Page 10 of Joey

“I really have to get home. I have an early thing tomorrow.” He shrugs, a sad expression on his face, like he really would rather stay here with her.

Mo’s face falls. She’s not used to being turned down. “Fine,” she huffs. “Maybe next time?”

He nods agreeably. “Maybe.”

Mo climbs out of the car, and we watch to make sure she’s safely inside before Henry drives off.

Toby doesn’t make any attempt to scoot into Mo’s now-empty seat. Ash glances back at the two of us. “Your place, Toby?”

Toby looks at me and arches an eyebrow. “Um.”

I offer a casual shrug. “I only have waffles.”

“Now waffles I can get with.” He laughs.

“Home then?” Ash asks me with a grin.

“Yes please.” I settle back in my seat and turn my attention back to Toby. “So, tell me, are you home for good?”

* * *

Toby and Isit opposite each other at the huge wooden table in my kitchen, fresh waffles covered in syrup in front of us. “This reminds me of back in high school. We always had waffles after we snuck home from a party,” he says, looking around the room. “This place has barely changed.”

“Hmm.” I wrinkle my nose. “It’s the same and completely different.”

“I was sorry to hear about your dad.”

I feign a well-practiced smile. My father was a monster and my life is way better without him in it. But I don’t tell Toby that. “Thanks,” I say instead.

“You sure your brothers are going to be okay with me being here?” He glances at the door as though he half expects them to burst in here any second and break his arms and legs.

“Relax, Toby, we’re just eating waffles.”

“I know.” He grins.

“It’s so good to have you back. I missed you,” I say honestly. He was such a good friend to me back in the day. And now that he’s back in Chicago for good, it will be nice to spend time with him.

“I missed you too, Joey. Now, I’ve bored you with every single detail about my time at Berkeley, so you have to tell me what it was like going to school in Italy.”

I roll my eyes. “You make it sound way more exciting than it was.”

“I bet it was cool.” He stuffs a piece of waffle into his mouth and syrup runs down his chin. He licks it off, staring at me like I’m the most fascinating person in the world as he waits for me to talk.

“Well, there was this one girl I really liked, Cherry. She was from England, but her parents sent her to St. Agatha’s because she was such a handful. Some of the stuff she used to get us into…” I snicker, remembering the time she caused a riot in the cafeteria just so we could sneak out and go to the beach.

Toby leans forward, arms resting on the table. “So, tell me.”

ChapterSix

JOEY

“Iforgot to mention Toby Fiore was back home. Did you and he have a chance to catch up?” Dante arches an eyebrow as he spears a strip of beef filet with a fork while balancing his daughter on his lap.

I resist rolling my eyes. “You know we did.” I’m well aware that Ash and Henry inform my older brothers of almost every move I make. I’ve tried to stop letting it get to me and accept that it’s an inescapable consequence of being a Moretti.

A slight frown furrows his brow. “Yes, I know he came here last night. I was just making conversation, Joey. I don’t want details.”

I wrinkle my nose. “There are no details to give. He’s my friend, D.”