11. Luka
Luka
She is letting me hold her. I am so lost in the feeling I almost forgot what got us on this conversation in the first place.
My little Gattina doesn't know how to let anyone else have control.
Everything is always on her shoulders. I sensed that when her mom called her brother for a rolled ankle.
We watched it happen. It wasn't even that bad.
He got up and walked off the court himself.
The fact that her mom thought she could do something from states away is telling.
I hope I didn't crack open my heart to have her walk away.
After feeling her in my arms, I don't think I will be able to do that.
I feel her body become heavier on me. I stop my thoughts to pay attention to her breathing.
She fell asleep. I don't care if I have to sleep on this small ass couch all night.
I don't care if Coach is yelling at me because I have sore muscles at practice tomorrow.
I am not moving from this spot until she makes me.
I tip my head back against the arm of the couch and close my eyes.
Sleeping in my suit pants is going to suck.
I am not sure how long I have been lying here when my phone starts to vibrate on the coffee table. I try to get to it before Adrianna wakes up, but as soon as it stops and starts again, she is stirring.
"Sorry." I slide over some to reach it. When I saw it was Liam calling, I immediately answered. We never let our calls go to voicemail.
"You didn't answer my text." Liam's gruff voice comes through the phone.
"You literally just texted me. How can I answer when you just called me right away?
" I slide back to cuddle with Adrianna, but she is sitting up and crawling over me.
I grab her hand, but she pulls it away. She picks up the empty plates off the coffee table and walks to the kitchen.
"What's up, Man?" I am irritated that he called and hasn't told me why yet.
"Where are you? You aren't at home." Is he seriously calling me because I am not at home?
"You are right, big brother; I am not at home."
"Where are you?"
Okay, now he is pissing me off. "I am at Adrianna's. Is everything okay?"
"I need you to come home."
His tone has me sitting up. "What's the matter?" I am about to ask if it is one of the girls or the kids, but he said home, which means something is the matter at my parents' house. "Liam, who is it?"
Adrianna must hear my concern because she immediately comes and sits next to me, placing her hand on my leg. It's crazy how I instantly feel comfort from her. I have never felt that with anyone outside my family.
"It's Pops. He is okay now, but I need you to come home, Luka." I stand and start scanning the room for my stuff, and then I start pacing because I have no clue what I am even looking for anymore.
"I will be there in 30 minutes."
"Okay, Brother. I love you."
"I love you, too." As much as I love to give my brother shit. I would take a bullet for them. The love I feel for them is unmatched. I am still pacing the living room when I hang up.
"Is everything okay, Luka? Can I help with anything?" Adrianna comes and stands in front of me. She places her hand on my chest, stopping my movement.
I raise my head to look at her instead of at my feet. "My Pops. Something happened to him. Supposedly, he is fine, but I need to go see him myself." She nods at me.
"Okay, so he is okay now. That's good. I am sure if it were anything major, your brother would have you go to the hospital, right?"
"They were supposed to be coming home from a trip tonight. I didn't even know they were home yet. What if they came home early because he had an episode or something?" I start pacing again, and Adrianna steps back.
"Can I ask what the matter is with him?" She picks up my suit jacket off the back of the couch.
"He was just diagnosed with Heart failure. Stage D or whatever the last stage is." I sit on the coffee table, place my head in my hands, and try to breathe through the pain radiating in my chest.
"Okay, then you need to go see him. You won't be able to settle until you do.
Here, let me help you get your things together.
" She places my shoes in front of me. "Start by putting on your shoes.
" I slide my shoes on my feet and stand.
"Is there anything else I can do to help?
" She looks up at me and gives me a sad smile.
I push a strand of hair behind her ear and run the back of my knuckles across her cheek.
"I would really like to kiss you." I close my eyes and take a breath.
When I open them again, her lips are slightly parted, and her cheeks are flush.
I know I am not the only one who feels this pull between us.
"But the first time I kiss you, I want to do it because we both want it and not because you feel bad for me. "
She huffs at me and rolls her eyes. "I don't feel bad for you."
"Good, then come with me to my parents."
She starts laughing, and it's my favorite sound. All the goal buzzers from every goal we have ever made will not touch the sound of her laugh.
"I am not coming with you to your parent's house, Luka. I just said that I don't feel bad for you. What makes you think I will come with you?"
