Page 212 of A War Around Us

Her throat jumped with realization. Her lips curled on the corner, and her fingers danced closer to the hand that nurtured my bourbon.

I followed the dance of her fingertips around the rim. I watched them pick the glass from my grasp and her lips connected to the brim mine once were. Now both of our lips left an imprint on the glass as she brought the drink back to the table, in front of her and away from my reach.

That little menace.

Our tug of war was interrupted as Enzo broke the silence.

“Still planning the wedding outside?”

At that same moment, thunder crashed, shaking the house and clattering the windows and flower bases into a prance.

Katia turned to her brother, who sat on her left with a shrug.

“If the rain stops long enough for the ceremony.”

“I’m sure you have a backup plan. I can’t imagine you wing-ing such a special day.”

Katia pushed her hair off her shoulders, quietly contemplating her next words.

If only he knew how little Katia had done for our union. How little she cared about the details. How much she tried to hide the looming day.

If it hadn’t been for my questions, it would’ve all been a vision from Mrs. Greco and Talia.

Katia’s fingertips twitched on her shoulder as her elbow rested on the table. She had no idea what to say or what the plan would be, and she grew insecure under the eyes that latched on to her.

Enzo’s eyes sparked, and so did his brother’s. A smile spread across both of their faces as they watched her tongue-tied.

“It’s okay, Katia. It isn’t a secret for them.” I saved her from scrutiny. “If the sky doesn’t clear, we will move to the church, then leave for the reception.” And I added for her, “I met the priest after we spoke today, so it shouldn’t be a problem. You don’t have to stress over the rain.”

Katia’s hair swung with tinkling wide eyes. Her teeth trapped her bottom lip, but she couldn’t hide her smile.“Thank you,”it said.

“An outside wedding in humid air and Miami’s heat. Sounds like torture under a full suit,” Leo said in the back.

“I couldn’t help but assure you of your discomfort,Fratello.Really, all I thought of was you on my day.” Sarcasm was thick on her tongue.

“Don’t mind him.” Enzo cut his brother a look that Arlo and I caught, and we shared a look of our own. “We are happy to help tomorrow with any preparations if needed.”

“Thank you,” Katia and I echoed together.

At some point, the animosity changed from bitter to a sharp tang of mutual agreement. The conversations passed on from the weather to even fucking cheese and wines that paired best with them. The dinner was a mockery of two families trying. Trying so desperately to behave and balance our inner monsters as we stooped down to twit discussions. All for the name of peace.

We would never like each other, of that we all agreed.

By the time we were all done with the ridicule of unsaid emotions and true thoughts, I craved nicotine.

Ilias and Davina were both eager to leave. As I stood to excuse myself outside, they slipped away from the boiling chaos. They said their goodbyes without too much fuss, and I walked outside the back door with Enzo on one side and Arlo trailing us close behind.

The rain poured and cascaded off the hanging shelter of the roof we stood under. The smell of wet grass mixed with muck and the thunder hid any words we uttered into the storm.

From where I stood, I could see the bulb that lit over the deep corner of my property. Sal’s house was far and yet close to my reach. The lone light that hung next to the front porch reminded me that inside that house, life still flickered. And on the opposite side, I could see Katia through the window talking to Leo while Viktor stood nearby. He would nod here and there to her as if she was asking for his point and needing his speech to mingle with hers.

“It seems I’ve misplaced my light,” Enzo muttered with a hanging cigarette between his lips, tapping his hand over his pants pocket and reaching back to his suit coat.

I fished for my metal lighter and ran my thumb over the engraved Moretti crest before offering it to him.

The gears worked under his thumb, and fire bloomed. He handed it back, and I lit my own rolled tobacco, watching how the first long inhale ate away the tip. I closed my eyes briefly, and as I exhaled.

“Will your father cause trouble tomorrow?”

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