Better Be True Read online

  “Um . . . no. Facebook update from my ex.”

  “Ah.”

  “Yeah.” He should have put the phone away, but he couldn’t stop himself from looking. Pictures of the happy couple on the new boyfriend’s yacht. Blowing off steam before I have to knuckle down and work this summer. Thank you, Sebastian, for an amazing time.

  Right. Amazing. Not boring, like Luke.

  “You should block him and be done with it.”

  “Huh?” Should he?

  “Been there, done that. It never ends well.” Nico shook his head. “Like I said, block him.”

  “But we’re still friends.” They were. “And we have to work together this summer.”

  They did.

  “Honey, he sounds like a player. They’re never worth the time.”

  Luke frowned at Nico. “You don’t even know him.”

  “You’re right.” Nico kept his gaze on the road. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

  Neither should Luke have been so sharp. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to bark at you.”

  “It’s okay. I was out of line.”

  Staring at the photos, maybe he was the one who didn’t know Kent. “No, you weren’t. It’s still a bit raw.”

  And it touched a bit too close to home. Kent had called him boring once, during an argument. Said he wanted more excitement in their relationship.

  He clicked off the phone, stuffed it in his bag, and fell back against the seat. “Not gonna look anymore. If you see me checking out his timeline, smack me and take my phone.”

  “Oh my, the things you say.”

  “I’m serious. He’s moved on, and I should too.” He sucked in a deep breath and exhaled loudly. “How about we listen to the end of the game?”

  Nico

  Whoever thought to build rest stops on the Pennsylvania Turnpike deserved a fucking medal. Or at least a good blow job. Not that Nico would volunteer to make payment.

  As a kid, Nico’s parents always reminded him to use the bathroom before the start of a trip. Without Mom to keep him on point, he forgot to go before he left to pick up Luke. Some days, adulting was harder than others.

  Nico stretched to work out the kinks in his back as he walked to the car. He’d asked his parents for a Tesla, arguing his generation needed to get serious about carbon emissions since they were going to be around for another six or seven decades. His parents lauded his green side and bought him a Prius. Cars were transportation, not a status symbol, they said.

  Part of him agreed. And it was totally awesome that they bought him a car. But sometimes his six-foot-three body needed a bit more room. Today’s nearly four-hour drive was one of them. Luckily, they only had about an hour to go.

  “Okay, let’s—” The scowl on Luke’s face as he stared at his phone made him less attractive. Nico had been down that road enough to know how it felt. It also spoke to how attached he still was to his ex. Sadly, Nico had experience with that emotion too.

  Leaning on the hood of Nico’s car, Luke swiped at the screen, scowling. Nico wished this Kent guy wasn’t based in Philly. This summer would be buckets of fun.

  Gliding to the spot next to Luke, Nico lightly smacked the back of Luke’s head.

  “Hey! What the fuck!”

  Nico held out his hand. “Just following instructions.” He wiggled his fingers for Luke to pass over the phone.

  “What makes you think I’m looking at Kent’s profile?”

  “Seriously?” Nico arched his brow.

  Luke’s expression softened into defeat, and he slapped the phone into Nico’s outstretched hand. “Why is it so hard to hate him?”

  “Because you actually cared for him, even if he turned out to be a fuckwit.” He logged off Luke’s Facebook and offered the phone back.

  “Keep it until we get to the apartment. That way for the next hour I won’t be tempted to see what fun and amazing things he and his super-rich, super-hot new boyfriend are doing.”

  Nico stuffed the phone in one of his many pockets. “I could always ask my cousins Paulie and Nunzio to mess him up a bit.”

  “Your cousins are in the Mafia?”

  The awe on Luke’s face and in his voice almost made Nico continue the lie. “I don’t even have cousins named Paulie and Nunzio, but it sounded good. And coming from a New York Italian, people are willing to believe it’s true.”

  “Fuck, I believed it. Sorry.”

  Nico laughed and hitched a thumb over his shoulder. “What do you say we get moving to make it before dark?”

