17. Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

Enzo slipped into Cherry's right before Kate locked the door.

She looked tired. Enzo could only imagine how Will looked.

"Busy day?" he asked.

Kate nodded. "We were slammed from four on. Rocco stopped by to help out and we had Mari, but it was a lot." She paused, giving him a little smile and a gesture towards the back. "He's in his office."

Will was on his laptop when he sauntered in. He glanced up, meeting Enzo's eyes.

"They left?" Enzo asked.

Will nodded.

"And without you," Enzo said, feeling relief flow through him. The only problem with him declaring them engaged was the possibility that the Johnsons wouldn't leave, like they'd planned, and head to Tybee. He'd been pretty certain they would, considering the store opening situation, but if they'd stayed . . .well, that could've created some serious complications.

"Yes, thanks to you," Will said, the corner of his mouth quirking up. "That was a risk. But it paid off."

Enzo leaned over and kissed him, even more thoroughly than he'd done in the bakery earlier today.

He'd gone a bit overboard then, because he'd wanted to convince Will's parents they were as wild for each other as they claimed.

But it hadn't felt like too much. Actually the opposite. It had felt right .

"I figured you'd bailed me out, I could help you out right back?"

"Oh yeah?" Will asked in a teasing voice. "That's all it was? You helpin' me out?"

Enzo flushed. Caught out. "No," he admitted.

Yes, he did look tired, but he looked happy, too. And Enzo wondered what he'd have looked like if they hadn't sent his parents packing, together. If he'd been forced to internalize all that guilt.

"I thought so," Will said knowingly, leaning back in his chair.

"And I talked to Rocco too—like you probably thought I did. He understands." Enzo grimaced. "Okay, he mostly understands. But he won't say anything. I made sure of it."

"Good." Will seemed relieved to hear that. That was all Enzo had wanted. To take some of the burden off the guy, some the interminable guilt he was all too familiar with, but he was afraid

"If you're too tired to deal with the rest of the moving tonight—"

But before Enzo could even get his suggestion out, Will shook his head. "Nope. I've just got two duffel bags of clothes left. If you can help me, I'll be done. Besides, Joy told me she needed the room." He grinned. "I think the exact words were, I need to sanitize and fumigate it from all the excess testosterone."

" Excess my ass. I think it was just the right amount," Enzo scoffed.

"That's your story and you should stick to it, Honey Bunny," Will joked, patting him on the arm, his grin widening. "Come on, let's get going."

They made quick work of heading over to the Inn, grabbing Will's duffels. On their way out, they spotted Joy and Giana on one end of the long wraparound porch and they waved but didn't come over.

"I want to say I'm glad about that," Enzo said as they walked the few blocks over to his mom's house—and the garage with his apartment above it. "I should be relieved she's giving me some room to breathe. But . . ." Enzo sighed heavily.

"How many times has your mom said I told you so ?" Will asked casually. But it wasn't really a casual question.

Enzo glanced over at him, his handsome face shadowed as he unlocked the door. He'd already given Will a key, and he'd felt a whole lot of things as he'd watched him slide it onto his key ring, next to the bright pink keys Will had for Cherry's.

"Not many yet, but I'm sure there's more to come," he said, pushing the door open. "I can't believe this is all you've got."

Will looked up from where he was setting down his duffel next to where Enzo had dropped his own load. There were half a dozen boxes and the duffels, and that was it. Enzo thought he traveled light, but Will put him to shame.

"Eh, there's more stuff in my condo in Destin," Will said. "But I realized I haven't lived there in months and I've never missed any of it." He glanced over at Enzo. "I don't know what that says about me."

"That you know what really matters," Enzo said, coming up and putting his arms around him. It was so easy to tip his head back and meet his lips with his own. "Welcome home," he murmured against Will's mouth. Wondering if he was saying it to his boyfriend—or to himself.

Or maybe to both of them.

Will's eyes were a serious, contemplative blue, but then they blazed hot when he leaned in and kissed Enzo more firmly. Like he was taking Enzo's offer and accepting it with both hands.

