Page 56 of All’s Well that Friends Well (Lucky in Love #2)

JULIET

“Dearly beloved,” I say, looking around the kitchen.

It’s a little small for all the people crammed in here, but we’re making it work.

India and Felix are hovering over by the fridge, their heads together as they whisper back and forth, while Aurora is propped against the counter, inspecting her nails.

Next to her, Janis Joplin the fish swims in fishy little circles, completely unaware of the tension rising around us.

“Dearly beloved,” I say again. “We are gathered here today?—”

“This isn’t a wedding, Jules,” Aurora says, her blonde hair flicking as she looks up at me.

“Or a funeral. Yet,” Cyrus adds, glaring across the kitchen table at Luca, who stares back.

I clear my throat nervously, my gaze jumping back and forth between my brother and my boyfriend. Luca and I have officially been a couple for two weeks, and although he’s seen Indy and Aurora before today, he hasn’t met Cyrus since the Kitchen Incident.

The two of them have their arms folded, expressions set in scowling frowns. I think the table might splinter under the weight of all that testosterone and self-importance.

“Right,” I say. “Okay. So. I would officially like to introduce Luca Slater”—I gesture at him—“as my boyfriend.”

No one says anything. No one even moves. So I scurry over to Luca’s side and tap his shoulder. “Introduce yourself,” I say. When he continues his stony silence, I roll my eyes. “Come on,” I say, poking him harder now. “You need to win these people over. They need to like you.”

Still nothing, and from over by the fridge, I hear Felix start to chant quietly. “ Fight! Fight! Fight! ” he says, but he breaks off with an oof as India elbows him in the ribs.

Slowly, looking pained, Luca turns his attention to me. Do I have to? his expression says.

“Yes, you have to,” I say. “And in return, they will also introduce themselves to you, and we will all forget about the Kitchen Incident. We will live in peaceful harmony.”

“Of course we will,” Poppy says warmly from where she’s standing behind Cyrus’s chair. She taps Cyrus’s shoulder the same way I was tapping Luca’s, nudging him to speak. “We’re thrilled for you both.”

But Cyrus doesn’t look thrilled. He finally unfolds his arms and leans forward, his eyes narrowing. “I don’t understand how this even happened,” he says to Luca.

“We became friends while I was working in his office, and then we decided to date,” I say before Luca can answer, because I’m scared of what he might say.

But it’s too late; Luca speaks anyway. “Juliet forced herself on me,” he says to Cyrus. “She just kept trying until she wore me down.”

For all Luca’s grumbling about this meeting, he’s still wearing his nicest—and only—pair of jeans, and his casual button-up pulls across his chest and shoulders in a truly delicious way. There’s also a hint of humor in his voice, I notice, despite his words.

Cyrus just grunts and leans back, still eyeing Luca with distrust. “Fine. Introduce yourself.”

Luca sighs. “I’m Luca. I have a stable job?—”

“That you didn’t tell her about ? — ”

“And a stable living situation?—”

“He bought a house!” I pipe up. “He’ll move out of Mom and Dad’s in a few weeks.”

Luca nods. “But mostly I just really like Juliet.”

I beam at my siblings, focusing especially on Cyrus, who grunts.

“Do you know what we’ll do to you if you hurt her?”

Luca’s shoulders jerk into a shrug. “Nothing she wouldn’t do to me first.”

“I would never, ” I say, my eyes widening. “I would just cry and then egg your house.”

“Really?” Luca says. His brows furrow as he frowns up at me, his glasses glinting in the light. “That’s…somehow worse.”

“Do you two even know each other?” Cyrus says. “And what’s the age difference here?”

“Eight years”—I hold up a hand as Cy starts to protest—“but don’t worry, he’s immature for his age,” I add soothingly.

Cy snorts, and when Luca glares up at me, I just shrug.

“This was quick,” Cyrus barrels on. “What do you really know about each other? What does she like and dislike? What does she want to be when she grows up?”

“She’s already grown up,” Luca says, “and she’ll be whatever she decides to be.”

“Ten out of ten,” India says firmly, and Aurora gives a brisk nod.

“Agreed,” she says, pushing off the counter. “But I will bury you if you hurt her,” she says to Luca, her ponytail flicking as she strides out of the kitchen. “Dim sum tonight,” she adds over her shoulder to me and India. “Poppy, you’re invited. Cyrus, you are not.”

Cyrus makes a rude hand gesture at her, which she returns without even looking; then she turns the corner and she’s gone.

“You can stay,” India says, trailing over to the table and patting Luca on the shoulder. “Ignore Cy. He’s just grumpy because you’re taller than him.”

Cyrus huffs. “He’s not taller than me?—”

But the kitchen explodes into protest at this.

“He has at least two inches on you,” Poppy says with a snort, while Felix bursts into laughter and India lets out an Oh, please.

