I kept rubbing her back, unsure of what else to do for her. “What happened? Everything last night between you two seemed fine.”
It’s not like I was lying to make her feel better. They really did seem fine, apart from Lili flirting outrageously with Levi and her not wanting to return Scotty’s affection. But that was nothing out of the ordinary for her when they were in public.
“He said he was tired of my high school attitude.” A fresh flood of tears started flowing. “And then he told me it was over. He didn’t even give me a chance to defend myself.”
My jaw hit the ground. He had always seemed so affectionate and loving. “When did he tell you all this?”
She wiped her face on the sleeve of her pajama top, trying to gain some composure. As long as we had been friends, I had never seen her this cut up over a guy.
I gave her an awkward hug, not used to having to comfort her. The whole idea felt foreign.
“Just after you left. It’s my fault really. I was complaining to him about how you were going on a date with Levi, and how stupid I thought you were for going with him when you had only just met him.”
I pursed my lips, remembering that conversation. Now was not the right time to discuss how hurt I had been.
She dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. “I’m so sorry for that, by the way. I guess I was just jealous of you getting attention from him. I’m not used to feeling like that.”
“It’s okay.” I patted her arm. Her apology was good enough for me. I wasn’t one to hold a grudge. Besides, she did look genuinely sorry.
“Anyway, then he just snapped at me and he told me I was a jealous bitch, especially to you, and said he was sick of my shit. That I only wanted him when it suited me. And just to rub it in, he said there were plenty of other girls from the office that wanted to date him.” She started crying again, but looked like she was winding down. Her tears were now silent.
“He really said all that?”
“Yeah. I think I really screwed up this time, Andi. I took him for granted. Do you think he’ll take me back?”
“I’m sure he will. You guys have been together for ages. Just give him some time to cool off.”
She forced a smile at me. “Thanks. I’ll call him later.”
A loud knock at our front door made us both jump.
“Were you expecting any visitors?” I asked her.
“Maybe it’s Scotty.” She started trying to smooth down her hair. Her face, on the other hand, was a complete lost cause. She’d need some major cold compresses on those eyes before they would de-puff.
I frowned at her as I stood. “But he has a key. Why would he knock?”
“You’re right.” Her face fell again, defeated.
“Andi, it’s Tony. Are you home?”
“Coming,” I yelled back, and walked to the door to open it for him.
I opened the door a crack to see my second oldest brother dressed in his police uniform presenting me with what looked and smelled like Mom’s homemade lasagna.
“Mom asked me to drop this to you on my way to the station.” He pushed the door open and attempted to step around me.
I put my hand on his chest to stop him from entering. “Now’s not a good time,” I whispered quietly, so Lili wouldn’t hear me.
Automatically, his face changed into police protector mode, his eyes scanning my body and face. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong with me. It’s Lili. Scotty dumped her. She’s a bit upset, and not up to visitors.”
He screwed his face up in distaste and pushed past me regardless, thrusting the tin foil covered baking dish into my hands. I couldn’t stop him. He was so much taller and bigger than me. Lili glanced up at him in shock and automatically turned her back to him so he couldn’t see her face. Lili very rarely saw anyone without a full face of makeup, let alone with eyes that looked like she had smoked a pound of weed.
This diversionary tactic didn’t deter Tony. He simply knelt in front of her, lifting her chin with his bent finger and making her look at him. That’s why Tony made a good cop. He didn’t take no for an answer.
I grabbed him with my free hand and tried to pull him away. “Tony, please leave Lili alone.”
“Leave us alone for a couple of minutes, please, Andi. I want to talk with Lili.” Tony didn’t even break gaze with her.
I opened and closed my mouth, thinking of what to say to my pushy brother. I could be just as pigheaded as him. “Only if that’s okay with Lili.”
Lili nodded. “That’s fine.”