They stumbled back, Enzo's butt hitting the little row of cupboards in the tiny kitchen, and for a minute it was enough just to kiss, Enzo's fingers gripping Will's shoulders, but the kiss evolved. Turned hot and slippery and passionate.

Will broke off, panting a little, probably because Enzo had found his erection in his shorts and was palming it. "I need to shower," he said. "I stink ."

"I disagree with the latter and agree with the former," Enzo said and reached down, pulling his T-shirt over his head. "Come on."

Will followed him, both of them shedding clothes, and it was glorious to not worry for a minute about who would hear them or interrupt them. Glorious knowing that they would get to do this over and over and Enzo didn't have to hide his desire for it, anymore.

Didn't have to pretend to look away when Will lounged, naked, against the bathroom vanity, every inch of him gorgeous and every inch of him belonging to Enzo.

"This is a nice bathroom," Will said, glancing around. "And a nice big shower." He grinned as Enzo reached in and flipped the water on, nice and hot.

Not that they were going to have trouble with the hot part on their own.

"You saw it the other day," Enzo pointed out dryly. He'd given Will the full tour—not that it took all that long to tour the handful of rooms he'd "lived" in since he was eighteen. There was the big living room slash kitchen, then the bedroom, and the bathroom.

"Yeah, but you weren't naked in it," Will said, shooting him a hot look from those smoky blue eyes. "It's nicer now."

"Just how nice?" Enzo raised his eyebrow and slipped into the shower. Will followed like they were connected, and he couldn't help but stick close.

"I'm gonna show you just how nice," Will said in a deep, gruff voice, and then he was pressing him against the tile wall. Enzo gasped, the tile deliciously cool against his back, Will's skin hot against his front.

Enzo understood Will better than he'd thought he would. He didn't want to let him out of his sight, either.

What's gonna happen when you have to leave in a few weeks?

Yeah, Will would be waiting for him here, but it wouldn't be the same.

It would still suck.

But he shook that thought off. Maybe in a few weeks he'd feel differently. Feel less like his heart was in his throat every time they did this.

Enzo let himself sink into the sensations, Will cradling his face, kissing him fiercely, like he knew just what Enzo was thinking and wanted to dispel all his uncertainties and fears. Pressing his body insistently into the tile, Enzo gasping into his mouth as their cocks rubbed together.

"Want you," Will murmured against his mouth. "Want you all the time."

Enzo's heart throbbed and his cock twitched. It was a combination he was helpless to resist. He didn't even try. Just flipped their bodies and pressed Will back against the wall.

Slid his water-slick hand around Will's cock.

"God," Will groaned, "how do you keep being so goddamned sexy?"

"It's a gift," Enzo said. Then he slid to his knees, and Will made another of those half-restrained gruff groans that always made him weak in the knees. He'd brought this man to his knees.

"Not just a gift. A fucking miracle," Will revised, as Enzo teased the tip of his cock with his mouth. He tangled his fingers into Enzo's hair, gently tugging him forward, and Enzo went, easily. Wanting to give Will this probably as much as Will wanted it.

Will's cock was engorged and twitching against his tongue as he sucked him deep. Loving the way he groaned as he let even more of it slide into his mouth.

His own cock was heavy and aching, and as Will's hand caressed his head, fingers digging through his wet curls, gently coaxing him to take him even deeper, Enzo lost the last shred of his own self-control and wrapped his hand around it, giving a sharp twist that made him moan.

"You're so fucking amazing like this, your mouth full of my cock. You want to take it all? God, I think you do." Will was a surprisingly dirty talker. Was it any wonder that Enzo was wild for him? He looked like a gay porn wet dream—all those tanned, chiseled abs and thick thighs and even thicker biceps—and had those guileless blue eyes, still innocent as so much hotness spilled out of his mouth Enzo was surprised he hadn't spontaneously burst into flames.

