Page 84 of Broken Deal

“I’m good, honey.” She wraps her other hand around ours, squeezing them. “Really. You didn’t have to come all the way here. Won’t you get in trouble with your boss?”

Chances are I will. I sent him an email explaining I wouldn’t be in the office for a few days due to a family emergency, and all he asked was if I could work from home in the meantime. Mind you, I’ve never missed work or taken a sick day. But coming from Max, this is not surprising in the least.

I shake my head. “Don’t worry about it.”

“So, tell me about thisfriend.” She beams.

Before I can tell her how ridiculous she’s acting, there’s a knock on the door.

“Come in,” I say, standing from the bed.

Lorenzo pops his head in. “Hey. I’m going down to the cafeteria and I wanted to see if you guys needed anything.”

“Oh my God, you didn’t tell me how handsome he was.” Mom pats my shoulder, and a blush creeps up my cheeks.

My mother, ladies and gentlemen—her favorite hobby is, apparently, embarrassing me.

“Come in here, young man.”

I roll my eyes. “Mom, you can’t say things like that in front of him. Seriously. You’ll give him an ego boost, and he doesn’t need it.”

Lorenzo shrugs, flashing a boyish smile that makes my insides melt. “It’s good to know at least one of the Evans girls has good taste.” He takes my mom’s hand and kisses it gently. “Lorenzo Mancini, but you can call me Enzo. It’s lovely to meet you, Miss Evans.”

“Oh, please. Call me Charlotte.” She smiles back. “My daughter tells me you’ve been helping her out.”

“Well, as much as she lets me anyway.” He laughs, dropping her hand and shooting a knowing look my way.

“She can be kind of stubborn, I know.” She sighs.

I scowl at them. “Gang up on me, why don’t you?”

Lorenzo gives me a side hug and plants a kiss on the top of my head. “You’re not as terrifying as you think, even with that scowl on your pretty face.”

I look at him, shocked he would say something like that in front of my mom. He thins his lips and shrugs, not having a care in the world.

“Sophia, why don’t you go with Lorenzo to the cafeteria and get me some gelatin? The red kind. That’s my favorite.”

I hesitate for a moment. I don’t want to leave her alone for several reasons. Mainly because I’m afraid my sister will appear at any moment. Because if there’s one thing I know for certain—she’ll make an appearance at the worst time possible.

“You heard the lady, come on, Blue.” He squeezes my shoulders and drags me out of the room.

“Oh,” Mom gasps, her face beaming. “I love that nickname. It suits her perfectly.”

“Thanks to that comment, you’re getting a green gelatin now.” I glare at her, shutting the door before she can reply.

As we’re walking to the cafeteria in silence, I stop dead in my tracks and grab him by the arm, stopping him.

He looks at me with a frown. “Everything okay?”

Before I lose my momentum, I wrap my arms around him and embrace him tightly, burying my head in his chest, because apparently one hug wasn’t enough. I don’t think any amount will ever be enough. They make me feel safe, and that’s a feeling I haven’t experienced for a very long time. “Thank you for everything,” I murmur.

Lorenzo’s fingers find my chin, and he lifts my head, forcing me to look at him. His face has some stubble, but it doesn’t make him look any less handsome. If anything, he looks more human. And I like that a little too much.

He presses his lips to my forehead, the soft kiss sending a flutter of butterflies through my stomach. It’s becoming a problem. “Stop thanking me. I’m happy to be here.”

My heart presses tightly against my ribcage at his words. I’m trying to not look for a meaning behind them, to not read too much into it. He’s just being a friend, trying to be helpful. Nothing more.

Why does it feel like more? Why are youhopingfor more?

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