I huffed at them loudly to indicate I was pissed, muttering something about how I wasn’t their fucking slave, and went to the kitchen to put the lasagna in the refrigerator. I gave them two minutes exactly before I went back into the room, clearing my throat with a cough to let them know I was there. Tony had been speaking softly to her, making her smile, a total reversal in her demeanor only moments ago.
“Well?” I asked him, still pissed at the way he had dismissed me.
“Well, I’m off. Gotta get to work. See you tomorrow at family dinner, Bella.” He smiled at me, and let himself out the front door.
I was rooted to the floor in surprise. “What was that all about?”
“It was nothing. He was just giving me a little pep talk. You know how your brothers are.” She gave me weak smile. “How was your skydive?”
Considering how upset she had been, I played along. She didn’t want to share, so I didn’t force. Tony had always had a little soft spot where Lili was concerned. She, on the other hand, knew exactly what to say to take the focus off herself.
I felt my face flush. “It was unbelievable. Something I never thought I’d enjoy, but I loved it.”
“What about Levi? How was he today?”
“He was just as hot as last night,” I gushed, his gorgeous face flashing before my eyes. “He’s amazing. A complete professional.”
“Sounds like you had a good time.” Her voice was flat. She seemed to not even be interested in what I was saying. Instead, she was playing with a loose thread on her top.
I wondered if she had expected me to say more, or less.
“So, you keen for a night in? Tub of ice cream and The Notebook?” She looked hopeful.
“Um, I can’t, sorry.” I looked away, not wanting my face to betray my enthusiasm. In fact, I think I may have been blushing. “Levi and I are going out tonight. To a party.”
“Oh.” Her mouth turned down. “That’s great. I’m happy for you, I really am. I’m just having trouble showing it, that’s all. You know, with the whole Scotty thing.”
“Maybe I should cancel,” I mused. “If Levi is keen enough to see me again, he’ll understand.”
She smiled weakly at me. “You’d really cancel your date with Levi just to stay and watch a movie and eat ice cream with me?”
“Yes, of course. Who could turn down a night with Ryan Gosling?” Inside, I was screaming a solid no.
“I can’t make you do that for me,” she concluded quickly. “I can tell you really like him. This seems different than all the other guys you have liked.”
“Yeah, different like it’s actually not one-sided. This one even knows my name.” I forced out a laugh.
“Something like that.” She managed to break into a smile. “What time is he picking you up?”
“He’s not. I’m going to meet him at the party. He had to have lunch with his father, plus, I need to go get some clothes from Mom and Dad’s. I’ve got nothing decent to wear here.”
Lili sat in pensive thought, looking me over.
“What?” I demanded.
“I’m thinking.” She tapped a manicured finger on her lips. “I’ve got it. You can wear your black jeans with my black silk top. And before you say it won’t fit you, I know it will. It’s big on me, so it will be a perfect fit on you. Actually, come to think of it, your boobs will fill it out more than mine ever did. And you won’t have to wear a bra with it. That’ll be super hot. I’
ll also do your hair and makeup, and by the end of the night, Levi will be begging for you to have sex with him.”
I scoffed. “Do you really think he might be interested in me? As in more than just a friend?”
She jumped up and pulled me up with her, more energized than before. “Of course. Why wouldn’t he?”
“Well, today he kept saying stuff like we were friends and buddies.”
“Forget that. Like I said, by the end of the night, he will be begging for it. I’m going to make you look so Goddamn hot, he won’t know what hit him.” She smiled and slapped my ass. “Now go and have a shower, I need my canvas prepped and ready to start on. And don’t forget to wax...everything. It’s always best to be prepared in these instances, if you know what I mean.”
I laughed, getting caught up in the moment, glad for the fact we were back to normal and, even though she was upset, this was helping take her mind of Scotty.
“Lucky I have about five hours to get ready then,” I quipped, then practically skipped my way to the shower to start my mammoth transformation.
