Page 7 of Recklessly You
She chuckles.
“Good night, Angel,” Dominic says to Mila as he kisses her and waves bye to me. He steps out, and her shoulders drop.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
She shakes it off. “Nothing, I’m just tired. I’d better get to bed. We have a booked day tomorrow.” She wraps me in a hug and makes her way upstairs.
I snag another slice of pizza and retreat to my bedroom. Slipping into the shower, I wash the stench of Brut off my skin and out of my hair. Once I’m freshly showered, I jump into bed and snuggle into the blankets. I have fond memories of New York, but I cherish my fresh start in California. Moving here with Mila was the right choice. Had I stayed with Eric, I’m sure he wouldn’t have wanted to relocate with me. It was always his way or the highway. His betrayal really hurt. I pick up my phone when it vibrates, and my heart warms up when I read the text from Alex.
Alex:Hey, you. How are you doing? I miss you guys like crazy.
Me:Doing good, big brother. I miss you too. How are you and Liz doing? How’s London?
My one and only brother moved with his wife to London a year ago. He’s seven years older than me. They moved to London without even thinking twice. It was a ballsy move to pick up and go like that. I admire him for it.
Alex:London is great. Come visit, little sister, and bring Mila and little rugrat.
Me:I will soon, promise.
Alex:I’ll call you tomorrow. I’m sure it’s late there. Love you, sis.
Me:Night. Love you both.
After shutting down my phone, I doze off. Tomorrow is a new day. Maybe my next date will turn out better.
CHAPTER 3
LIAM
I raise the hood of my father’s ’65 GMC step side pickup, a truck that has been idle for many years. Every time I open the hood of the truck, I’m reminded of him. It was his truck, and now it’s the only memento I have of him. When Friday evenings rolled around, he would take my mom and me out for a joyride and then stop for some ice cream.
Not a day passes without me thinking of him. His jovial laugh filled any room he was in, and Mom’s face lit up when he was near. I wish more than anything I could still make her smile, make her happy. Sometimes, I think it should have been me who was taken away that night.
“Papá, Mamá asked if you want to go out for ice cream.”
Papá is under the hood of his truck. He glances around the hood to look at me. I giggle, looking at my papá. He has grease all over his face. My papá always smiles wide when he sees me.
“Liam, my ninja, tell Mamá we’ll go for ice cream as soon as I’m done changing the oil in the truck. Did Mamá tell you we have some special news to tell you, Liam?”
I nod while pulling my ninja turtle out of my pocket. “Yes, Papá. Mamá said she has special news to tell me. Papá, can we stop at the store? I want to get a ninja turtle. I don’t have Leonardo?”
“Sure, tell your mamá I’m done. I’m going to wash up, and we can go.”
I jump up and down, excited to hear the good news Mamá wants to tell me and get my ninja turtle.
Minutes later we get to the ice cream shop, and I order a double chocolate cone. It’s a beautiful night. The stars are out and there’s a light breeze in the air. We make our way to a bench. Papá has his arms around Mamá. He’s always staring at her with a smile, kissing her all the time. Yuck.
“Sit down, mi bella,” Papá tells Mamá. He always calls her his beautiful. I lick my ice cream, savoring the dark chocolate.
“Liam, Papá and I have some special news. Guess what? You’re going to be a big brother.”
Shaking off the memories,I crank the engine of my GMC. It gives a satisfying roar as it revs to life. I wait a few moments, and then I hear aclick,clicksound as the engine sputters and dies.
Fuck.
For the past few months, I’ve been working getting this baby running and on restoring it to its former glory. With work being hectic, I’ll have to work on it in what little free time I have. Duke barks when he spots Santiago driving up. He gets out of his truck and strolls toward us.
“Hey, asshole, what are you up to?” Santiago teases, a smirk on his smug face.