  Chapter Five

  Nico

  Nico: Holy Fuck! Parking sucks in Philly!

  Elisa: Yikes! Language!

  Nico: You sound more like Mama every day

  Elisa: Whatever. Easy trip?

  Nico: Yeah. Luke’s good company. Too bad he isn’t over his ex.

  Nico rounded the car and met Luke at the trunk. “Here.” He held out Luke’s phone. “Try not to stalk Kent too much.”

  “Thanks.” Luke shoved it into his left pocket and hurriedly snatched his laptop bag from the trunk. “We should take as much as we can carry. Don’t want to leave anything in the car.”

  Nico smirked. “Country boy.”

  “What? I don’t want our stuff stolen.”

  “Even if we carry as much as we can, we’ll need to make another trip.” Nico pulled his backpack with his laptop and other valuables from the back seat. “I won’t leave the car here long.”

  “It takes seconds to break in and steal something.”

  “It’ll be fine.” Not that he knew what crime was like in Philadelphia. “Soon as I know where our parking space is, I’ll run back like the wind and move it.”

  Luke cocked his head and his dark eyes washed over Nico. “Are you always this . . .” He rolled his finger. “You know.”

  “Dramatic?” Nico glanced over Luke’s shoulder, unable to meet his eyes. So much for toning himself down. He mumbled, “That’s me, I guess.”

  “I meant laid back.” Luke retrieved his backpack and shut the back door. “I’m nervous as fuck moving to a big city, and you’re . . . not.”

  Laid back. With a relieved flutter, Nico procured his own phone with directions to their apartment. “This way.”

  Their landlady owned and lived in the brownstone—a rowhouse in Philly parlance. Another reason New York was so much cooler. He’d take brownstone over rowhouse any day.

  Mrs. Randazzo lived up to the elderly Italian grandmother stereotype. She met them in a mostly white sundress, house slippers, and granny glasses hanging from her neck on a beaded lanyard that reminded Nico of Rosary beads. Teased hair framed her dolled-up face, and her smile glittered.

  “I gotta tell you boys, I feel like I won the lottery,” she said in a thick South Philly accent. “I did some checking on you both. Amato’s bakery, eh?”

  Nico nodded. He was proud of the family business. “Yes, ma’am. My papà is the fourth generation to run the bakery.”

  “I love sfogliatelle. Are yours any good?”

  Nico smiled at her eager interest in the pastry. “I’d stack ours up against any in the city. My sister is coming next weekend; I’ll have her bring you a sampler tin.”

  Mrs. Randazzo half-heartedly attempted to decline, and Nico held back a knowing grin. He knew this game. Nonna had taught him well.

  “I insist. It’s the least I can do, given how wonderfully accommodating you’ve been to Luca and me.”

  “Aw.” She grabbed his cheek and pinched, and Nico smiled through the sting. “You’re a good boy.”

  Luke chuckled softly, drawing the landlady’s and Nico’s attention. He had his thumb hooked under his bag straps at his shoulder, and on his lips played a soft smile. His eyes whipped away from Nico and settled on Mrs. Randazzo, who hummed with narrowed eyes.

  “And you play baseball for your school.” She waved them inside, and Nico and Luke squeezed past her into a brown tiled foyer. “You ain’t no Richie Ashburn, but your stats look good.”


  “Richie who?” Nico asked in Luke’s ear, not immune to the block of heat blasting him as Luke leaned toward him.

  “Fuck if I know,” Luke whispered back. He cleared his throat and fixed a wide smile on Mrs. Randazzo. “I’m impressed you found that out, ma’am.”

  “My granddaughter might have helped.” Her lips quirked. “She’s disappointed you two are a couple.”

  Nico swung his head toward Luke, meeting equally surprised eyes. Luke frowned and palmed his nape, and Nico shifted from foot to foot. Awkward anyone? “Ah, we’re not a couple. Just friends.”

  “Oh. Ohhh.” She waved them into a sitting room.

