Page 70 of Star Crossed
Tino jumped up and ran toward his bedroom without another word as Romeo pushed away from the table. He walked to the front door cautiously. Tino’s nervousness was contagious, and even if it wasn’t, an unexpected visit at eleven thirty at night was enough to make him jumpy.
He leaned against the wall by the front window, staying hidden while attempting to spot who was standing by the front door, but it was so dark and the porch light wasn’t on. He squinted into the night, trying to see the car parked behind the Ferrari in the driveway, but it was impossible.
Tino bumped into Romeo’s back, his arm raised, his 9mm pointed toward the door, and Romeo’s stomach clenched as his brother whispered in his ear, “Ask who it is.”
As if hearing their plan, a voice from the other side of the door called out, “It’s me.”
Romeo and Tino exchanged confused looks.
“Can you just open the fucking door?”
He walked to the front door, Tino still at his back. Romeo cracked the door, peeking past the small space to see Nova looking unamused as he said sardonically, “Really?”
“Are you alone?” Tino asked as he forced Romeo out of the way, pushing the door fully open and peering outside as if expecting Nova to be held hostage.
“Yeah, I’m alone.” Nova walked into the house, closed the door, and shoved Tino’s gun away dismissively. “Get this thing outta my face. You gotta stop drinking those energy drinks, Valentino. I told you that shit makes you paranoid. It’s like coffee on amphetamines.”
Romeo and Tino stood shoulder to shoulder staring at the brother they hadn’t seen in three months with their jaws hanging open in stunned disbelief. A smile quirked at the corner of Nova’s mouth, as if shocking them speechless had secretly been his reason for driving all night.
When neither of them said anything, Nova held up his hands and said, “What? No love?”
“You scared the shit outta us.” Tino put his gun on the side table by the door and then jumped on Nova, hanging on him like a six-year-old. “Man, I missed the fuck outta you!” He kissed his cheek and ruffled Nova’s hair. “I guess you missed us too? Driving all night just to get a little love.”
When Tino stopped hanging on him, Nova turned to Romeo and hugged him. His hold was clingier than usual, and Romeo kissed his cheek and put an arm around him.
“I made baked ziti.” Romeo pulled him tighter into the crook of his arm and placed another kiss on Nova’s forehead. “You hungry?”
“Starving. I should’ve stopped before I got off the exit, ’cause there’s nothing around here.”
“You know what I’d give for some Chinese takeout,” Tino told Nova as all three of them walked back into the kitchen. “Thank God I got Rome cooking for me or I’d starve to death.”
“Didja make the sauce from scratch?” Nova asked, eyeing the pan on the stove because their mother’s sauce was one of the few things he was opinionated about when it came to food. Usually Nova would eat anything without complaint, which was likely a carry over from being poor since he didn’t forget things. “It’s been a long time.”
“No, it’s outta a friggin’ jar, and you’ll deal with it ’cause guys who show up unannounced in the middle of the night don’t get to be picky.” Romeo shoved at the back of Nova’s head for good measure before pushing him toward the kitchen table. “You want something to drink?”
“Yeah, whatever you got.” Nova sat down and stretched out his legs as if trying to shake off the long drive.
“We got beer,” Tino suggested. “It’s good. Imported. I picked it up at the liquor store on the edge of town.”
“Water’s fine.”
Tino paused at the open door to the refrigerator. “You driving back tonight?”
“Nah, I thought I’d stay a couple of days.”
“Then why no beer?”
“Is it a requirement?” Nova asked in annoyance. “Does your dying liver need company?”
“Hey, man, I haven’t had a drink in over a week,” Tino snapped. “You know I’m on this diet.”
“What’s this then?” Nova held up the empty bottle on the table as evidence. “’Cause I know it’s not Rome’s. I thought we were working on this problem.”
“That’s the first one.”
Nova snorted. “Sure it is.”
Tino came back to the table and set the beer in front of Nova forcefully. “Drink it.”
