57. Lucy
Lucy
Ipour the last of the sangria into a glass and hand it to one of Leo’s cousins. Matteo, I think his name is.
He takes a sip and closes his eyes. “Best sangria ever.”
He raises his glass to me, and I chuckle. “Thanks, but I don’t deserve the credit. Zoey does. It’s her recipe. I just chopped up the fruit.”
Matteo turns to Zoey and raises his glass to her instead. “Like I said. Best sangria ever.”
She laughs while he takes a long sip.
“Where’d Leo go?” Matteo asks.
“He went to the bathroom a minute ago,” I say.
“He probably got stopped by one of our uncles wanting to talk about how he played at his last game,” Zoey says.
“I’ll go find him and rescue him,” Matteo says. “Leo loves our uncles, but they can get pretty long-winded when they talk to us.” He turns to me. “If our Uncle Sal starts talking to you about his garage remodel, run in the other direction.”
I burst out laughing. “Will do.”
Matteo walks off.
“Where’s Jeff?” I ask Zoey.
“He’s spending the day with his family,” she says.
“Will you get to see each other today?”
She shakes her head. “No, but it’s okay. He’ll be with me at Christmas.” She smiles. “Are you coming to Christmas with Leo too?”
“Oh, um. I’m not sure yet.” Hope springs through my chest. I’d really like that.
I glance around the house, taking in how many people are here, how happy they all look. If this is what holidays are like in Leo’s family, I want to come to every single one.
But that’s a decidedly couple-y thing—spending every holiday together. And we’re not a couple.
I’ll be moved out of his house before Christmas too. Leo probably won’t even think to ask me to come over for the holidays.
I should really start touring apartments soon…
Instead of feeling excited, I’m sad and disappointed to leave Leo’s place.
This is what you wanted, remember? You need to move out. You need to be on your own.
“I’m gonna steal some of those mini crab cakes that the servers are walking around with,” Zoey says, pulling me back into the moment. “You want some?”
“Yeah, that sounds amazing. Thanks.”
She walks off, and I grab a washcloth and wipe down the counter so it doesn’t get sticky. This countertop looks like it’s made of a high-quality stone, and I don’t want to damage it.
I glance up at Leo’s mom’s house. I take a moment to soak in just how gorgeous and massive this place is.
It looks like something out of a magazine.
The floors are made of a sleek, pearly marble.
And the open-concept design is the biggest I’ve ever seen.
The living room, dining room, and kitchen occupy the same space, but it doesn’t feel crowded at all, even with so many people.
Probably because the entire first floor is almost two thousand square feet.
Two long dining tables are set up in the middle of the space with what looks like expensive china and silverware. The massive cream-colored sectional in the living room looks like one of those expensive, custom-made cloud couches.
I gaze at the kitchen, where the caterers, servers, and Leo’s mom are.
The countertops and island look like they’re made of the same beautiful marble as the floors.
And all the stainless steel appliances look like they came straight out of a high-end restaurant.
It’s like a gourmet chef’s dream kitchen.
I take a sip of my sangria, in awe of how nice it all is. At first, when I walked into the house with Leo, I was nervous. I thought his relatives and family friends would be rich snobs who turned their noses up at me.
But everyone I’ve met and talked to so far has been so warm and kind. Everyone has gone out of their way to make me feel welcome. And every single person has given me a hug. They’re all treating me like I’m an old friend.
A warm feeling swirls through me. I like it here. I like Leo’s family so much.
I think about that comment Leo made—about me coming here again next year for Thanksgiving.
I tried to play it cool, but on the inside I was freaking out…because that’s exactly what I want.
I want to be here with Leo and his family again next year…maybe as his girlfriend…
But then, that voice inside my head pipes up.
Don’t get your hopes up. This is who Leo is, remember? The guy who helps everyone, who goes out of his way for his friends. He was inviting you as his friend, nothing more.
Zoey walks over and sets two plates of appetizers in front of me. I smile at her, grateful for the distraction of food.
“I got the last of the crab cakes for us to share and some veggies with hummus.”
“This looks so yummy,” I say.
Together, we snack on the appetizers.
“So. Is living with my brother driving you crazy yet?” Zoey teases.
I shake my head and smile. “He’s a great roommate. And friend.”
“Leo likes you, Lucy. He really, really likes you.”
That hopeful feeling from earlier springs up in my chest once more. I try and fail to hold back my smile. I bet I look so giddy and goofy.
“I like him too,” I say.
“As friends, or…” she trails off, that knowing look lingering in her gaze.
I work up the nerve to tell her that yes, we’re just friends who live together and get along really well.
But I know it wouldn’t be convincing. And even though I don’t know Zoey that well, she’s good at reading my reactions.
So I drop the pretense and decide to be honest.
“More than a friend,” I say.
A nervous feeling flits through me. Will she be upset? She’s his big sister, so she’s probably protective of him. And Leo and I have only known each other for a couple of months. She might think I’m playing him or taking advantage of him.
But then I notice the look in her eyes. Soft and warm. She’s not mad. She looks kind of happy, actually.
“That’s what I thought,” she says. “I’m glad to hear that.”
I let out a quiet breath, relieved at her response.
“We’re just trying to take things slow,” I say, not wanting to say outright that I’m hooking up with her brother. That would probably be a really weird and awkward thing to say.