"Come on, baby, take the rest, I know you can." Will's fingers were gentle on his skull but insistent as he tugged him the rest of the way, Enzo choking around the last bit of it. He risked a look up and yeah, it wasn't any wonder he loved this so much, because Will was in bliss, head tipped back against the shower wall. Then he looked down, and their eyes met and the fire inside Enzo stoked even hotter, until he wasn't sure he could take it anymore.

"Oh, yeah, that's so good. So fucking good," Will continued. He'd let Enzo pull out a little enough that he could use his tongue the way he knew he was best at, curling around the head. Relishing the taste of him. Sucking him hard.

Enzo reached up, wanting to send Will over the edge, and Will's groan when Enzo palmed his balls and then slid a finger back farther, just grazing his hole, was enough.

Will muttered an oath and a second later Enzo's mouth was empty and Will was jacking his own cock, come landing on Enzo's face and his shoulders.

"Fuck. So hot like that," Will muttered.

Enzo caught a little of his come with his tongue and savored it as he twisted his hand harder around his cock, pushing himself easily into his own orgasm.

It blasted through him, making it easy to ignore his aching knees and his tired back and his probably roughed-up throat.

He gave himself up to the pleasure, wringing the last of it out of him, and then sinking back on his heels.

"That was something else." Will's voice was rough, too, and he hadn't just been deep throating a cock.

"Yeah?" Yep, Enzo's voice came out as a croak, but he didn't mind. He'd do it again, in a heartbeat. Will reached down and helped him up, Enzo slumping against the tile wall.

"A perfect way to christen this shower properly," Will said, eyes twinkling.

"You'd think so," Enzo retorted. But he'd loved it too. Undeniably. He'd barely had to touch himself to come.

Will raised an eyebrow. And okay, clearly he'd noticed that too. "I was gonna help you out, give you some of what you gave me, but you didn't even need it."

"What can I say? You inspire me," Enzo said casually. But it was more than that, and he knew Will believed it, too.

"I said it, and I meant it, you're a miracle, Enzo Moretti," Will said, and then he was kissing him again, fierce and wild.

Will had just wrapped a towel around his waist, believing that nothing could possibly ruin his mood, when his phone dinged in the bedroom.

"I don't think that's mine?" Enzo said, leaning over the vanity and spitting in the sink as he finished brushing his teeth.

"I'm gonna order some pizza," Will said. "And I'll check when I do that."

"There's only Leonardo's, and his pies are only mediocre. But then you probably already know that," Enzo said. He ran a hand through his wet curls. It was amazing how gorgeous he looked, even like that. Wet, Will always thought he looked a bit like a soaked golden retriever, but Enzo never did.

Will detoured into the bedroom, and when he grabbed his phone, his jaw dropped at the handful of texts.

One was from Rocco, accompanied by a picture. It clearly had been surreptitiously snapped, the interior of Rudy's restaurant unmistakable, and sitting in the booth were Will's parents.

Not sure what you had in mind, but I don't think it was this, Rocco's text said. They told everyone in the restaurant. Loudly. Multiple times.

"Shit," Will exclaimed to himself in a low voice.

The second text was from his mom.

We were halfway to Tybee when we decided the store can wait another day. Grabbed a room in town, and spending the night here. Would love to see you for breakfast, with your fiancé! his mom had sent.

Will's knees gave out and he collapsed to the edge of the bed.

"What is it?" Enzo said, walking in. "Is everything okay? Did Leonardo's already close? I keep telling Luca he needs to open a decent pizza place, that stays open later. Some of us aren't seventy years old and want to eat dinner after five."

"I . . .you . . .us . . ." Will stammered in a strangled voice.

Enzo frowned. "What?"

Will couldn't find his words, still, so he held out the phone. Let Enzo look at the damning evidence for himself.

"Shit," Enzo said.

"Exactly what I said," Will said heavily. "Your mom knows now."

"Oh, Stud Muffin," Enzo said mournfully, "the whole town knows now."

Will's knees felt even shakier. He'd been so on board with Enzo's declaration, imagining that nobody else would find out and it would be easy enough, if things worked out, to eventually make his assertion a reality. And if they didn't . . .well, that fact would speak for itself.