Chapter Thirteen
Andi
Leaning into the mirror in the upstairs bathroom at my parents’ house, I applied a fresh coat of gloss to my red lips. A stranger returned my gaze. After I had showered, plucked, and waxed almost every hair on my body, and even managed to call Char and fill her in on the goss, Lili had waved her magic wand over me, well her GHD anyway, and had transformed me into someone else. Someone a lot more sophisticated-looking. Someone who was not me.
Somehow, she had managed to tame my wild curls and then had masterfully applied my makeup, accentuating my eyes without making me look like a drag queen. My mother couldn’t stop telling me how beautiful I looked. Once I changed into my black jeans and Lili’s low-cut top, the transformation was complete. I was like Cinderella except dressed in jeans and high-heel pumps. Fortunately, the little weight loss I’d had this week showed in my curves. My waist seemed smaller and the jeans weren’t as tight around the thighs, despite the fact they had just be laundered. I couldn’t wait to see Levi.
Emerging from the bathroom, I ran head-first into the chest of my brother Bobby.
“Watch where you’re going, little sis,” he scalded as I ricocheted off him and wobbled on my heels.
Reaching out, I grabbed his shoulder to help steady myself then punched him in the arm. “Shit, Bobby, how about you stop stalking around the house. When did you get here anyway?”
“Give me a break. I didn’t know you were in there. I’m just passing by on my way to work and needed to grab something. Anyway, what’s with the cuss words and punches? Since when did you turn so tough?” He dramatically rubbed his bicep where I had hit him.
I rolled my eyes at him. “I’m not ten.”
“Clearly.” He looked me up and down and folded his arms across his chest. “What’s with the get-up? It’s a little bit risqué, don’t you think? You got a hot date or something?”
“Just going out to a party with a friend.” It was the same story I had told my parents. Besides, it wasn’t really a lie. As far as Levi was concerned, that was all we were.
“Hmm, some friend,” he commented as I pushed past him to walk back downstairs. “Does your friend happen to be a male by any chance?”
He followed, breathing over my shoulder every step. Older brothers sucked sometimes. I ignored his question and his presence altogether as I walked into the kitchen. It was the heart and soul of our family home, and at any given time, Mom would be over the stove cooking pasta or baking brownies with Dad at the table drinking his pressed coffee and chatting away to her. It made my heart swell. After forty years of marriage, they were still going strong, something all of us children aspired to achieve.
“Mom, tell Bobby to leave me alone,” I whined like a five-year-old as soon as I saw her. “He’s annoying me.”
Mom turned away from the stove to look at us and waved her stirring spoon threateningly at him, bits of pasta sauce dropping on the floor. “Bobby, leave your sister alone.”
He gave her his best puppy dog eyes as he slid into the chair next to my father. “Just getting the details on her date tonight.”
“I told you, it’s not a date. I’m going out with a friend.” I leaned up against the kitchen bench, folding my arms across my chest defensively.
He grabbed a brownie from the table and shoved it in his mouth. “Looking like that, I don’t think so.” Bits of food fell from his open mouth.
Mom now pulled out her tea towel from her apron and started wiping up his mess. “I think she looks beautiful. If she said she’s going with a friend, I believe her. And if I see you talk with your mouth open again, there’ll be no more brownies for you.”
I stuck my tongue out at Bobby.
“What time do you want to leave, Bella?” my father asked.
Papa had agreed to drive me to the party. He was the strong, silent type. The backbone of our family, and the least likely of everyone to quiz me on the drive over.
I glanced at my watch. “Um, probably pretty soon. It starts at seven, and I don’t want to be too late. Just fashionably late, you know?”
Bobby grabbed another brownie. “I’ll take her, Papa, and drop her on the way to work. Where’s the party at, Bella?”
“The Sports Bar. And before you ask, it’s a farewell party for a friend of a friend.”
“Didn’t know you were into jocks, Bella.” He pushed the brownie in his mouth as he raised an eyebrow, subtly still digging for info.
“Let’s just go,” I told him, and went and gave Mom and Dad a kiss goodbye on both of their cheeks. “Ciao. See you both tomorrow night. I’ll leave my Jeep here and pick it up then.”
