20. Adrianna
Adrianna
Luka left this morning and for the first time in my life, I am sitting on my couch, wearing a hockey jersey, and getting ready to watch a game on my TV.
What is happening in my life? There is a bang on my door, followed by rapid taps.
I quickly go to answer it because they will bang on it and make everyone on the floor mad.
I open it right before the banging starts again.
Paige and Payton are standing there with their fists in the air and Penelope is smiling at me.
"Hey, Addy." The girls say in unison and bound into the house.
"Did you make snacks?" Paige asks and runs right to the fridge.
"Of course, we can order pizza, too." I close the door and meet them in the kitchen.
They are wearing Webster jerseys. But where Paige's is the normal red color, Payton is wearing the black one they only wear during certain games.
We are getting settled in when there is another knock at my door.
I turn to look at Pen and she just shrugs her shoulders at me.
I am surprised when I open the door to see Lacey, CeCe and Layla standing there.
Lacey and CeCe are in their Rizzoli jerseys, which look like mine, and Layla is wearing Jake's number.
"Addy!" Layla yells and throws her arms around my legs. I scoop down and pick her up. Holding her on my hip, I look at the girls.
"Hey, Sweet Girl. What are you guys doing here? Is everything okay?" I think if something was wrong with Luka, the announcer would have said something. Oh, God. "Is it Matteo?"
"No, no. Everyone is fine." Lacey holds up her hands with a tray of meat and cheeses.
"We were hoping to watch the game with you," CeCe says and nods toward the inside of the house.
"Oh. Yeah, sure. We were just getting ready to order pizza." I open the door wider to allow them to come in.
"Pen!" Layla jumps from my arms and runs to Penelope.
"Hey, Kiddo." I am shocked when Penelope wraps her arms around Layla.
"You are matching the twins today! I am surprised your Zio lets you wear that.
" She holds out Layla's jersey and smiles at the twins.
"Now there are three." Layla's face lights up, but when she realizes the twins are looking at her, she buries her face into Pen's shoulder.
"This is Paige and Payton. They are super nice girls. Girls, this is Layla. She is the sweetest little girl I know." I turn to Lacey and CeCe. "Girls, this is Lacey and CeCe." I wave back to the twins. "These are Coleman's girls."
Layla slides out of Penelope's arms and walks over to the girls. "I like your bracelets, " she says to Paige and runs her finger over Paige's glittery beaded bracelets. "And I like your nails," she taps on Payton's black nail polish.
"I really like your hair bows," Payton says and taps against Layla's bright red bows in her hair. Layla slides in between them on the couch and they start talking about hockey.
"I hope it's okay we crashed your party." We walk into the kitchen to grab the girls some snacks while we wait for the pizza.
"You are fine. You are always welcome. You could have brought Gio."
"He is with Romeo tonight. Something about a guy's night. I don't know how watching the game in the entertainment room qualifies as guys' night, but here we are." CeCe laughs and Pen joins in.
"So, do you have Coleman's girls over often?" CeCe pulls out some drinks for the girls.
"He and his wife have a date this evening, so I said I would keep them." All three of them turn and look at me.
"You know you are a horrible liar, right? I mean, that is a good thing, but you are awful at it." CeCe laughs. "I hope he is serving her divorce papers as we speak, she is a bitch. He deserves better."
I can hear the girls talking about the different players as the announcers talk. "Webster is the hottest one on the whole team," Payton says, and Layla scrunches up her nose.
"I agree!" Pen yells into the room and the twins laugh.
"If you agree, then how come you are wearing Grady's jersey? They didn't have a Webster one in the shop at the game?" I wink at her.
"Oh, they did." Pen leans across the kitchen island like she is sharing a secret. "I just wanted to get under Webster's skin. He walks around like he has a stick up his ass."
"Well, did it work?" Lacey says, mirroring Penelope's lean across the island.
"Well, he wouldn't let Grady take me home, but he's still a stick in the mud." Penelope laughs and CeCe nods her head in agreement.
"Pre-game is getting ready to start!" Paige yells from the living room.
"This is my favorite part! I love the stretching!" Pen laughs and starts carrying food from the kitchen to the girls. I can hear my phone going off in the living room.
"It's Zio!" Layla yells and everyone goes quiet and looks at me. I quickly grab the phone and answer it, walking back into the hallway.
"Hey, Gattina." I can hear Luka's smile through the phone.
"Don't call me that. Aren't you supposed to be getting to go out on the ice?"
"You know you are my calm," Luka says like it is no big deal. But inside, he has just created a Luka-sized hole in my heart that no one but him will be able to fill. "Are you still there, Baby?" I realize I have been staring at my phone for the last few seconds.
"Yeah, I am here. You are going to do great tonight, Luka."
"Thanks, Baby. Are you watching?"
"I am. Penelope and Coleman's girls came over to watch it with me. Then Lacey, CeCe, and Layla surprised me by coming over to watch it." A thought enters my mind. "Did you tell them to come watch it with me, Luka? You know you can't force people to be my friend."
"I didn't say anything to them, Adrianna. I didn't even know they were coming. CeCe tells me all the time she loves you. I would not be surprised if she made you feel like she is your favorite person."
"That's impossible."
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah, Pen is my favorite person." I joke and I hear him start laughing.
"I need to take off, Baby. Can I talk to Layla for a second? It saves me a phone call."
"Um. Sure." I walk out and give the phone to Layla. Hearing her tell him good luck and that she loves him makes me realize how much his family cares for him. She hands the phone back to me.
"Hey, Adrianna—" He stops himself and I hold my breath. After a second, he lets out a deep sigh, "I miss you, Baby."
