Page 38 of Devious Love
I yank my hand away, my pulse racing, while she looks at me unfazed.
“Did you tell your mom you’re here?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “I didn’t want to spoil her vacation.”
“Do you mind if I tell my dad? He won’t say anything to Monica.”
With a lift of one shoulder, she brushes back a couple of flyaways. “Okay.”
Halfway to the kitchen, I accept the call and bring it to my ear. “Hey.”
“Hi. How was your flight?”
“Good,” I say as I step out onto the back porch. “We got home this morning, and I spent half the day asleep.”
He chuckles. “You’re working tomorrow, right?”
I roll my eyes, instinctively slipping my hand into my pocket and clutching the pack of cigarettes I bought just in case.
“Of course,” I say, pulling my hand back out of my pocket. “It’s a workday, isn’t it? Miles will be there too.”
“That’s good.” His voice softens. “How’s Matt?”
“He’s in the living room with Chiara and Mia.”
There’s a long pause that makes me grin. “Wait…what?”
“Apparently, Mia wanted to surprise everyone, so she came home early—except none of us were here.” I cringe at the memory of Matt freaking out at the bar in Vegas. “I got…someone to let her in, and Matt has been glued to her side.”
“How come I’m just now hearing about this? Monica has been counting the days till Mia returns.”
“She didn’t want you to cut your vacation short on her account,” I explain. “Please, Dad, don’t tell Monica. It’ll be a great surprise when she gets home and finds Mia here waiting.”
He lets out a sigh that makes the line crackle. “Damn, you kids always keep us on our toes.”
Then, he gives me a work-related rundown I don’t need. When I end the call, I plop myself down on the couch again.
“What did I miss?”
“These two”—Matt points at the girls—“aren’t sober. I think it’s time to stop.”
“You’re a buzzkill.” Chiara slaps his shoulder.
He humphs. “I’m being reasonable.”
“Nah,” I say, “you’re a buzzkill.”
His jaw drops open, and he sputters.
I shoot him a wink. “No one’s driving, and they’re safe here. If they drink too much and spend tomorrow throwing up, that’s on them. It’s probably a good lesson to learn before college starts. It’s important to know your limits.”
He sighs. “Fine.”
Chiara squeals, the pitch so high, I wince. Then, she throws her arms around Matt’s neck and kisses him on the cheek. “Grazie!”
“Goodness,” Matt chuckles as she moves away. “I like you better when you’re sober.”
“You don’t like me at all, but that’s fine. I’m over my crush on you.” Chiara beams, her eyes glassy. “Mia and I decided childhood crushes are stupid fantasies, nothing more. Right?”