Bobby followed me, farewelling my parents in the same manner I had. Once in his car, it didn’t take Bobby long to start up with the questions again.
“So, who are you really going out with tonight?”
“I knew it. The only reason you wanted to drive me here was to dig for questions.”
“Of course, that’s my job as third oldest and best-looking brother.” He batted his eyelids. “So, are you going to tell me or what?”
“Do you promise not to tell Mom?” I knew he wouldn’t stop pestering me until he got the truth.
“That depends.”
“On what?”
“On who it is, of course. I know you’re lying to Mom and Papa. I don’t believe for one second you are going out with a friend. Not looking like that. Seriously, you need to cover yourself. Put on a turtleneck or something.”
“Bobby, you know how over protective of me Mom and Papa are. I don’t even live at home and I’m still not even allowed to date.” I knew I sounded like a spoiled teenager, but I couldn’t help it. “And there is nothing wrong with me showing a bit of skin. I’ve seen you with girls dressed in way less than what I have on.”
“Completely different situation. Those girls aren’t my baby sister. And you haven’t answered my question. Who are you really going out with tonight?”
I exhaled noisily. “Fine. You’re worse than Tony, and he’s the cop. His name is Levi. I met him last night. He’s the son of Derek James.”
Bobby let out a long whistle. “Wow, little sis, I’m impressed. How’d you nab him?”
“I didn’t nab anyone and I didn’t lie to Mom and Papa. Levi and I are just friends, okay? Nothing more. Now stop with the interrogation.”
“You’re the one that mentioned ‘date,’ not me,” he noted. “You can’t have it both ways. Either you’re just friends or going on a date.”
“Well, I can,” I said defiantly.
“I don’t care who he is. Friend, or boyfriend, or son of a billionaire. If he hurts you, I’ll hurt him. And you can count on Tony and Mike lining up behind me, too.”
“Can you just drop the big brother thing? I can take care of myself. How am I supposed to meet anyone if you three are always hanging out in the wings?”
“We just want what’s be
st for you, little sis.”
“Well, concern yourselves with your own love lives, not mine.” Narrowing my eyes at him, I changed tactics. “Don’t you think it’s time you got married?”
He clutched his heart in mock pain. “Ouch, that hurts.”
I laughed. “Come on, Romeo, you’re pushing thirty. You should find a girl and settle down.”
“And disappoint all my female fans?” he asked, laughing back.
“Well, we can’t have that, can we?”
“No, we can’t. Speaking of females, I hear Lili and her boyfriend are through.” He glanced at me, raising his eyebrow.
“Gee, good news travels fast, doesn’t it? You and Tony are hopeless. I thought women were supposed to be the gossip queens. They had a disagreement, that’s all. And I don’t see why this concerns you.”
“She’s your roommate. I just need to make sure her choices are the right ones where you are concerned. I don’t want her to start dating some tattooed thug and put you in danger.”
I flicked at the cuff of his long-sleeved work shirt, exposing the briefest hint of the artwork on his wrist. “Um, you have tattoos. Two full sleeves, to be exact.”
Keeping one hand on the wheel, he adjusted the cuff so it was repositioned back to covering up his tattoo. “That’s completely irrelevant. I’m not talking about me. It’s your safety that concerns me.”
“Your concern touches me, bro, but it’s completely unwarranted. I can assure you, their break-up is only temporary.”
“Just keep me updated. I like to be in the know… Well, here we are, The Sports Bar.” Bobby pulled his car over, leaving the engine idling. His voice softened. “You know, it’s only because we care about you. If you need me, tonight or anytime, just call me, okay?”
“Thanks for the ride, Bobby.” I leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek, wiping away a smudge of red lipstick with my thumb. “I’ll be fine. Lili and Scotty will back together soon, and Levi and I are just friends. Besides, I’m not his type.”
“Well, that’s alright then. As long as he keeps his hands off you.”
Freefall (Santa Cruz Skydivers Book 1) Page 11