Page 12 of Fall Into You
For a minute there, it felt like Matt was about to ask me out, and now we’ll never know, will we? Thanks for nothing, Vinny. Between the vomit, Leo and his stupid turkey, and my brother, I have not been able to catch a break with this guy, I swear. Timing has definitely not been on our side today.
“What are you guys doing?” Vinny glares at Matt and looks back and forth between the two of us.
“Taking a picture with a giant turkey. Duh,” I say, rolling my eyes at him, pretending like not everyone here—with the exception of clueless Leo—knows that Matt and I were definitely having a moment. And that Vinny just screwed it up.
“Right.” Vinny looks down at the bales of hay, nodding slowly, lips thin. “Clara is really sick. Let’s just pay for these fucking pumpkins and go home.”
“Fucking!” Leo yells, and Vinny groans, running a hand down his face in frustration.
“Danielle is gonna kill me,” he mutters under his breath.
INEVER THOUGHTa fifteen-minute drive could feel so awkward and tense, like trying to cut an ice cube with a butter knife.
I can feel the guilt of being caught mid-asking Liza out painted all over my face—and hers, for that matter. The anger and disappointment oozing from Vinny’s entire being is obvious as he drives the car back home while I sit up in the front seat next to him.
I see Vinny chew on the inside of his cheek from the corner of my eye, watch him as his hands grip the steering wheel a little harder when I ask how his daughter is feeling, and I flinch from the coldness in his voice when he grunts out, “Not great, but she’ll be fine.”
Liza notices Vinny’s change in mood as well. We keep subtly meeting each other’s gaze in the rearview mirror, but instead of exchanging exciting and flirty glances like the ones on the way to the pumpkin patch, these looks are full of anxiety and concern. Her brother caught us right as I was about to break the bro code, and he knows it.
But I’m a grown man, for Christ’s sake, not a teenager! And his sister is a grown woman. I shouldn’t feel like a fifteen-year-old who was just caught by his parents, making out with his girlfriend in his car. Can’t we all be adults here?
I resolve to talk to him tonight after dinner, see if he would be cool with me asking her out and get ahead of this thing. Maybe if I’m up front about everything, he won’t mind so much. We’re not college students anymore, and I think Vinny’s a smart enough guy to understand that things like the bro code belong in the same category as keg parties. It’s in the past. We’ve matured, evolved. We drink wine now, have serious relationships. That type of stuff.
I’m sure once I talk to him, he’ll understand. Hehasto because I just spent one of the best afternoons of my life with this girl, and it wasn’t even a date. We clicked, and talked, and played, and had an amazing time. I was dying to kiss her the whole afternoon and hope to do so sometime soon today. Maybe after I get her number?
When we reach the house, none of us say a word as Liza helps Vinny unbuckle Leo from his car seat and lift him out. Danielle greets us at the door and takes the baby from him while Liza follows closely behind.
I make my way toward the door, but Vinny stops me by placing a hand on my chest, lightly pushing back.
“What are you doing, man?” I ask, pretending to be confused but knowing full well what’s about to go down.
“I should be asking you the same question, Matt.” He glares at me.
I sigh and push his hand off me. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t do that, man.” He shakes his head at me. “Don’t pretend like you don’t know what this is about.” He takes a deep breath. “Listen, you know I like you and that I’m happy you’re back in the city so we can see more of each other, but…”
“But?” I ask after a relatively long pause.
“But I can’t have you sniffing around my sister, man.” He glares at me, hands on his hips, and I want to smack the look of self-righteousness off his face.
Really?
I scoff. “Sniffingaround your sister? What am I, a dog?” I ask, offended.
“Hey, if the dog collar fits…” He shrugs.
“I resent that,” I say, blood boiling now. One thing is to tell me that it would be weird for me to date his sister—which I totally get. Another is to tell me he doesn’t want me dating her because he thinks I’m a fuckingdog.
He exhales deeply and looks over my shoulder for a beat before looking me in the eye again. “Matt. Come on. I lived for four years with you in the same apartment, took the same classes, went to the same parties, saw a different girl leave your bedroom every morning. And it was fun, you know—when we were college students. But not anymore. And not with my sister.”
“Why do you just assume I’m still like that. I mean, areyou?” I know I’ve made a horrible mistake by turning it around on him, but I can’t help it. I’m pissed now, rage coursing through my body, my hands fisting at my sides.
“Obviously not, man. I have a wife now, afamily. But you’re not there yet. You were just kicked out of your booty call’s house, for fuck’s sake!” He throws his hands in the air.
“Ex-booty call,” I remind him through gritted teeth. “And she wasn’t even a booty call!” I throw my hands in the air. “I slept with herone time, and it was a mistake.”
“Whatever,” Vinny sighs and runs his fingers through his hair. “I don’t want Liza to be another one of your ‘mistakes.’ I don’t want you with my sister, Matt. She acts all tough, but she’s not, okay? She might not be hurting over her break-up, but she’s still not in the best place. I’ve seen her slowly recover, but I can’t have you ruining her progress. Not now, after everything that she’s been through, and certainly not after a break-up—no matter how annoying her ex was.”
