He grins. “The sauce is amazing.” Getting another fork full and shoving it into his mouth, he wiggles his brows. “Really good.” He gives Gia a thumbs-up.
“It’s my secret recipe,” she replies, coming from a long line of talented chefs in her family.
“She’s a natural.” I smile. Wish I could say the same for myself.
Sean leans over and whispers, “Was your job to put the bread in the oven?” I elbow him in the arm. I’ve never been much of a cook, which I’ve told him before. His eyes sparkle, and he tells Gia, “I’d love it if you let me in on your secret.”
“Not gonna happen,” Logan snorts. “Ow!” His head snaps over to Gia. She glares at him. If looks could kill …
“Have I mentioned that you ladies look lovely tonight?” Sean’s gaze moves from Gia to me, then he winks, obviously trying to change the subject.
“Thank you,” we both reply at the same time.
“Douche.” Logan fakes a cough loud enough so that all of us can hear. I’m mortified. Gia’s mouth has reached the floor. Logan is staring at Sean, who is smirking at his plate, as though he finds this funny.
“Logan, can I see you privately for a moment?” I ask, completely livid. My eyes flick to Gia, and she nods. She’ll be punishing him later. I have no doubt about that.
“Love to,” he answers.
“Excuse me, Sean.” I scoot out my chair. He takes a full bite of spaghetti, behaving as if what just happened is normal. I storm down the hall and pinch the bridge of my nose. Logan is behind me when I turn around. “What are you’re doing?” I whisper yell.
He grins. “What does it look like I’m doing?”
Placing my hands on my hips, I tell him, “You’re being completely immature. I swear, what you just did in there was like something straight out of elementary school!”
“I don’t like him.” He shrugs.
Gia prances down the hall, holding a glass of wine in her hand. She’s pissed and on a mission, immediately getting in Logan’s face. “No sex for you! Forget it.” Then she walks into her room and slams the door.
My eyes flick to Logan’s. “Great! He came here to eat alone. Thanks for making him feel welcome. I appreciate it.” I stride down the hall toward the kitchen, but Logan stops me with his words.
“What exactly do you think Luke is doing?”
“No idea.” Why don’t you tell me? I want to say. I think all of us know that he isn’t where he said he’d be.
“You think he’s with another chick?” I don’t respond, but the possibility has definitely run through my mind. “You really don’t have a clue, do you?” He scoffs, letting out a sardonic laugh. “You’re it for him. He’s in love with you.”
Momentarily squeezing my eyes shut, I reopen then and leave him alone in the hall. Sean sits at the table with half a glass of wine and an empty plate in front of him. I clear our dishes then place them in the sink—a little shaky and embarrassed. “I’m sorry dinner was,” I purse my lips, trying to find the appropriate words, “ cut a little short.”
He smiles. “Dinner was amazing. Don’t worry about it.”
I sigh. “I wasn’t expecting him to be rude like that. It was completely uncalled for.”
Rubbing his belly, he yawns. “It’s not your fault. And hey, I got a meal out of it. Beats Ramen any night.” He raises his brows. “I should probably get going though, considering those two are about to fight,” he says, pointing toward the hall.
I look in that direction and blow out a breath. “Yeah. I guess you’re right. In fact, I think I can hear them now.”
“You’re welcome to join me if you want?”
“It’s tempting, but I’m tired. Next time we’ll have to—”
“Go out,” he interrupts. “You’re gonna let me take you out, right? Saturday?” He winks.
“Yes. And I’m looking forward to it.” I nod. “Plus, I made you a promise, remember?”
He walks toward the door, stretching. “And I’m going to hold you to that promise.”
“You do that,” I tell him. We say our goodbyes, and I finish cleaning the remnants of our dinner, while listening to the faint sounds of Logan and Gia’s fight. This is going to be a long night.
Time. That’s what my father wants from me. It’s not about the money—never has been. No. For him, it’s all about payback. It’s about getting even for the time he’s lost. After all, I was the one who turned us in that day—the day I saw my mother’s charred remains pulled out from the rubble.