“About Cecilia,” Lucas said.
Marco let his anger subside at the mention of Cecilia’s name. “What is it? Is she okay?”
“Actually, she’s back in the country. She wants to be closer to her family and to start looking for colleges.”
“Cecilia’s coming back?” He hadn’t seen her in almost a year. She’d kissed him and left like it had meant absolutely nothing. Marco had been too proud to text or contact her first, and she’d never reached out to him. He figured she’d regretted the kiss, or maybe didn’t know what to say about it. His updates on her had come mostly through her cousin, Heather.
“She’s here,” Lucas said.
Marco shifted in his seat. His eyes darted around the room. He forgot about everyone at the table, everything around him. He searched for a familiar head of ash blonde hair.
“Where?”
“That’s why I was texting you,” Lucas said. “She was looking for you.”
Marco didn’t know what to do with his hands. “Where is she?”
“I think she went outside a while ago. By the way-”
Marco stood up. All heads at the table turned to him. “Excuse me,” he said. “I need to get some air.”
Felipe’s glare was lethal. Sit down, it said. Marco didn’t listen. He scooted his chair out and made his way to the back doors of the banquet room. They opened toward a small fountain area overlooking more golf courses. There were some guests walking around, drinking, talking. They turned when they saw him, probably waiting to see what show he’d put on today. After the incident last year, Marco’s reputation as the prodigal Silva son had been set in stone.
He walked, not caring who tried to get his attention. He wished he’d worn a lighter button down. Why was it so hot in late November? He moved past a woman who looked ready to try and start a conversation with him. He wasn’t Lucas, he didn’t know what part of his behavior would invite anyone to chat with him.
Marco wandered around outside, squinting in the darkness.
“Looking for me?” a familiar voice asked.
He turned.
Cecilia stood in front of him, just as mesmerizing as he remembered. She’d dyed her hair platinum blonde at the ends and had had it chopped into a wavy style, right above her shoulders. She smiled at him, her brown eyes lighting up when she did.
“Cecilia.”
“Marco,” she said, in a teasing tone. “Right on time, like always.” When he didn’t answer, she walked up to him and drew him into a quick hug. Too quick. He didn’t even have a chance to hug her back before she pulled away. “Not happy to see me?”
“Of course I’m happy to see you. I just, I can’t believe you’re back. I didn’t hear from you…” He stopped himself. There was no use sounding desperate. “I thought you were busy with school and your fancy new French friends.”
“I was in school,” Cecilia said. “And I did make some very fancy, handsome French friends, but then I got homesick. So, I’m back.”
“Just like that?”
Cecilia nodded. “Just like that. Did you miss me?”
“Of course,’ Marco said. He wanted to ask if she’d missed him but he didn’t. He wondered if she’d even thought about their kiss. He wanted to bring it up, but held back. “Although, I don’t see how Massachusetts compares to France, but I’m glad you’re here.”
“I’m glad to be back.”
Silence slowly crawled into the conversation. Marco couldn’t stand it.
“So, I heard Heather and Lucas broke up.”
“I know,” Cecilia said, talking in a way that made it seem like she and Marco had been in contact forever, like she hadn’t ignored him for the last year. “It’s crazy. They’ve been together since they were fourteen and now Heather wants to see other people.”
Lucas hadn’t mentioned that part. And if Cecilia said Heather had wanted to see other people, that definitely meant she’d already been seeing someone when she broke up with Lucas.
Marco didn’t want to waste time thinking about his brother. “Actually, I want to talk to you about something.”
“Oh?” Cecilia said. “Sure. What is it?”
He swallowed down any fear he had. He’d waited too long to tell her how he felt. That kiss had been the start of their story, not the end.
“Excuse me,” a woman said, stepping in out of nowhere. “Can I get a picture?”
She held up a camera, the lens as big as her head. Marco stepped back. His dad had always taught them to be wary of photographers. Cecilia smiled at the woman, though.
“Sure,” she said. She leaned in toward Marco. “Your family hired her. She’s been here since the event started.”
Cecilia stepped up next to Marco, slipping a hand against his back. He pressed a hand around her waist, knowing that they looked like a couple right now. They could be a couple. She was back in town and all he had to do was tell her how he felt, what that kiss had meant to him. He just had to show her why he was worth her time.
Marco smiled as the camera flashed.
He would do whatever he needed to show Cecilia how perfect they were for each other. Marco wouldn’t let another year slip by.
It was now or never.
Chapter 3
Elena’s feet ached to the point that she wasn’t sure if her shoes would even come off.
She walked beside Will, both of them in their Melo’s Coffee uniforms, reeking of coffee beans and sugar. It wasn’t how most people would want to spend their Saturday, back to back shifts taking coffee orders, but Elena didn’t mind. She got to work with Will.
She breathed in a gulp of frozen air then shivered.
“Cold?” Will asked. Before she could answer, he’d wrapped his denim jacket around her.
“Thank you,” Elena said.
She’d lost the ability to speak the first time he’d given her his jacket. That had been back in middle school, not too long after they’d met. Elena had still been learning to keep her crush on him under control back then. She’d spent the majority of seventh grade wondering when she’d get her first kiss from him. Most of her prospective scenarios involved a game of spin the bottle or seven minutes in heaven.