"Because, Gattina, you want to make sure I get there okay and you want to spend time with me as much as I want to spend time with you."
"Don't call me that." She pushes me, but there is less heat behind her words than before. "I don't think we are friends enough for me to be going with you, Luka. This is important. They need you there. I would just be in the way."
"That is where you are wrong, Adrianna. For some reason, you make me feel calmer. That is why I need to call you before my games now; you give me peace. I know you don't see it now. Maybe my Ma can explain it to you better. But I need you with me. Please."
I am almost certain she will tell me to get lost, "Fine, let me change."
I am shocked. She turns to walk to her room. "You look great like that." I follow her toward the room.
She placed her hand on my chest to stop me from following her into her room. "I am not going to meet your parents wearing my PJs, Luka. You stay here. I will be ready in five minutes." She shut the door in my face, and I couldn't help but smile.
I am winning my girl over. I can feel it.
We pull into my parent's house and everyone is here. Damn, maybe I shouldn't have brought Adrianna here tonight. She just had to deal with most of my family at the game and we can be a lot. Get us all together because one of us is hurt. We are definitely too much.
"Maybe this wasn't a good idea." I slow the car down as we pull through the gate.
"What do you mean? Do you not want me to come in with you?
I can get a ride home. I don't want you to go without seeing your Dad.
" She turns in her seat. I can see the uneasiness she already has and I am just adding to it.
I stop the car in the middle of the driveway and turn to her.
Placing my hands on her face, I lean into her.
Close enough that I could kiss her if I wanted to.
I really, really want to, but not right now.
"I want you everywhere with me. My family can just be a lot."
"You are crazy, Rizzoli. I will be fine. Let's go." She looks from my eyes to my lips and I smirk.
"Not yet, Gattina." I pull away, "but soon."
"Don't call me that." She smiles and looks out the window. "Wow, your parent's house is beautiful. Did you grow up in this house?"
I love to see my world through her eyes. Watching her during our game this evening, when I could catch her not looking at me, reminded me how much I love hockey. Seeing her see my parents' house for the first time reminded me how lucky I am to have lived here with my family.
I take her hand as we walk up the steps, thankful she doesn't pull away from me.
"I did. I was lucky. My parents are very loving and were very involved in my life. My brothers, on the other hand, are a pain in my ass. Don't believe anything they say."
"You know I met them already, right? They only had great things to say about you." She places her hand on my arm before I can open the door. "Your family loves you, Luka."
"Yeah, I know. Just prepare yourself." I open the door, and even though it's eleven at night, the house is loud. "I'm home!" I yell. I can hear voices coming from all different rooms. It smells like Gretchen is here. No one else can make a house smell like that.
"Holy shit. What is that amazing smell?" Adrianna pulls her boots off and places them next to mine. I watch as she lines them up perfectly away from everyone else's shoes, which are just thrown in a pile.
"Gretchen must have been up and came over." I can hear the tiny feet running through the house. I lean over and kiss Adrianna on the top of her head, taking a minute to breathe in her smell before the chaos starts. "Here they come."
Her eyes dart to mine. "Who is Gretchen and who is they?"
"Zio!" Gio and Layla come running around the corner. They both freeze when they see Adrianna standing next to me. I kneel down and open my arms out for them.
"Addy!" They both yell. Gio barrels right into her legs while Layla comes over and hugs me.
"I see how it is, Gio." He smiles at me and I pull Layla in a hug. "Hey, Sweetheart." I go to lift her, but she pulls away.
"Hey, Zio Luka." She wiggles out of my arms and clings to Adrainna's other leg. "Hey, Addy. You came."
"I did, Sweet Girl." She ruffles Gio's hair and bends down to lift Layla into her arms as Gio finally comes to give me a hug.
"Nonna's in the kitchen, Ma and Zia's are in the living room, and the men are in the office," Gio whispers to me, and I run my fingers through his hair.
"Thanks, Little Man." I stand and hold my hand out to Adrianna. "Sorry, Gattina. Can I introduce you to my Ma first? I need to go see the guys. Afterward, I can give you the big tour and make sure you meet everyone."
"Umm..." She looks from me to the kids. I know she is thinking she shouldn't have come, that she should turn around and leave. Before she gets the chance, my Ma walks into the room. Gio steps to the side as I walk into my Ma's open arms. I place my head on her shoulder and she rubs my back.
