Hate to Date You (Dating #4) - Monica Murphy Page 0,57

a shrug, earning another glance from Carter. “My mama taught me everything I know.”

“So if I asked you to make me homemade spaghetti and meatballs, you could?” His voice is so hopeful, I almost want to laugh.

“Yep. I can make my own sauce and everything. If I was feeling really ambitious, I can even make my own pasta.”

“Damn.” He sighs with actual longing, and it’s adorable. “You’re like—my dream woman.”

I refuse to acknowledge that statement. He doesn’t mean it. He’s still in a food coma. “Were my brothers too overbearing? Sometimes they don’t know when to stop.” They’re always overbearing. To me, to my friends, to my mother and Nonna. To everyone. It’s like they can’t help themselves. My father is more subtle. He has a way about him that doesn’t feel like he’s bulldogging you. But the next thing you know, you’re agreeing to do what he wants, and you don’t know how that happened, considering it’s something you would’ve never done on your own.

I know this from experience.

“I like your brothers.” Carter’s tone is cautious and I can tell he’s treading lightly, possibly believing I’d be angry if he insulted my brothers. Though that thought process is totally unnecessary in regards to Tony and Michael. I’m sure I’d agree with anything he could possibly say about them.

“I can tell there’s a ‘but’ there,” I say when he remains quiet.

“But they took over the project about renovating your grandmother’s house. I got completely pushed out of it.” Carter chuckles, shaking his head. “Though it feels more like they’re humoring her by having the contractor come to the house and give them an estimate on what needs to be done.”

“She wants to move. She told me so herself right after dinner.” It’s Carter who made me realize that none of us are listening to her. Honestly, it’s more like none of the men listen to the women in my family. My brothers and father don’t listen to Nonna, even though she’s older and wiser than all of them. They don’t listen to my mother. And they definitely don’t listen to me.

It’s actually pretty sucky.

“See? Told you.” Carter sounds triumphant, and I guess he should feel that way. He was right. We didn’t believe her. “She wants out of that house. It’s like she’s waiting for someone to actually listen to her and say we’ll help you.”

“She has the money. She doesn’t need to sell that house in order to afford a new condo on the beach.” I chew on my thumbnail, a terrible habit I really need to break. “It’s like she’s seeking my father’s permission to make the move.”

“Isn’t she the mother and he’s the son?”

“Well, yes, but he’s the patriarch now, as my nonna’s oldest son. He essentially took over the family business and the family decisions when my grandfather died. Now she just bows to him and does what he says.” I tug on a hangnail with my teeth, pulling too much skin and making it bleed. I suck my thumb into my mouth, wondering if I look like a baby.

Thank God it’s dark; hopefully Carter can’t see me.

“Your mom does the same thing,” he says quietly.

I remove my thumb from my mouth. “When I’m at home, I do the same thing. We all do. Women are second-class citizens in my family.”

“No wonder you rebelled.”

I turn so I’m facing him more, validation making me want to bounce in my seat. “Right? Can’t you see it? I had to get out of that house. It was stifling. My father was always trying to tell me what to do, where to go, who I can be with.”

“I’m guessing living in a closet is better than living in that castle,” he says, amusement lacing his tone.

“Our apartment is really like a closet compared to my family’s house, huh?” I like how that sounds, which is stupid. Our apartment. It is ours. And I’m still keeping that from my family, which is also stupid. My father would probably shit his pants if he knew I was sharing my apartment with Carter, but nothing is going on between us. Not anymore. Carter and I are just friends. Friends who happened to fuck once, but we’ve moved past that.

I have. I think he has too.

I sneak a peek at him, admiring his profile. His nose is a little too big, but I like it. He has a jaw like granite. He has a great mouth. Chiseled cheekbones. Dark hair. And those pretty blue