"I miss you, too." I hang up before either one of us says something ridiculous.
"Is everything okay?" CeCe watches me as I sit down on the couch.
"Yeah." I shove a chip in my mouth.
"He calls her before every game." Penelope reaches over and sticks her chip in the dip.
Lacey has Layla in her lap and is fixing her bows. "He does?" Her hands stop in Layla's hair.
"Um, yeah." I brush off her question. "Who wants pizza?"
The kids all yell, "Yes," and I order a round of pizza. We watch Luka's team put up a good fight, but they lose 3-1.
"Damn, that is rough. He isn't going to be happy." CeCe helps me gather the plates and cups while Lacey picks up Layla. She fell asleep on the couch between the twins about 30 minutes ago. The twins are starting to dose off also. Lacey grabs my hand before walking out the door.
"Luka takes losses really hard, Addy." She gives me a knowing look and I nod at her. I am not sure how I can help, especially because I am so far away, but I will do my best.
I walk into the living room and Pen is sitting in the middle of the girls, their heads on her shoulders. They are passed out.
"Want me to move them? Coleman should be here soon." I nod toward the girls and Pen shakes her head.
"Nah, they are good."
My phone starts ringing and I realize it's a video call from Luka. I slide the answer button as I sit in the chair across from Pen and the girls.
His hair is a mess, like he just got out of the shower. He is sitting on what looks like a bed in a hotel room. "Tough game."
"Yeah, they were a hard team. We knew it would be tough. Two more and I will be home." He runs his hand through his hair. I hate that I am not there with him. To comfort him. "Is everyone still there?"
"No; CeCe, Lacey, and Layla just left. Pen is hanging out here tonight and the girls are passed out. We are waiting for Coleman to come get them."
"Oh yeah? He have a late showing?" Luka sits up in the bed and I get a glimpse of someone off to the side.
"No, he was out with his wife," I say and whoever is off-camera starts laughing and then coughing to cover it up.
"Is that Jake?"
A second later, Jake's face pops into frame and he takes the phone. "Hey, Addy."
"Hey, sorry about the game. Let me show you something, though." I stand and spin the camera around. "Layla wore your jersey tonight, and so did Coleman's girls." I pan the couch so he can see the girls lying with Pen in their Webster jerseys.
"I see you are still wearing Grady's Penelope."
"Yeah, thought it would give us good luck. Didn't work out that way." She raises a shoulder and I sit next to them on the couch and spin the camera so we are both in view. Jake sits next to Luka and he takes the phone back but leaves them both on camera.
"Well, tomorrow, try to wear mine. It might help," Jake says with a small smile.
"I think I will try a Rizzoli one next." Pen laughs at him and I hear my front door open.
"Hey, we are in the living room." I try not to yell too loud to wake the girls.
"Adrianna, why isn't your door locked?" Luka's face looks like he is going to explode.
"It was; he has a key." I raise my shoulder and wave to Coleman as he enters the house.
"Who the fuck has a key to your apartment?" Luka looks like he is ready to murder someone.
"Penelope and Coleman," I say as Coleman comes into view.
"It's a good thing my kids are asleep, Little Rizzoli; I would kick your ass for talking like that in front of them. Shitty game tonight, sorry." Coleman looks into the screen and then looks at me and Pen. "Thanks for keeping them so late, Addy." He ruffles my hair and I think I hear Luka growl.
"Everything go okay?" Penelope asks.
"As well as expected, Penny. We will see.
" He leans over and kisses the tops of the girls' heads.
I turn my eye to the phone as Coleman kisses the tops of Penelope's head.
I swear I see Jake's fist tighten and he swallows hard.
Before I can say anything, he bolts off the bed and is off camera. I hear a door slam in the background.
Coleman shakes the girls' shoulders. "Come on, girls, it's time to go." They jolt awake and jump up to hug their dad, telling him all about meeting Layla and all the candy and pizza they ate that they weren't supposed to. Coleman looks at me and I raise my shoulder.
"Sorry."
"Yeah, sure you are." Coleman takes the girl's hand. "I will lock up behind me. Thanks again, Addy." Coleman leans over to squeeze my shoulder.
"If you put your mouth anywhere near my girl, you will regret it." Luka's voice comes through the line so crystal clear you would think he was in the room.
Coleman's eyes go wide and Penelope laughs. "Don't feel bad, Coleman. He threatened to stab a girl last night." Coleman just shakes his head and leaves.
"I don't like him having a key," Luka says once Coleman is out of the room.
"Well, I need people I trust to be able to get into my house." I knew he was going to say something about the key situation.
"I don't have a key." Luka leans back against the headboard.
"Would you really need one to get inside?" I raise the corner of my mouth, hoping to release some tension in the call.
"Nah, Baby. I would get to you no matter what."
"Where did Jake go?" Pen grabs the phone. Looking into the camera.
"He needed a walk," Luka says and Pen hands the phone back.
"I am going to bed, Addy. Love you." Pen stands up and walks back to her room.
"Love you, too." I stand and walk back into my room. After shutting the door, I lean against my headboard, mirroring Luka.
"So, you okay after the loss?" I ask and tilt my head as I watch him. His body language is hard to read over the phone.
"Yeah, it is tough, but I was kinda waiting for it to happen."
"Why? Are they that good of a team?"
"Not really, we are better." Luka looks up and nods. Jake must be back.
"Then why do you think that?"
"I will call you before we get on the plane tomorrow, Baby. I am gonna get some sleep."
"Okay, why do you think that, though, Luka?"
"Because everything is too good right now. Something has to give." He smiles at the phone. "Miss you, Baby." He hangs up before I can say anything to him.