  The formal furniture looked like things Nico had seen in his great-aunts’ and -uncles’ homes. The couch was covered in thick plastic, and the pair of formal wing chairs sat across from it, separated by a glass-covered coffee table. Luke started for a chair, and Nico snagged his elbow and guided him toward the couch.

  Luke shot him a look, and Nico pointedly looked at the plastic-covered sofa. “We’ve been driving a while. Best not to get dirt on the nice furniture.” The plastic creaked under them.

  Mrs. Randazzo used one of the chairs. “I thought he”—she gestured to Nico—“was the new boyfriend.”

  “No,” Luke said quickly. Too quickly.

  Nico kept the grin on his face from wobbling. “I’m overseeing the plans for my sister’s wedding. Her planner cancelled on short notice. She needed a replacement, and I needed a roof over my head, and that’s where Luke comes in.”

  “I see. Your sister lives here?”

  “Not yet. Her fiancé is from here and just got an offer from a big law firm. She’s moving down before the wedding.”

  “You know anything about planning a wedding?” she asked skeptically. Right into their business. She definitely took a page from his nonna’s book. “Where are they having this?”

  “The Union League.” He smiled as her eyebrow shot up. “And I’ve planned a few events in my time. Mostly things are settled, but I’m making sure everything stays that way.”

  “You’re a good brother.” She clapped her hands together. “Well . . . the apartment only has one bedroom. Quinton and his girlfriend live together.”

  Nico wasn’t sure where this talk of the last tenants was going, but his skin prickled. He glanced at Luke palming the plastic on either side of him.

  “Right,” Luke said. “He told me that when I contacted him.”

  “Did he tell you they recently bought a giant king-size bed that takes up most of the bedroom?” Her dark eyebrow arched.

  Luke gave Nico a panicked look. “He said they had two twins that they used a bed bridge to make into a king.”

  Mrs. Randazzo shook her head. “They had it delivered before they left for the summer. I didn’t think anything of it at the time. I assumed you two were . . . you know.”

  “Right,” Nico said. Not the best start to the summer. “No worries. We’ll figure something out.”

  Luke stared at his knees, strong jaw ticking. “May we see the apartment now?

  Mrs. Randazzo procured a key ring. “These two work on the apartment doors—front, and back. The small ones are for the gate next to the garage. Don’t leave that open. I don’t want any crazies camping in the back yard.”

  “How do we get to the garage?” Nico asked.

  “This is Pine.” She pointed to the front of the house. “There’s an alley that runs behind the house. The address is painted on the garage. I’ll open the door before you get back. Push the button by the door into the yard to close it behind you.”

  “Alley behind, number on, shut when I leave. Got it.” Nico gave her a broad smile. “Shouldn’t be hard at all.”

  “Don’t think so.” She reclined in her chair. “Let me know when you’re back, and I’ll give you a remote for the garage. And if you need any suggestions on where to eat or go out, let me know.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. R.” Luke stared at the keys, and Nico nudged him. “Do you want to go to the apartment or come with me to get the car?”

  “Huh?” He blinked and stood. “I’ll take your backpack with me and go to the apartment. Call me when you get here, and I’ll help you unpack.”

  Nico nodded to their landlady. “Pleasure to meet you, Mrs. R. I know my family will be coming down at least a couple of times this summer, so you’ll have to join us for dinner.”

  She smiled and wagged a finger at him. “You’re certainly a charmer, aren’t you?”

  “I do what I can.”

  She snorted. “I’m sure you do.”

  Luke

  Nico: At the car. No break-ins to report.

  Luke: Smart ass.

  Luke had not agreed to rent a bedroom with one bed. Why hadn’t Quinton said something?

  Fuck, nothing about this summer was going according to plan. He tossed his and Nico’s backpacks on the king bed.

  “Stupid Kent,” he growled.

  His phone buzzed, and his hand shot into his pocket. Oh. Not a new Kent status update. He should have let Nico keep his phone.

  Nico: That’s probably the dumbest part of my anatomy.

  Some of the tension in his shoulders eased as he laughed. That creampuff was too easy to pass up.