“Leo isn’t one to talk about his feelings or his dating life. Definitely not with his big sister,” Zoey says. “But he told me about how much he likes you. And how different this feels with you than with anyone else.”
That hopeful feeling sprouts wings and flutters through my chest.
“He said that?”
She nods. “You’re special to my brother, Lucy. I hope you know that. And I hope he makes you feel that way.” She gives my arm a gentle squeeze.
Before I can say anything, one of her aunts comes up to her and asks for her help finding some family photo album. They walk off together.
I stand there, my head spinning at the thought of Leo admitting to his sister that I’m special. That I’m different.
Maybe it’s not just me who’s catching feelings. Maybe Leo is too.
I glance around for him, catching eyes with him as he crosses the room over to me.
He smiles and winks at me. My tummy flips, and my heartbeat kicks up.
I need to ask him how he feels about me. I need to know if what he told his sister is true.
Because if it is, maybe this thing between us could be something more…
The second he walks up to me, I open my mouth to speak, but before I can utter a word, there’s a sharp whistle sound.
The room falls quiet, and everyone turns to the kitchen, where Leo’s mom is standing.
“Everyone. Thank you so much for coming over. Please find a seat at one of the tables.” She smiles. “Lunch is served.”
The servers and caterers set out massive trays of delicious-looking food on both tables.
Leo grabs my hand and leads me to one of the tables. “Hope you’re hungry. There’s so much food.”
I chuckle, despite wanting to pull him aside and ask him how he really feels about me. I can’t do that now. We’re about to share Thanksgiving with his relatives and family friends.
Leo holds out a chair for me, and I sit down.
I’ll do it after dinner, maybe on the drive back to Denver, I quietly tell myself before digging into the meal.
* * *
“This is the best stuffing I’ve ever tasted,” I say after taking a bite of sausage, sage, and cornbread stuffing.
Leo grins at me. He looks up at his mom, who’s sitting a few seats away, next to Leo’s aunt.
“The stuffing is a hit, Mom. Lucy says it’s the best she’s ever had.”
She beams. “That’s the most wonderful compliment, Lucy. Thank you.”
I finish the rest of the food on my plate and listen to the chatter around me. Everyone’s telling stories and laughing and joking.
This is what I always dreamed a big holiday meal would be like: surrounded by family and friends, enjoying yummy food.
Alessia, who’s sitting across from me, asks me how I like my job as an assistant for the physios at Hollis U.
“I love it. It’s so cool to be able to work for the university. And support the hockey team.”
I glance over at Leo, who’s gazing at me with a smile on his face.
“Lucy’s incredible. She does an amazing job every day she’s there,” he says.
My heart skids in my chest hearing him build me up in front of all his family and friends. When I look up, I see his mom glancing between us, a wistful smile on her face.
Once we finish dinner, the servers clear our empty plates, then serve pie for dessert. When I take a bite of the pecan pie, I moan softly.
“Good, right?” Leo’s Aunt Cheryl says.
I nod. “So, so yummy.”
She smiles proudly, then looks at Leo’s mom, Cora.
“Told you that butter in the crust is a winner, sis,” Cheryl says.
Cora rolls her eyes good-naturedly. “Fine. You win.”
The table chuckles. When we finish dessert, a few people leave to head home, but most stay, either lingering at the table with drinks or moving out to the living room.
“You wanna head out on the deck for a bit for some fresh air?” Leo asks.
I smile and nod. He stands up and pulls my chair out for me, right as his mom walks by and pats his arm.
“I’m glad all that time I put into teaching you manners paid off,” she teases.
He shakes his head, but he’s smiling.
When I stand up, I turn to her. “That was the most delicious meal I’ve ever had, Ms. Peretti.”
She blushes, smiling wide as she pulls me into a hug.
“Thank you so much for letting me come to your family’s Thanksgiving,” I say, squeezing her tight.
“Oh, Lucy. You are always welcome. Especially when you say such nice things about my cooking. And please, call me Cora. Ms. Peretti makes me feel a million years old.”
I chuckle softly. “Okay, Cora.”
She walks off to visit with her other guests. Leo grabs our jackets, and we walk through the living room to the massive deck overlooking the evergreen treeline and mountains in the distance. It’s late afternoon, so the sun is low in the sky, hovering over the peaks.
The door opens, and Zoey, Matteo, and Alessia come out to join us. We’re all standing around talking when I notice Leo’s gaze drift past my shoulder. His smile fades.
I turn around and see his dad standing in the middle of the dining room, frowning while one of Leo’s mom’s neighbors talks to him.
“Look who finally decided to show up,” Leo mutters.
I turn back to Leo. “I didn’t know your dad was coming. I thought your parents were separated.”
He tugs a hand through his thick, chocolate-brown hair. “They are. My mom wanted to be nice and invited him.”
“That’s really kind of her.”
“Yeah,” he says through an exhale, his hard gaze still on his dad. “But of course he didn’t even bother to show up on time for the actual meal.”
I notice Zoey looking between her dad and brother. She touches Leo’s arm, but he just shakes his head. She sighs, a defeated look on her pretty face. She gives me a sad smile before walking off with Matteo and Alessia to the wet bar on the other side of the deck.
Leo and his dad quietly glare at each other. Then his dad’s gaze falls on me. His frown deepens, making him look even more pissed off.
I suddenly feel on edge…like I shouldn’t be here. Like I don’t belong.
“Enough of this,” Leo mutters. And then he walks into the house, right up to his dad.