- RORY -
I’ve never been to Dex’s aunt and uncle’s house, but I can tell when we get close. We pull into a gated community with huge, sprawling estates and hos that look more like... I don’t know what. Not office buildings, surely, but not hos either. They look like trophies—really elaborate displays of how much wealth has been accumulated by these people.
I swallow past the sudden spasm that wants to overtake my throat like nerves that were doing a polite job of lying low in my stomach have all scrambled to the surface at once. My fingers curl into my palms. This is stupid. Why am I nervous?
But suddenly the text ssages with Luciano all start scrolling behind my eyes... the subtle flirting, the friendly conversations, the surprisingly persistent care. And that damn moonlight cactus that just looks like a pile of wild, chaotic green stems falling all over each other. The way that those stems mirror my insides, and the fact that he picked it—this incredibly poetic taphor—and then sent it to with instructions on how to care for it...
"It better be a damn beautiful flower," I mumble to myself, watching the beautifully manicured lawns and gardens slide by the window.
I looked up pictures of the flower online, of course, and it looks fine. It’s a flower. But everywhere says you have to see it for yourself. And the thought of a flower that blooms at night is just so... strange in the most perfect way.
Finally, we pull into the drive, and I spot Luciano’s black Navigator right away. I know what the inside looks like. That’s what I was driven in after the incident at the cabin that I want to forget about. Luciano held in the back the whole way like I was soone special to him while Raya sat at his side, holding my hand, checking my pupils...
"Would you like to co in?" Raya asks, and my attention is pulled her way.
"No," I say quickly, shaking my head with a deep frown, swallowing again. "Not necessary. Go get Moira comfortable. I’ll wait here."
When her gaze lingers, I offer her my best reassuring smile. If the one she mirrors back is any indication, I’m not terribly convincing, but she takes the cat carrier and slides out anyway.
And then I hear him, and my heart starts thrumming like a crazed hummingbird in my chest. Maybe this was a bad idea.
Luciano laughs so easily, telling Raya about how much his sister loves animals but his parents never let her have one and how she will be the very best cat sitter for Moira. I see him in profile briefly and quickly look down at my phone, opening an app that I can mindlessly flip through to distract myself.
"Vanessa will take you to her room and show you around," he says, his voice nearing though he is clearly addressing Dex and Raya who are both outside the truck.
A small weight sounds behind as he places his bags in the bed of the truck. Then he leans in the back door that is still hanging open from where Raya exited. I see his dark figure in the periphery of my vision and glance over, offering him a version of the smile I gave my sister.
"Lorelei," he says by way of greeting, and his soft black eyes assess . He does it quickly enough that it doesn’t feel like he’s checking out, and then there is a small pinch between his eyebrows that smooths just as quickly as it appears. "How are you?"
There’s way too much loaded into that question. I can hear the weight of it, and an unwelco warmth feathers across my cheeks. Where is the typical teasing? Where is the glint of amusent that is so often lining his ssages?
"Good," I say, clipped and short. "How are you?"
He nods, again with the lingering gaze—just like Raya. But then the pensive mood breaks, and one of his eyebrows angles in a dangerously attractive way.
"Great. A vacation from this place? That doesn’t co very often," he grins. "And Dex is paying?"
He drums his hands on the seat and bites his lip like he’s getting away with sothing. Then he backs out of the doorway he’s blocking and jumps into the front passenger seat.
"Are you excited for your sister?" He asks, resting his elbow on the center console and angling his head so he can see .
"Yeah," I smile genuinely this ti.
"Yeah," he nods, repeating it and looking out the windshield. "They’re great together."
I expect for him to say more, but now he seems fixed on an invisible thought while he stares in the distance.
"So I hear you know where we’re going."
"Yeah, Dex was trying to pull the whole surprise thing with , and it wasn’t happenin," he chuckles.
"Want to share the details?" I ask, noticing Raya and Dex co through the front door and pause there with an older lady who must be Dex’s aunt.
"Want to et my mother?" He asks, swinging his mischievous black eyes back my way.
"No," I scoff, glancing again at the gushing woman on the front step who looks absolutely lovely. I can’t handle all that lovely right now. Raya’s inner light is bright enough.
"No deal then," he shrugs.
"Why would you want to et your mother?" I mutter, and then all three people on the front step look at the truck at once, and I groan internally when they start walking over.
I curse under my breath and Luciano chuckles, obviously hearing it.
"You’re strong, dolcezza," he says in amusent and then gets out to kiss his mother on the cheeks.
I’m not getting out. Getting out and introducing myself would probably be the right thing to do—the polite thing. But I don’t feel like being fully exposed to anyone right now. I’m not wearing enough layers. I should have grabbed my sweatshirt out of my bag.
When Luciano’s mother walks around the side of the truck with Dex after Luci and Raya get in, I feel like a huge jerk. Thankfully the window is already rolled down, because rolling it down right now would almost feel like a worse slight for so reason—like I realize she may want to et and am unwilling to step outside. This way, I can just be surprised to et her.
What I’m not expecting is for her to open my door.
"Lorelei, amoruccio," she says, taking my cheeks and kissing them, and my eyes are probably as big as saucers when she pulls back and smiles at . "I’m Gemma, Dex’s aunt and Lucio’s mom. If you ever need anything, you let know. Understand? I am here for whatever you need."
"Th-thank you," I manage.
Her eyes dance, and then she closes the door before leaning through the window. "I an it. And you have my permission to slap Lucio around if he misbehaves."
"Ma!" He calls from the front seat, and everyone chuckles, including .
"Have fun kids," she says, tapping the car and then waving when we start heading down the drive.
Dex and Luciano start discussing sothing, but I don’t hear any of it. I’m suspended in this bubble of warmth that Gemma just wrapped in.
A loving mother. That’s what she is.
The thought makes my eyes swim, and I blink rapidly before anyone can notice.
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