Curse the false expectations of young adult novels and romantic comedies.
“What are you thinking about?” Will asked.
“Nothing,” Elena said.
Will stopped walking. “Something’s on your mind.”
Elena relented. “Okay. Yes. A few things. Mostly about how good my dad is doing and how I really don’t want that to change.”
“It doesn’t have to. He told me yesterday he’s almost done with his next novel.” Elena didn’t have to tell Will that her dad would never be done with that novel. He rewrote it at least twice a year. “He sounded like he really meant it this time.”
“I hope so,” she said. Will started walking again She skipped a step to catch up with him. For every step he took, Elena had to take two. It’d been that way since his growth spurt in high school, not that he hadn’t been tall before.
“By the way, you never told me which college you’d decided to go with,” Elena said. He’d only told them a few details about his New York trip.
“That’s because I’m still not sure,” Will said. He dug his hands into his pockets. Elena thought about offering him his jacket back. At the pace he was walking now, she’d be warmed up by the time they got back to Bee’s. “I really loved New York, more than I thought I would, but if I went there it’d mean I’d be closer to her.”
“Your mom,” Elena said. Will rarely talked about his family; he’d lived with his grandmother in Glensford, before she’d passed away, two years ago. Before that, though, he’d been in and out of foster care in New York. He’d told Elena a few things, but never too much at once. She knew he had more family, siblings he didn’t talk about, but she never asked.
“Yeah,” he said. “But also, my whole life is here.”
“It’ll still be here on holidays,” Elena sai
d, half-joking. She wondered what it would be like to only see Will on breaks.
“I can’t picture my life without you and your dad in it,” Will said. “And as much as she hates me right now, I’d miss Mia too.”
Elena stopped walking at the mention of her other best friend, the one she’d had before Will, the one she hadn’t spoken to in months. “Mia took your breakup hard.”
“She had every right to,” Will said. “You don’t know how much I wish we hadn’t dated in the first place. Then we’d still have our trio.”
“I know,” Elena said. They’d stopped across the street from Dulce Street, where Mia’s mom worked. Mia spent some afternoons in there. Elena hadn’t set foot in there in months, just like Mia hadn’t stopped by Bee’s. “But you guys liked each other. It was normal to try.” She didn’t want to mention the fact that they’d never really been a trio. It’d been more like Elena and Will on some days and Elena and Mia on others. It hadn’t been until Will had asked Mia out, that they’d actually hung out together, and that made Elena a third wheel.
They’d been together for a year. Then one night, Mia broke up with Will and she’d texted Elena one sentence.
I need space.
That had been that.
Elena didn’t know exactly what she’d done, but she understood Mia. They’d been friends first, but over the years, especially after Elena’s mom passed away, right around the time she met Will, the dynamic in their friendship shifted.
Will tugged at Elena’s sleeve. “Want to grab a pizza before we head to your apartment?”
Her stomach growled. “Yes,” she said. “My treat this week. You paid last time.”
It was only six, but the apartment was pitch dark. Elena flicked on a few lights. She slipped Will’s jacket off and handed it to him.
“I guess my dad’s out.” On Saturdays he met with collectors who wanted special orders, or might have inventory for the shop. It was a good sign; a great sign.
“You get cups,” Elena said. “I’ll pick a movie.” Will walked to the kitchen as Elena turned the TV on. She scrolled through the apps until she found the AustenGo.
Will sighed from the kitchen. “Really? We watched all the Pride and Prejudice mini-series already. Can we watch a movie this week?”
Elena turned and gave him her best glare. “Fine,” she said. “Are we going with one of your super bloody Korean murder movies?” She switched out of the app.
“Sounds like a plan.”
They each grabbed a slice of pizza.
Will picked a film and then leaned back. If they’d been a couple, Elena would have leaned in toward him, maybe he would’ve wrapped an arm around her. She’d seen him wrap an arm around Mia on their trio movie nights. Elena had hated herself then, for being in love with him while he dated Mia. She’d fought the ugly part of herself, the one that told her she’d liked Will first, long before Mia had.
Elena wondered if she’d stopped being a good friend to Mia by then. She’d been a jealous mess, her heart and mind fighting her every day. She let the thought slip away. There was no point in regretting anything now. She was giving Mia space and making no attempt to apologize. Elena crushed the guilt down and watched the movie.
Although the movie wasn’t something she’d normally choose, Elena ended up crying at the emotional last scene. Will quietly handed her an unfolded napkin from the coffee table. It smelled like mozzarella.
“You knew I’d cry,” Elena said. She gave him a half-hearted shove. “You’ve watched this before, haven’t you?”
Will shrugged. “I may have watched it in New York. A girl I met on a campus tour recommended it.”
Elena pulled back to her side of the couch. She didn’t feel like joking around anymore, not when she wondered how pretty the girl Will had met on this campus tour was, how many pretty girls would probably want to flirt with him when he moved away to college. She hated these thoughts, the endless jealous chain that formed whenever Will mentioned a girl. Elena didn’t have a right to feel this way. He could date and flirt with whoever he wanted. She was never going to tell him how she felt; that opportunity had passed way before he’d started dating Mia.