"He is okay, Bambino. He is going to be alright.
" I don't know if she is trying to convince me or herself.
She stops rubbing my back when Layla asks Adrianna a question.
Her eyes find mine and go wide. This is the first time I have ever brought a girl home.
"Who did you bring, Bambino?" I step back away from her and walk back to Adrianna, who is still holding Layla.
I take Layla from her and take her hand. "Ma, this is Adrianna. Adrianna, this is my Ma." I look from my Ma to my girl. Hoping she can see how much Adrianna means to me. Maybe she can work her mojo like she did with Mia and Liam.
"Hi, Mrs. Rizzoli. It is nice to meet you." Adrianna puts on her professional voice, which she used on Jake and me when we first met. I choke back a laugh, and she gives me a dirty look as she holds out her hand for my Ma.
My Ma walks right past her hand and pulls her into a hug. "Hi, Cara. You can call me Nina."
I lean down between them. "She knows Italian," I tell my Ma and smile when my Ma does.
"That is amazing! Come, come, Cara. I will introduce you to everyone while Luka checks in on his Pops." She takes my hand out of Adrianna's and starts to walk away with her. Adrianna turns to me with fear in her eyes.
"That's okay, Ma. I will walk her and the kids back into the living room with the girls. Adrianna met them at the game tonight."
My Ma drops Adrianna's hand and Gio takes it before I can. Layla grabs the other one and smiles at me. "Come on, Zio. Let's go take Addy to the girls."
I walk into the spare room Cecilia used to use when she was staying with my parents and see her sitting on her bed.
"Everything okay, Ce?" I sit down beside her while she looks at a picture of Romeo, Gio and her at my first game of the season.
"Yeah, Luka. It's okay." She runs her finger over Gio's face.
"Wanna talk about it? You know I'm a good listener. That is why I am your favorite."
"We found four kids this time," CeCe sighs and looks up at me, tears forming in her eyes.
Ever since CeCe was assaulted and we found out the guy that did it ran with a trafficking ring, she has taken it upon herself to save the world.
I don't know exactly how she and Romeo do it.
I just know that every once in a while, they take the jet and go break up an offshoot of the assholes that were in our town.
"Were they okay?" I ask and then roll my eyes. Of course, they weren't—not if they were in that situation.
"They will be," CeCe whispers and runs her finger over Gio's face again. "So, Adrianna, huh?" She smiles at me.
"Yeah."
"You must really like her. Even as a kid, you never brought anyone home."
"I do. She is different than anyone else I have ever met."
"What makes you say that?"
"I don't know. It's the way she looks at me."
"You mean like she can see into your soul? See the person you really are?"
"Yeah. It's just like that. Like, she doesn't give a shit that I play hockey. Or who my family is. We talk, you know, about the important things. The things that matter. No one else cared about those things before."
"Well, I like her. Don't screw it up." CeCe stands up and takes my hand. "We all deserve to be happy, Luka. Especially you. You always care too much about everyone else. I am glad to see you caring about yourself more." She drops my hand and walks out the door.
Do I always put everyone else before myself? I would. In a heartbeat, I would pick my family's happiness over my own. They would never ask me to. That is why they won't let me join them in any family business. They know I would choose them over hockey. My phone buzzes, and I see it's my Pops.
Pops:
Come to the office, my boy. I want to talk to you.
I make my way into the office. Everyone is still sitting around. I guess they are done talking business and decided I could join them.
"Everything good?" I look at Liam, and he nods.
"So, someone want to tell me what happened today?" I kiss my Pops on the cheek and sit down in my spot next to Callum on the couch.
"You want to tell me about the beautiful redhead your Ma has been texting me nonstop about?"
"You first Pops."
"Fine, I had an episode. It wasn't a big deal; your Ma overreacted." Pops leans back in his chair.
"Overreacted Pops?" Callum stands and throws his hands in the air. "We had to have Doc meet you at the airfield."
"Sit down." Pops stares at Callum, who immediately falls onto the couch. "I am fine. Everything is fine. Let's talk about what I missed. How are my babies?"
And just like that, all talks about Pop's condition are put on the back burner. Like we aren't slowly losing him every day. He gives me a sad smile. "Tell me about the redhead."