Chapter 62
BELLA
The Whitmore’s
If I’m being honest, Dad not showing up with Luciana does give me a sense of relief.
There’s already enough chaotic history packed into this backyard without tossing my stepmother into the mix.
Irina has finally stopped being a raging bitch to me and I’d really rather not test that progress by parading the woman who unofficially started this whole drama around in her face.
Not to mention the fact that I’m super fucking nervous about meeting Luciana. It’s difficult to know what to expect after all these years.
Relief, however fleeting it may be, doesn’t erase the tiny ache in my chest that Dad still isn’t here for the guys.
Plates begin making their way around the patio while Daniel keeps another round of burgers coming off the grill.
Beer bottles clink together as conversations overlap each other in a loud clatter that oddly enough, calms my nerves a little.
Grandpa Bennett has somehow managed to corner poor Cade again, gesturing wildly as he launches what I’m sure is another Wall Street story.
Cade catches my eye from across the yard and suddenly mouths help me.
Haley’s ended up halfway in Knox’s lap while they quietly talk to Savannah. The emerald on her finger glowing in the sunlight every time she moves her hand.
I can’t believe she’s married.
And before Ellie.
A laugh breaks free as I spot Ellie stealing a fry off of Caleb’s plate. She’s sitting at a small table with the Briggs triplets, no doubt ordering them around like the drama queen she is.
Warmth rushes over my back as Lex’s strong arms pull me into him from behind. “You okay, baby?” he breathes into my neck.
I nod, looking over at this crazy family we’ve created. “Yeah it’s just—”
Clink. Clink. Clink.
Clay taps his glass of scotch as he pushes back from the table. “Alright, everyone,” he says with a smile that immediately quiets the conversations around him. “Before we get too far into anything, I figured I’d say a few words.”
Just as everyone turns their attention toward Clay, the back door of the Whitmore’s mansion swing open.
Every head pivots.
“Sorry we’re late,” Dad calls as he and Luciana step onto the patio.
She’s not what I had imagined. Though, I’m not really sure what I pictured if I’m telling the truth here. I’ve only had vague descriptions of the guys’ short time with her in Rome to go off of.
She’s beautiful, I’ll give her that. Dark chocolate waves fall over her shoulders, framing a face softened by honey-brown eyes. The lightweight fabric of her pale blush sundress gently sways in the breeze.
Dad flashes me an apologetic smile as they near the table. “Manhattan would apparently decide that today’s the day everyone forgets how to drive on the one day I forget my phone at the house.”
Savannah lets out a delighted laugh before hurrying over to them. “Roman!” she beams, throwing her arms around him. “I’m thrilled you could make it, dear.”
Dad returns the hug easily before his steel gaze finds mine. “Wouldn’t have missed it.”
He returns his hand to Luciana’s back before addressing the group. “Everyone, I’d like you to meet my wife, Luciana.”
Luciana smiles nervously, especially when she glances over at Irina, who—called it—already has her icy bitch mode activated.
Just fucking perfect.
Luckily, the rest of the group doesn’t follow the Ice Queen’s lead. A few people head over at a time to ease the tension, making their rounds to welcome her.
Daniel steps away from the grill to shake Dad’s hand. “Nice of you to finally show up, Rome,” he teases before pulling Luciana into a warm side-hug and whispers something into her ear that makes her chuckle.
Haley and Ellie chime in with casual greetings to break the ice. Cade even manages to break free from Grandpa Bennett’s Wall Street trap and glides over seamlessly.
“Nice to see you again,” he says, offering her an easy smile.
Her nerves soften. “You as well, Cade. It’s very good to see you.”
Even as she talks to him though, her eyes keep darting across the table. Searching until they lock directly onto me.
Lex’s grip on my waist tightens. “Baby, go talk to her.”
“And say what?” My throat feels dry as the fucking Sahara Desert. “Hey, Luciana, I’m the girl who’s mom your husband had a secret love affair with twenty-some-odd years ago?”
Lex clears his throat, caught off guard by my witty retort. “I mean I wouldn’t lead with that.” He presses a kiss to the top of my head. “Just go hug your dad.”
Taking a deep breath, I step out of his hold just as the crowd thins around them.
When I approach, Dad’s face completely lights up. “Bella,” he breathes, opening his arms to me.
I step straight into them. He hugs me tight and buries his face in my hair. When he finally pulls back, he rests his hands gently on my shoulders and turns slightly to bring Luciana into the fold.
“Luce, this is my daughter, Bella,” he says, his voice thick with a pride that makes my heart swell. He glances down at me and smiles. “Bella, this is Luciana.”