  Luke: Then get your stupid ass back here so we can unpack. :P

  Nico: Here. Come get me and all our crap.

  Leaving the door open, he trotted down the stairs and into the backyard. Though backyard was a stretch of the imagination. A brick patio took up three-quarters of the space with small flowerbeds either side. The whole apartment was smaller than the first floor of his country home.

  Gonna be cozy this summer.

  Nico emerged from the side door carrying what looked like half of Luke’s stuff. He offered the bags to Luke. “Last in, first out. If you take these up, I’ll get the next bunch.”

  Fifteen minutes later, they had all their bags in their bedroom.

  Luke didn’t dare look at Nico. “What are we going to do about this?”

  “Paint a line down the center of the bed and punish any encroachment with death?”

  Luke groaned and laughed. He eyed Nico and noted the slight unease in his posture. Not so laid-back now. “I’m serious.”

  “So was I.” Nico sat on the edge of the bed and gave it a test bounce that—wow—should not have taken Luke the places it took him. “Okay, so I wasn’t. But I think the solution for tonight is we both use the bed and promise to stay on our own side.”

  Luke shoved the unbidden images away and focused all his attention on his laptop bag. “Is there a tomorrow part to this solution?”

  “Air mattress.”

  Luke sized up the room. They’d need to move the bed to create enough space, but it could work. “Who gets which?”

  “Since I don’t expect to be entertaining guests at night, I don’t mind taking the air mattress, but I’ll require a quid pro quo.”

  “If your price is too high, I’ll resort to wrestling you for the bed.”

  “Oh, the things you say, Mr. DeRosa.” Nico fanned his face with his right hand while actual heat rippled up Luke’s throat at the unintended implication.

  “Your price, Nico.”

  “I want the bathroom first in the morning.”

  “Fair deal. You take care of buying the mattress, we’ll split the cost, but no dibs on the bathroom until it arrives.”

  “Oh, so organized.” Nico’s eyes danced. “Do you like to be in charge?”

  Luke blinked rapidly at Nico’s teasing. “Um, not really. I just like to plan ahead.”

  “Nothing wrong with a surprise now and then to liven things up.” Nico dug out his phone. “But about the mattress. Let me get it. My parents were thinking of getting one for my brother’s kids when they come for the wedding, so I can put it on the wedding bill. Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry. We should figure something out before it gets too late.”

  “I’m good. I have some ramen in my bags
.”

  “Ramen.” Nico stared blankly at him. “That won’t do.”

  “I’m on a budget. It’s why I need you splitting the cost of this . . . cozy apartment with me.”

  Nico held up a finger. “I get you’re on a budget, and I won’t ask you to blow it. But I like real food, and I like to cook. We’re going food shopping, and you can kick in whatever you’ve budgeted, and I’ll be fine.”

  “I can’t take handouts from you.” Hell, he hardly knew the guy.

  “It won’t be.”

  “So how does me letting you buy food for us both not turn into you paying for me?”

  “Do you cook?”

  “Huh? What’s that got to do with anything?”

  “Do you cook? And more to the point, have you ever been food shopping?”

  “Not really. I mean, I can make mac and cheese from a box.”

  “And ramen.” Nico’s face wrinkled up like he’d smelled garbage on a hot summer day.

  “That too.” Luke chuckled.

  “My point is that other than things like mac and cheese and ramen, it’s hard to buy for one person. It’s even harder to cook for one. At least the way I cook.”

  “Nico, I can’t let you cook for me all summer.”

  “I won’t.” He swiped at his screen. “I’ll cook for me—and you'll help me eat it.”

  “How’s that different?”

  “Because I won’t be able to eat what I make knowing you’re going eat something that came in a cup.” Nico clicked off his phone and stuffed it in his pocket. “C’mon. There’s a Whole Foods a few blocks away. We can discuss this while we walk.”

  Whole Foods? “Is there a Target or Walmart nearby?”

  “Seriously?” Nico put a hand on his hip, steering Luke’s gaze toward his crotch. He jerked his head back up. “You want me to buy food at Walmart or Target?”