But he'd never imagined that anyone else would discover the little white lie Enzo had told.

"Has your mom called you yet?" Will asked.

Enzo glanced over at where his phone sat on the charger. It was innocuous, but his look was full of trepidation. "Once she finds out, it's gonna blow up," he said. Will noticed he didn't go over to check it yet. Maybe he wasn't ready to.

"Not just that." Will hesitated. Realizing, in real time, that the lie he'd told his parents was not going to hold up. "She's not going to buy the whole ‘we've been texting for months and I knew you were the man for me before we even met,' because she tried that, and it didn't work."

That was true. That story had sufficed for Will's parents, because they hadn't known any differently. But Giana had been trying to force-feed Will Enzo's phone number, and he'd never taken it.

Except. He had.

Once.

"Ugh," Enzo said. He collapsed on the bed next to him. "I'm sorry. If I'd known they'd be staying . . ."

"You couldn't have known," Will said. Reaching out, he patted Enzo's knee and then squeezed it reassuringly. He'd put on a pair of tight black boxer briefs, and even though he'd just sucked Will's brain out of his dick, Will still felt a pulse of desire for him. Even panicking, face unsurprisingly pale, he was still so freaking gorgeous.

And he was all Will's.

"What are we gonna do?"

"Well . . .I realized that I didn't speak entirely accurately just now. Your mom did try to give me your phone number a bunch of times—"

"Ugh, please don't remind me of that. I'm still embarrassed," Enzo interrupted.

"But," Will added pointedly, "I did take it. The last time. And I didn't tell my parents how long we'd been texting."

"You said a long time," Enzo said. Then he smacked him in the chest. "You actually took my phone number and didn't text me?"

Will laughed. How did he know he wanted Enzo? Because even in the middle of this situation—admittedly a situation they'd created for themselves—Enzo could still make him laugh. He wasn't just a work of art and he didn't just suck cock like he'd been born to do it, he was so funny, too. Irreverent and snarky, and always full of surprises.

Will was looking forward to Enzo keeping him on his toes for a long time to come.

"In my defense, I thought you must be ugly and weird if you needed your mom to try so hard to get you a date."

"Ahhhhh," Enzo exclaimed in mock frustration, smacking him again. "Embarrassed and humiliated."

"Good news, Honey Bunny. You're not ugly or weird," Will teased. "Okay, maybe a little weird, considering you declared we were engaged and we've been dating what . . .a week?"

Enzo buried his face in his hands. "Ugh," he cried, the word muffled, "what are we going to do ?"

"I'm trying to tell you. We brazen it out. Your mom did give me your phone number. Admittedly, only a few weeks before you came to town, but it did happen. I guess we can say that counts as a long time."

Enzo looked up, skepticism written across his face. "And what, you thought that it was ‘long' because you'd never talked to anyone else you wanted to meet more?"

"Uh, sure?"

Enzo smacked him a third time, but Will had learned and he caught his hand, cradling it in his.

"You'll need to sound a whole lot more convincing," Enzo said.

"I can do it." Will didn't want to admit that it wouldn't even be that hard. It wouldn't even be that far from the truth.

Maybe if he had texted Enzo when he'd finally taken his number, none of this subterfuge would've been necessary. Maybe it would've been the truth from day one.

"Alright." Enzo sprang up and began pacing. "We can deal with this. We can contain this. It's entirely possible my mother is going to show up here sometime in the next twelve hours and drag us to city hall—but no , she won't. She'll want a big wedding, the whole town invited. That takes planning, time . She wouldn't be able to pull that off right away. We'll be able to buy some time, some time to make sure . . ." Enzo trailed off and looked at Will, surprised like he hadn't even realized he'd been speaking out loud.

Will realized, a second too late, what he'd been saying. That he'd be willing to get married to Will, with only a little more time to make sure.

Suddenly it seemed very stupid that they were actually contemplating going through with this, and he'd not told Enzo how he really felt.