Cyrus pushes his glasses up his nose and rolls his eyes. Then he stands, the chair scraping loudly. “Ridiculous,” he mutters as he turns on his heel.

My lips curl into a smile. “I love you, Cy,” I call loudly as he strides out of the room. “Cy,” I repeat when he doesn’t answer. “ Cy! ”

And from just around the corner where Cyrus has already disappeared, I hear a faint mumbled Love you too.

My little smile turns into something bright and beaming, and I look down at Luca. “See?” I say. “That wasn’t so bad. ”

“It wasn’t so bad,” he agrees. He’s lying through his teeth, but he’ll warm up to everyone, and they’ll do the same.

Luca’s future at Explore is still very up in the air.

Rodney’s in relatively good health for his age.

He’s just old, and Luca’s not sure he wants to run a company anyway.

So there are lots of things that only time will tell.

One thing we do know, however, is that we’re going to keep dating no matter what.

I, meanwhile, have been researching more career paths, particularly for people people—people who excel with emotional intelligence and tricky social situations.

I’ve been thinking of researching how to start a small business, too, because despite everything I’ve been doing at Explore, I still miss teaching dance.

I really would love to have my own studio, even if it took a long time to reach that point.

I don’t know. I just don’t know—about my career or Luca’s career or what our futures will look like.

That should make me more anxious, considering my history, but somehow it doesn’t.

If anything, I’ve been less anxious. I’m sleeping better, feeling good about myself, and I’ve been eating well, too.

And at first I wondered if things were going so well because of Luca, but I’m starting to think that’s not the case.

I just think I’m growing up, and I attracted him in the process. In becoming ourselves…we’re falling in love.

I’m learning how to shoulder more weight. My problems aren’t getting smaller; I’m getting stronger.

I’m also going to start reading more, in the form of audiobooks.

Luca and I have started a top-secret book club, by which I mean I started a top-secret book club and forced Luca to join me.

We’ll listen to audiobooks together and alternate who gets to choose every month.

This month we’re doing a nonfiction book about strengthening communication skills; next month we’re reading a vampire romance.

I’ll let you guess who chose which book.

I’ve been wondering about inviting Aurora to join, actually, because she and Bart have officially broken up—or whatever they call it. I don’t know; can you break up if you were only casually together? Either way, she needs a distraction, because we’re running out of surfaces for her to clean.

I plan on reading a lot of romance, though, and I’m not sure she’d like that. Maybe I’ll give her some time to cool down first.

As everyone trickles out of the kitchen, Luca stands up too. I hold out my hand, and he takes it naturally, as though we’ve been doing this for years. He slips his fingers through mine and squeezes, and together we head for the front door of the little house I rent with my sisters.

The evening air is balmy, more humid than Colorado usually sees, but it’s gorgeous all the same as our hands swing between us.

“He likes you,” I say as we drift slowly down the driveway.

“Who?” Luca says, letting out a skeptical snort of laughter. “Cyrus?”

“He does!” I insist. “If he didn’t, he would have been mean. But he was just abrasive and grumpy, and he didn’t get all up in your face or anything. That means he likes you.”

Luca’s lips twitch. “If you say so.”

“Also,” I say. “I’ve chosen next month’s read for our book club. Before I give you the title, I do need to remind you that you promised you wouldn’t complain.”

Luca stops in his tracks and looks at me with disconcertion. I can see myself reflected in his glasses, and behind that his dark eyes dart over my face. Then he sighs. “All right,” he says. “I promised. Let’s hear it.”

I struggle to swallow my laughter, because I know that face he’s making is only going to get worse.

But it’s one I’ve been wanting to read, and I think it would be good for Luca to experience some warmth and human connection.

So I tell him: “It’s called A Vampire Sweetheart for the Farmer’s Daughter, and I’ve had my eye on it in the bookstore for a few months”—Luca groans, letting his head fall back—“and you’re going to love it, Luca.

It’s going to be great,” I finish, tugging on his arm.

“It’s going to be really really good. Soon you’ll be clamoring for every vampire romance you can get your hands on.

And you’ll thank me for that, you know? So just trust me. ”

Luca doesn’t move from where he’s standing, but he does tilt his head back up to look at me, one dark brow lifting. “I’m going to thank you, huh?”

“You will,” I say fervently. “You absolutely will.” I go up on my tiptoes and press a quick kiss to his lips, smiling as he wraps his arms around me.

“You’re trouble,” he says, tugging me closer.

My laugh gets lost somewhere between his neck and his shoulder, or maybe it puffs against his collarbone.

I just hug him back, reveling in the feelings he brings—security and warmth and protection.

Safety not only from the world around me but also from judgment as I show him the deepest parts of myself.

“But the good kind of trouble,” I say, and I feel him nod.

“The best kind of trouble.” He presses a kiss to the top of my head, and when I laugh this time, the sound doesn’t make it out at all.

I think it must go straight to his heart.