“Elena?”
“Hm?”
“You got lost in your thoughts again,” Will said. “Is everything okay? It feels like you want to tell me something but don’t know if you should.”
Elena swallowed down the urge to tell him everything. Not about her feelings, that was never going to be an option, but about Bee’s. Will sometimes helped out with an afternoon shift or two, but he had no clue about the store’s finances, mostly because Elena didn’t want him to know. She knew if he found out he’d try to help somehow, like it was his responsibility too. She didn’t want him to. Will needed to save all his money for college, for the life he’d lead when he left Glensford behind.
“It’s nothing,” Elena said. “I’ve just-”
The doorbell echoed through the apartment. Elena nearly jumped off the couch. She wasn’t used to anyone using it. Will had a spare key.
She got up. “I’ll get it.”
Will stood up too. “Were you expecting someone?”
“No,” Elena said. “Maybe a customer needs after hours help.” On Saturdays the bookstore closed at six, so her dad could make his rounds with book collectors.
Elena opened the front door, it led down to the outside stairwell and then to the gated door at the bottom of the steps. She walked up to it and snuck a look through the peep hole.
It was Mrs. Keller, the widow of their late landlord.
Elena opened the door.
“Hi,” she said. She hadn’t seen Mrs. Keller in years or heard much, aside from her yearly Christmas card, the one she sent out to all her tenants.
“Hello, dear,” Mrs. Keller said. The November wind blew through her white curls. “Is your father home?”
Elena knew they were late on rent, but she didn’t think that was cause for their building owner showing up.
“He’s not,” Elena said, remembering Will was upstairs, though. “Can I help with anything?”
“Oh no,” Mrs. Keller said. “I wanted to have a conversation with him, nothing for a young person like you to be concerned over.”
The thing that no one understood was, Elena had stopped being young the day her mom died. She’d aged a decade overnight, because that had been her only option.
“I know about the rent,” Elena said, no longer wanting to waste time, or risk Will coming downstairs. “We’ll make the payment before the month ends. I know everyone probably says that, but we’ve been leasing this building for years. Business is a bit slow, but it’s getting better.”
Mrs. Keller gave a slow shake her head. “Oh dear, no” she said. “I didn’t know you were late on rent. My leasing company deals with those matters. My husband dealt with the business side of everything. Frankly, I rarely look at who owes what.”
“Oh,” Elena said. “Then what else could you be here about? You live across town.”
Mrs. Keller nodded. “I’ve sold the building,” she said. “Your lease will transfer to the new owner, until it ends… I believe my leasing company said your five-year lease ends in thirty days.”
“We’ll obviously be renewing it,” Elena said. She hated how desperate she sounded.
“It’s not up to me,’ Mrs. Keller said. “I came to tell your father about the news in person. He hasn’t been picking up my calls and I’ve known him for so long, I thought it was only right.”
Elena wanted to ask if it was legal for Mrs. Keller to throw the news on them like this, but she imagined she’d probably been trying to tell her dad about it for months.
“I guess we’ll have to sort everything out with the people who bought the building,” Elena said. “I appreciate you coming in person. I’m sure my father would have too. I’ll let him know you stopped by.”
Mrs. Keller nodded. “I’m sorry about not coming sooner. I’m sure the new owners won’t mind exten
ding your lease. I’ve told them how trustworthy your father is. Just make sure you keep up with your rent. I’m sure with the holiday season you’ll be able to.”
Elena faked a smile. “Thank you.”
The door upstairs opened. It was Will. He gave Elena a curious look.
“I should get back,” Elena said. “I have a friend over.”
Mrs. Keller gave her a wink. “A very handsome friend,” she said. “I see why you closed the bookshop early.” Then she waved herself off. “Have a lovely Thanksgiving next week.”
Elena closed the door and closed her eyes, and then opened them before turning to face Will, who was halfway down the steps.
“Wasn’t that your landlady?”
“Yeah,” Elena said. “Well, ex-landlady. Apparently she sold the building.”
“What?”
Elena waved the news away. “Nothing’s changed. We’ll just be paying rent to someone else.” Will didn’t look convinced. “Come on. Our pizza’s gonna get cold.”
“Elena-”
“Will, everything’s fine. Come on.”
When they got upstairs, Elena didn’t grab another slice of pizza. She could only think about Mrs. Keller’s news. What if the new owner didn’t want to renew their lease? Worse yet, what if they couldn’t even make their rent by the end of the month?
Chapter 4
“How’d the art exhibition go?” Marco asked.
His mom smiled from his laptop screen. Adeline had Lucas’s smile. “It was lovely. We sold quite a few pieces and everyone loved the artist. She already wants to know when our gallery can host her next exhibition.”
Marco wanted to tell his mom about Cecilia coming back, about his plans to tell her how he felt, but he wasn’t sure if his mom even knew who Cecilia was.
“I’m thinking about taking a gap year before college,” Marco said. “Maybe I can visit you in London for a few weeks.”
Call It One-Sided (Call It Romance Book 1) Page 2