Because he did love him. He was sure now. Not one-hundred-percent sure he wanted to spend the rest of his life with him, but then, if he had believed that, after only knowing the man for a month, then Will wasn't sure it would've been true.

Not really. Not deep down.

The fact that he wanted to be sure, wanted to know that Enzo was the man for him in his bones , made him believe even more that they needed to be.

That they needed the time.

That they didn't need to rush anything.

"Or," Will said slowly, "we could just tell them the truth."

Enzo's eyebrows skidded upwards. "Are you serious?"

"Completely. It's . . .I'm not just . . ." Will trailed off, clearing his throat. Enzo was still looking at him that way , almost the way he'd been staring at him from their first date onwards, when he'd supposedly been trying to prove he was head over heels for Will, and honestly, that realization was the reason he kept pushing forward. Kept talking. Because it seemed very likely that Enzo was actually crazy about him, that none of it had been an act, not from the beginning. "I'm serious about this. About you. I want this to work out. And it's going to be challenging. I'm going to miss you, like a limb, when you go. And I hope you're gonna miss me too—"

"Undeniably," Enzo said quietly, seriously, reaching and squeezing Will's hands.

"It's going to be hard. I knew that when we made this thing between us real. I'm going to have to juggle my business and you. I hope that in a few months, I can come with you to jobs. And I hope you'll take more, when you can, around this area. I want this so badly to work, because I . . ." You can do this, Will. It's just three words. Admittedly, three words you've never said to anyone else before, but this is Enzo. "I love you. If I loved you less . . .maybe I'd be willing to play around more. To keep up this insane charade. But I don't think I am. This matters too much to me. You matter too much to me."

Enzo's face softened, his dark eyes glowing. He leaned in, and his forehead touched Will's. "And here," he said in a wondrous voice, "I was worried you wouldn't be able to convince anyone."

"It's easy because it's not an act," Will said.

"I know," Enzo said and kissed him. Sweet and firm, like they had all the time in the world. And maybe, now, they did. After a moment, he pulled back. "I love you, too. Of course. I wouldn't do any of this for anything less."

Will had suspected it, but it was even more amazing than he'd imagined to hear Enzo say it. Wrapping his arms around his waist, he pulled Enzo in close, resting his cheek against his bare skin. Feeling the beat of his heart. The heart that belonged to him now. That he'd fight any battle to keep.

Including coming clean with both his parents and Enzo's mom.

And no two ways around it, it was going to be a battle, but he'd do it, he'd face them, because he had Enzo by his side.

"So we're decided then?" Will asked softly.

"Yes," Enzo murmured. "Telling the truth is almost crazier than continuing the lie, but yes. You're right. I don't want to get married only because I told your parents we were engaged, same as I didn't want to date you just because you'd told my mom that we were. I want to do it for real. I want to do everything for real."

"You keep saying stuff like that and I'm gonna . . ." Will trailed off, eyeing Enzo again. All those tanned slender limbs. The hint of muscle that turned him merely attractive to a work of freaking art.

"You just came," Enzo squawked in outrage. "I know, I was there. But you know, it's a good sign that even at twenty-nine, you've got a decent recovery window. Maybe that means in fifteen years you're still gonna—"

Before Enzo could finish that sentence, it was Will's turn to smack him in the chest. Enzo laughed. "Okay, fine, fine . I guess we need to talk about how we're going to be honest."

"We should do it together. My parents. Your mother. Oliver. Luca. Rocco, even, if he's not running around like a chicken with its head chopped off."

Enzo shot him a doubtful look. "Are you serious? You want to tell everyone, together ? You know what that means."

Will knew. But he was also counting on the fact they were together and actually pretty goddamn happy about it to smooth over any hurt feelings or disappointment that they wouldn't be heading down the aisle any time soon.

And if his parents met Giana, well . . .that was inevitable, anyway. Maybe it was better to do it on their terms.

"Your mom is gonna freak out."

Enzo stood and started pacing again.