Up close, she looks even more elegant. Though, the slight tremor in her fingers reassures me that I’m not the only one anxious about this meeting.
“It’s an absolute honor to finally get to meet you, Bella,” she says, her Italian accent thick and musical. She reaches out and offers her hand. “Roman talks about you so much that I almost feel as if I already know you.”
I take her hand. “It’s really nice to meet you too, Luciana. Welcome to the chaos.”
A heavy silence falls over the three of us for a moment. None of us quite knowing how to bridge the years of distance in a single barbecue. But it’s a sweet kind of awkward, I guess. The kind that promises we have plenty of time to figure it out.
Before the awkwardness of it all can get too heavy, my guys walk over.
“You guys hungry?” Cade asks, holding out a plateful of burgers piled high with all the fixings.
“I snagged us some chips,” Lex adds, shaking a bag of Lay’s.
For a while, the simple conversations between the five of us come easier over food. The anxiety curling deep in my gut slowly easing with each bite.
By the time everyone has finished their dinner, Clay clears his throat and taps his scotch glass once more. The clink, clink, clink redrawing everyone’s attention to him.
“I just wanted to say a few words for our four graduates,” Clay continues, raising his glass high. “To Callum, Cade, Lex, and even August. You’ve worked incredibly hard to get here and whatever comes next, we couldn’t be prouder of the men you’ve become. To the graduates.”
“To the graduates!” Everyone echoes in a loud, boisterous chorus as glasses clink across the table.
The sweet, sentimental gravity of Clay’s beautiful toast lasts for all of five seconds before August and Cal completely destroy the classy vibe.
“That was beautiful, Clay. Really tore at our heartstrings!” August slurs while slamming a bottle of tequila on the table.
“Yes, thank you Dad,” Cal says as he lines up three glowing shot glasses with The Order’s crest on them. “But before we get this party started, August and I have an announcement to make. Knox! Get your ass up here, man.”
“What’s this about?” Knox asks, stepping up to the table.
“Tonight is not just a special night for us graduates,” Cal says, shoving a full shot into Knox’s hand. “Tonight August and I get to crown the new King of the Row…” he continues his voice growing louder with each word as he raises his shot glass high in the air. “Knox fucking Calder everyone!”
“No way,” Knox laughs.
“Holy shit,” Haley blurts out with tears in her eyes, locking her arm through Rez’s.
The three of them clink their glasses and shoot them back.
“The King of the Row!” August beams.
The screaming is deafening when Cal and August both bow at Knox’s feet. Especially from Haley who is jumping up and down so hard she’s pulling Rez with her. But the pain in my ear is worth it to see the smile on Knox’s face as everything hits him all at once.
“Our king…” Cal says, rising from his knees. “What is your first decree?”
Knox glances around at everyone. He winks at me when he locks his eyes on mine. “I say it’s time to turn this shit up to the Row level. What do y’all think?” he roars over the commotion.
“Yes!” August screams, immediately ripping off his shirt and throwing it in the grass. Ellie’s already cheering, grabbing another fresh bottle of tequila from the outdoor bar while Haley orders Rez to go grab another speaker.
A heavy baseline pulses through the yard as this formal dinner disintegrates quickly into a Row pool party. A mass migration heads straight for the water, shoes being kicked off left and right.
“No one drown out here tonight, please,” Savannah calls, picking up her wine glass and pulling Irina to her feet. The two of them head inside to get as far away from the chaos unfolding as they can.
???
About an hour or so later, the sky has bled into a deep, twilight purple. The golden patio lights have flicked on, reflecting off the rippling blue water of the pool.
Escaping the splash zone, I find myself sitting at the far end of Savannah’s garden, tucked away by a small glass fire pit. The flames dance softly as they cast a warm glow over my dad and Luciana. He wraps his arm around her to let her fully lean into his weight on the cushioned outdoor couch.
“I cannot tell you what a joy it’s been to finally sit across from you, Bella,” Luciana says, her voice soft as it cuts through the distant thumping bass.
She smiles at me, her honey-brown eyes crinkling at the corners.
“Your father has shared stories about you for so long now, but to finally see you with my own eyes… darling, you’re even more beautiful than he promised. ”
“She gets it from her mother,” Dad says.
To my utter surprise, Luciana nods. “So it seems,” she says.
I honestly figured any Izzy talk would’ve sent her into a tailspin like Irina. But the woman seems oddly chill with the whole thing. I guess Lex was right when he said that she handled all of this well.