You’re a Jerk!

“I don’t understand why I couldn’t come and meet your parents!” Kate’s voice whined through the

car’s Bluetooth speakers.

Luca watched Eddie roll her eyes and put her headphones on.

He had finally convinced Eddie to come with him, but he hadn’t been completely truthful. He told Eddie that the reason he was angry was because he didn’t like how much time she was spending with Marc.

He claimed he felt left out when, in fact, the real reason was her relationship with Parker.

“Kate, you went to Vermont and didn’t invite me! How is that different?”

“You want to meet my parents?” Kate asked excitedly, and Luca mentally slapped himself.

“No, I’m just saying—”

“NO?”

“Mio dio. Kate, listen, I just mean I don’t think we are ready for either of us to meet each other’s parents.”

“But you took Eddie with you!”

Luca looked over at his passenger. Eddie was resting back in the chair with her eyes shut and her foot tapping the beat of whatever she was listening to.

She was dressed casually in a baggy hoodie paired with black leggings and boots. The leggings clung to her toned legs, and Luca found himself having to tear his eyes away to look back at the road.

“Eddie knows my parents. She comes every year.”

“Exactly!”

“What? Kate, I don’t even know what that means.”

“Goodbye, Luca,” Kate said before hanging up.

Luca slammed his hands on the steering wheel, cursing in Italian. Eddie peeked at him through her eyelashes.

Luca looked over and caught her gaze. He playfully tapped her arm, and she removed her headphones.

“Hey, I thought we were back to normal. Why are you ignoring me?”

“I wasn’t. I simply didn’t want to listen to your ~girlfriend.~ She isn’t my favorite person.”

“Well, your ~boyfriend ~isn’t mine.”

“Parker is not my boyfriend. We are just casually dating.”

“Does he know that?”

“I don’t need you judging me, Luca.”

“I’m not, cara. I just didn’t think you were the type of girl to give away the milk for free,” Luca stated, earning an eye roll from Eddie, who turned to look out the window.

“Come on we used to tell each other everything. How do you feel about this guy?”

“He is nice, and I like spending time with him.”

“And…?”

“And we have a lot in common.”

“Like?”

“We both study engineering.”

“So, he is your study buddy?”

“No, he is…he is just Parker.”

“Can he make you wet?”

“Excuse me?”

“I’ll take that as a no.”

“You are a jerk, Luciano Moretti!”

***

Three hours later, Luca stopped the car on the curb outside the Moretti family home in Queens. Eddie hadn’t spoken to Luca since calling him a jerk, and she was eager to escape the car. Mark rushed to the car to greet them.

“Grazie Dio! My two favorite people. Mom has invited yet another girl—sorry, woman, of child-bearing age who is perfect for me. Please help!”

Neither Luca nor Eddie responded to Marc, and he was left looking between the two. “Okay, what the hell is with you two? I thought you sorted your issues.”

“Your brother decided to put his nose into my sex life,” Eddie snapped as she grabbed her small suitcase from the car before stopping in front of Mark.

“What sex life?” Marc asked with a smirk.

Eddie narrowed her eyes at the oldest Moretti brother before storming inside the house.

***

As always, Eddie was given Luca’s childhood bedroom for her stay, and the brothers shared a room. Eddie was sitting cross-legged on the bed with a textbook in her lap when someone knocked on the door.

Eddie called for the person to come in, and Mrs. Moretti entered the room, sitting on the edge of the bed.

“Good evening, cara.”

“Hi, Mrs. Moretti.”

“I think it is about time you called me Maria, don’t you think?” Mrs. Moretti offered, and a small smile played on Eddie’s lips as she nodded. “Or you could always call me Ma, like the boys.”

“Thank you for inviting me…Maria.”

“You are family, cara.”

Eddie nodded sadly and looked down into her lap. She felt Maria’s arms wrap around her.

“I always say to Dante that I wish we had met you sooner. We would have given you a proper home.”

Maria kissed Eddie’s forehead, and Eddie felt tears roll down her cheeks.

“I’m not sure what Luciano did—”

“How did you—”

“Mother’s intuition. Again, I’m not sure what he did, but I know that my son cares for you. Luciano may even love you.”

Eddie shook her head at Maria’s words. “Luke will never see me that way. Besides, I’m dating someone, and Luca, he…he has a girlfriend.”

“Mmm… Kate, yes. Marcello mentioned her. If Luciano was serious about her, I believe he would have brought her home long ago. This boy you are seeing…is it ~serious~?”

Eddie sighed. “He is nice and seems to like me. To be honest, I’m not ready for ~serious~… I need someone who…who—”

“Who loves you,” Maria finished for her, and once again, tears rolled down Eddie’s cheek.

“Oh, cara, please don’t cry. Dante and I love you like you are our own. We want to see you happy. If you decide you like this boy, we will get to meet him, yes?”

“Si!” Eddie replied with a smile, and Maria chuckled at her use of Italian. “Can I help you in the morning? With Thanksgiving dinner?”

“Si, si! I would love your help. Get some sleep, cara~. ~Do not worry about your trouble with Luciano. He will prove himself to you.”