Page 12 of Cherry on Top

“You alright?” Kate asked. She eyed him up and down as he pushed the pass-through that let him behind the counter. “You don’t look very relaxed.”

“I just ran into Enzo Moretti,” Will said through clenched teeth.

“Oh, so Giana was wrong. She’s going to cry about that. Probably a lot.”

“He’s hot, she wasn’t wrong about that. But he’s also an egotistical jerk. He thought he could just waltz into town and decide because he’s Enzo freaking Moretti and apparently people pay him way too much to paint pretty pictures on walls that he could paint my wall without even asking me. Without even consulting me.”

“What?” Kate looked surprised. “Are you sure?”

“Pretty damn sure.” Will clenched his fists and then tried to relax them. Keyword: tried.

“Huh. Are you sure this isn’t another one of Giana’s tricks?”

The moment Kate said it, Will knew she was probably right. And okay, yes, he had lost his temper, a little. He didn’t do that normally, but he’d been so tired when he’d walked out there and the whole conversation had started out on totally the wrong foot when he’d assumed that Enzo was here to graffiti the wall he’d spent so much dang energy cleaning up in the first place.

“Ugh, probably,” Will conceded.

Though it wasn’t like Enzo, after they’d figured out the misunderstanding, had been particularly apologetic about it. He’d been smug and very sure of his own worth, positive that Will was going to fall all over himself to apologize and smooth the way.

But it was Will’s wall. He didn’t care who Enzo was, or how much he freaking charged to paint a goddamn mural. If he wanted his wall to be blank, that was his right. The deed in his safe in the back proved it.

“So you guys got into it. Lots of clenched teeth and straining muscles and barely concealed angry flirting, huh?” Kate said pointedly, shooting him a knowing grin.

“Something like that,” Will muttered. He walked past her into the back, into the little office he’d carved out of the kitchen space. It was a cubbyhole, basically, just big enough for a desk big enough for his laptop and a charger for his phone. He took a deep breath and then another, trying to huff his way through the surge of frustration and anger he’d felt.

Because he could recognize now that he’d overreacted. A little. Only a little, though.

Enzo had been infuriating and provoking. He’d asked for at least some of Will’s grievances by being so smug about him and his talent.

He picked up his phone from the desk and did the thing he’d told himself he would not do, every single time after Giana appeared, like the matchmaker from hell, and tried to give him her son’s phone number.

He looked Enzo Moretti up on Instagram.

And felt the rest of his anger leave him in an unsteady rush.

The murals on his Instagram were stunning. Huge gorgeous things, evocative and colorful and full of details and emotion that Will wanted to dive right into.

It would’ve been a hell of a lot easier if he hadn’t been as talented as he’d claimed, but if anything, he’d actually downplayed his skill.

Will didn’t know whether he was more annoyed at himself or Enzo.

After scrolling through a dozen or so of Enzo’s murals, he opened his texts and sent one to Luca.

Is it possible that your aunt suggested to your cousin that they paint the side of my building while he’s here?

Luca didn’t take long to respond. Don’t tell me she didn’t ask you—or even mention it to you?

Will let out another long sigh. His legs gave out and he collapsed onto the chair. Would that really surprise you?

No. Not as much as I hoped it might. I’m sorry, Will. We’ll figure this out.

For a minute, Will almost wanted to let Luca handle it. After all, Luca was the de facto head of the Morettis, not only here in Indigo Bay, but all Morettis, everywhere. A responsibility that Will knew he didn’t take lightly, because Oliver had mentioned, more than once, that it still weighed on him, sometimes.

No need. I’ve got it handled, Will sent back. This wasn’t Luca’s job, to rein in his aunt. Will owned this building. It would be his responsibility to take care of this.

Chapter Four

Enzo’s temper was still hot when he walked into Luca and Oliver’s house for dinner.

---