school, kiddo. I might need to run to work for a little while today. Is it okay if Olivia stays with you?”
“Yeah,” AB said with a smile.
He texted Olivia, who said she’d be over in a few. He felt nervous. He didn’t like this new feeling that potentially felt like overreach.
As he came downstairs, changed for his meeting, he saw her leaving her house. He met her at the back door for a sneaky kiss. She hefted a box of fabric and held her little sewing machine by its handle. There were dark circles underneath her eyes.
He caught her chin and bent down, capturing her mouth in a kiss before pulling back slightly, studying her up close.
“Mm. Good morning,” she purred against his lips.
He turned to look over his shoulder, making sure AB was still on the couch, and kissed her again, deeper.
“You should meet me outside in the morning more often,” she said, nipping at his lips.
“You feeling okay?” He didn’t like the dark circles under her eyes.
“Just slept like crap; it happens sometimes when I’m nervous.” I’ve got a lot to do before the festival this weekend.
“You should go home and sleep. I can move things around.” This was why he didn’t like asking people for things. It was an imposition.
She smacked a kiss against his cheek and pushed past him. “Won’t sleep until I finish two more costumes anyway.”
The delight in Annabelle’s face at seeing Olivia, despite having seen her only twelve hours earlier, relieved some of Luca’s guilt as he grabbed his keys, ready to make the drive to Erie to secure his biggest client yet.