Page 105 of Cherry on Top

Enzo nodded. “His better half.”

Will thought about this as he finished his pizza. “You ever think we’ll end up like them? Like Luca and Oliver?”

“Married and still wildly in love, running three businesses like they never want to do anything else?” Enzo’s voice was drowsy. “Yeah, I hope so. Which is why . . .I hate to say it, but I think you were right. There’s nothing else to do but come clean. With my mom. With your parents.”

“I thought we already decided that?”

Enzo nodded and glanced up at Will. His dark eyes were as serious as Will had ever seen them. “Not just that. Not just a partial truth but the whole truth.”

It was what Will had been rolling around in his head, too, and he’d come to the same conclusion as Enzo.

“It’s going to really suck,” Will said. “But I think you’re right.”

“And, I do think it should be just my mom and your parents. Not Luca, not Oliver, definitely not Rocco.”

“What did Rocco ever do to you?” Will asked, giving him a playful nudge.

“Was very snotty when I asked him to not tell everyone yesterday,” Enzo complained. “He basically knows, anyway. And Luca and Oliver must, too, but I think we should still tell them. Just not with our parents.”

“Agreed.”

Enzo pulled his phone out of his pocket. “No time like the present,” he said and dialed, setting it on his knee as he hit speaker phone.

Luca answered in a clipped voice. “I’m busy,” he said in lieu of a greeting.

“We got something to tell you,” Enzo said.

“I meant it. I’m on the line, at the restaurant, and I’ve got half a dozen tickets. What is it?”

Will realized that Luca was that busy and yet had still answered Enzo’s phone call. He hoped Enzo realized how meaningful that was.

“Will and I are dating,” Enzo said.

“Yes, and?” Luca still sounded impatient.

“Remember how you told me something seemed off?”

“How could I forget?” Luca asked wryly.

“You weren’t wrong. It was a scheme. Sort of. Kinda. But it’s not now. It’s hundred percent not fake. We’re together. We’re in love.”

“I know,” Luca said.

“But I—”

“I know what you said,” Luca interrupted. “But that doesn’t mean I actually believed you. You went on a few dates, pretending to get Giana to quit matchmaking. And I guess it worked—or it didn’t?”

“It worked,” Enzo said, chuckling. “A little too well. You’ll tell Oliver? And that we’re sorry we lied to both of you?”

“Enzo. The only person you were really lying to was yourself,” Luca’s voice went from impatient to empathetic in a second. Will watched as Enzo heard it, the look on his face as he absorbed the change. He realized then that maybe Enzo hadn’t completely comprehended how much Luca cared about him before, but he was beginning to realize now.

“I was lying to myself, too,” Will added in. “A lot.”

Luca chuckled under his breath. “Yeah. I know. But it’s alright. You got there in the end. So you’re coming clean, then? Both of you? ’Cause I have to say I heard an even crazier rumor that you two were already getting married.”

“We’re not. Well, not now. Not yet.” Enzo paused. “And yes, we’re telling the truth. Tomorrow morning. If you see a crater in the middle of Main Street, you’ll know why.”

“Nah,” Luca said. “Giana’s gonna be upset, sure, especially when you tell her why, but I think she’ll ultimately understand. And be happy, of course, because she gets to say I told you so.”

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