My Big Fat Fake Honeymoon - Lauren Landish Page 0,117
partially serious.
“Not funny, Dad,” Courtney complains. Her wedding was beautiful and spectacular and . . . not cheap. It most definitely had the price tag to go along with an Andrews event.
“Shh! I want to hear about this Lorenzo!” Mom bites, cutting off Dad and Courtney’s chitter chatter.
They hush, looking pleased with themselves but not willing to open their mouth and risk Mom’s wrath.
“He’s Violet’s cousin, a chef from Positano. He travels, cooking all over the world. He’s smart . . . funny . . . and passionate about life.” My voice fades off as memories of our conversations, our adventures, and our time together wash through my mind and body. I feel the smile on my face and the blush on my cheeks before anyone mentions them.
“Ah, hell, I’ve seen that look before. He’s a goner. Total toast in another Abi scheme. Does he know it yet?” Ross jokes.
I duck my chin, not wanting them to see the pink turn to a full flush of red. “It’s not like that. He was just helping a friend through a tough time.”
Courtney whispers out of the side of her mouth, “To answer your question, Ross . . . no, he doesn’t know because Abi hasn’t really admitted it to herself yet.”
Ross laughs at that, and I look up hotly, instantly in fight-or-flight mode, and I’ve never been one to fly. “What? Why is that funny? You think it’s funny that I had this great week with him and then it’s over just like that?” I yell.
He doesn’t back down or cower in the slightest, rather his laughter amps up. “Do I think it’s funny? Fuck yeah, I think it’s funny that for all your scheming . . . your whole life’s worth of scheming . . . you end up caught in one of your own webs and are floundering around, fighting it like we always do. I’ll let you in on a little something we all learned long ago . . . don’t. Just go with it. It’s better that way.”
“What?” I balk.
Ross and Courtney look at each other, united against me. That’s a first and I don’t like it. Not one bit.
Mom and Dad have matching looks of mirth on their faces too. I’m used to seeing them on the same page, but not united against me too.
Mom is somehow the elected spokesperson. “Dear, you know we love you, but you are rather known for your schemes. You have to admit that it’s a little amusing that you’ve gotten yourself tied so deeply in one of your own devious plots that you can’t see a way out. Ironic, no?”
I pout, crossing my arms over my chest. “No, I don’t think so.”
Dad has never been one to let me stew in my own pity party, even though I throw a hell of a soiree. “What’s your plan for this Lorenzo?”
I shrug, not over my sulk yet.
“Do not tell me you intend on sitting back and doing nothing?” Dad demands.
I shrug again, that being pretty much my exact plan. If Lorenzo wants more than the week we had, he knows where to find me.
At my silence, Dad leans back in his chair, his legs spread wide and his hands rubbing at his face. He meets my eyes through heavy lids. “I’m disappointed in you, Abigail.”
I flinch. “What?” That hurts sharper than a rose thorn stabbing through delicate skin.
He keeps his relaxed posture, but every word is precise. “You are a remarkable woman who attacks life with a passion I have rarely seen. If this Lorenzo holds your interest—a task not to be underestimated—if he is worth you, then you owe it to yourself to meet him halfway. Simply doing nothing is beneath you, Abi. If that’s what he inspires in you, let him go. He deserves . . .” He shakes his head, changing his phrasing. “You deserve someone who inspires you to do anything, everything for them. To fight, to love, to dream, to live.”
He takes Mom’s hand, and they look at each other with all the love they feel bared and pure. They are a lot to live up to, but I won’t settle for less than the example they’ve set.
Could I have that with Lorenzo?
I don’t know. It seems so fast, but I’ve never felt anything close to what I feel when I’m with him. I’ve never felt this way about anyone. And Courtney’s right about one thing . . . we’re unusual people, and I’m an anomaly