Page 52

Michael had met Krystal briefly when he visited Lorenzo at home, but he didn’t mention it—didn’t want Larry losing his mind over it even more.

Lorenzo let out a slow, irritated breath. His jaw tightened. After a beat, he stretched his legs out, slid a hand into his pocket, and pulled out his phone.

He started scrolling through his gallery. Hundreds of her photos were still there.

Krystal loved taking pictures. Whether they were going to a fancy dinner or just picking up snacks, she’d find a reason to capture the moment.

"I want to remember every day of my life," she’d say, laughing.

His thumb hovered over a photo where she was smiling brightly at him, that same look he hadn’t seen in a long time. The ache that surged in his chest caught him off guard.

“What’s taking so long?” Larry reached a hand across. “C’mon, let me see.”

Lorenzo’s hand tightened around the phone.

The thought of Larry—or anyone else—seeing her, seeing that smile, made something cold and territorial coil in his gut. His thumb gently brushed over her face on the screen.

Then, without a word, he locked the phone and slid it back into his pocket.

“I don’t have any,” he said shamelessly.

“Bullshit,” Larry snapped. “You were literally staring at one. You hiding even her photo now? What, is she ugly or something?”

“Shut up and drink your damn whiskey. Stop bothering me.” Lorenzo muttered, grabbing his glass and finishing the rest in one go.

Larry scowled, but didn’t push it further. He slouched back and reached for his own drink.

“What an annoying brat,” he grumbled, swirling the amber liquid in his glass. “We didn’t even get to see the woman that the mighty Lorenzo Moretti lost his virginity to—what was it, in a damn car? And now you marry someone, divorce her, and still won’t show us her face? Can you at least let us meet the next one you marry, for God’s sake?”

Lorenzo set his glass down on the armrest and muttered, “I might never marry again.”

“What?” Larry nearly choked. “Are you serious? Come on. What kind of woman did you divorce that made you give up on marriage entirely?”

Under the table, Michael kicked Larry in the shin and leaned closer, speaking low. “Shut it,” he muttered. “If you get him angry, I’m not saving you when he punches your teeth in.”

Larry kicked him back with a glare. “Anyway, speaking of marriage,” he said, turning back to Lorenzo, “I think I might be getting married soon.”

Michael raised an eyebrow. “You’re dating someone?”

Larry shook his head, dreamy. “Nah. But I just had a love-at-first-sight moment. Right out there, in the parking lot.”

He let out a lovesick sigh and leaned back on the couch, gazing at the ceiling like the woman’s face was still floating above him.

“She was gorgeous,” he whispered. “No joke, the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my life. I can’t stop thinking about her. I’m telling you—she’s the one. My soulmate. I’d go to war for her. Even now, my heart’s still racing.”

Lorenzo and Michael exchanged a glance and started laughing under their breath.

Larry opened his eyes and glared at them. “Hey, I’m serious. Don’t laugh at me. I’m telling you, you haven’t seen her. If you did, you’d agree.”

“You fall for someone every other week,” Michael said, barely holding in a laugh.

“I get crushes, yeah,” Larry admitted. “But this was different. This was real love. I swear.”

He downed another drink like it was water, shaking his head as if to clear it.

Lorenzo and Michael chuckled again.

Lorenzo raised his glass for another sip, but paused as his eyes scanned the bar and suddenly, his entire body went still.