"And your parents won't?" he questioned. "We just told them yesterday that we were engaged. We're going to have to tell them why. "

Will winced. Yes, he was. And no, he was not looking forward to that conversation. Sure, the fact they were together now might placate all three of them, but the fact they'd felt the need to lie in the first place? Both times? That was going to be a much tougher part of the conversation.

"Yeah," Will agreed. "We both will."

Enzo flopped down on the bed, groaning. And not in the fun kind of way. "I know it's the right thing to do, but it's gonna suck."

"Yeah, but in the end?" Will reached out and smoothed a curl back from his forehead. "I can't be angry at myself that we're in this spot, because we wouldn't have gotten here , if we hadn't been very stupid in the first place."

"And desperate," Enzo added hopefully. "We were stupid and desperate."

Will laughed. "I'm not sure how that helps."

"It doesn't. Thought it might, but no." Enzo sat up. "We need to formulate a plan. And to do that, I need pizza. After I call Leonardo's, I'm gonna text Luca and tell him again that he needs to open a late night pizza place."

"You want your cousin to start another business?"

"Well, he didn't get to open his gelateria," Enzo joked. "Because someone else opened up an ice cream parlor."

"Too bad for him," Will said, with mock seriousness.

"But not for me. Turns out that guy's hot and sweet and I'm absolutely wild about him," Enzo said. Pressed a kiss to the corner of Will's mouth and slid off the bed.

He approached his phone like it was a poisonous snake about to strike.

"Well?" Will asked after a moment. "Did she text you?"

Enzo glanced over at him, making a face. "She called twice and sent several text messages. Most of which consist of I can't believe you didn't tell me and Please let me plan the wedding and I bet Will's parents are so sweet, just like him. And a lot of exclamation points. A lot of exclamation points."

"She does love her exclamation points."

"Don't say because she's a Moretti," Enzo said grumpily. "I'll admit we can be overdramatic but I know how to practice restrained punctuation usage."

Will laughed; couldn't keep the sound in. "Actually, I was gonna say it's just a Giana thing. Can you imagine Luca using too many exclamation points?"

"No," Enzo said morosely. "Never. Not even in relation to Oliver."

"There you go. When it comes to punctuation, you're the best of the Morettis," Will teased.

Enzo shot him a look that promised retribution for that remark later—the fun kind of retribution, too. But instead of replying, he dialed Leonardo's and put in an order for two large pizzas. One a pepperoni and pineapple. The other a supreme with everything on it.

"Don't tell me you, a good Italian boy, like pineapple on your pizza," Will said after he hung up, Enzo still bent over his phone as he no doubt did as he'd promised and texted Luca about opening a pizza place of his own.

Enzo glanced up. "Guilty as charged. But actually it's a Moretti thing. Most of us like it, actually. We just won't publicly admit to it."

"See?" Will stood and wrapped his arms around Enzo, pressing a kiss against his cheek. "You are a good Moretti."

"Pineapple and all," Enzo said, but he was smiling, no trace of that shadow lingering in his eyes. "Pizza will be here in thirty." He waggled his eyebrows, gaze falling on the towel still wrapped around Will's waist. "What should we do until then?"

" I'm gonna get dressed," Will said, with mock sternness. "And you should too."

"Ugh, no fun."

"You love me," Will said. Then flushed, because Enzo did .

"Yeah." Enzo leaned over and kissed him once, firmly. "I sure do."

Thirty minutes later, they were both clothed and on the couch, munching on Leonardo's mediocre pizza. "Maybe Luca could just buy him out," Enzo said.

They had done a lot of chatting since hitting the couch, but almost none of it had been about what they were going to do tomorrow. Will knew they needed to, but it felt so good to just sit here like this, talking about nothing important at all.

He could imagine them doing this in six months and in six years, and he wanted it so strongly his heart ached with the desire.

"And what? Change everything?" Will snagged another piece and took a big bite. "It's not bad . It's just not good, either."

Enzo leaned over, head drooping down onto Will's shoulder, snuggling him into him in what felt like a perfect fit. "I have it on good authority," he said in a hushed whisper, "that they use frozen pizza dough."

"I'm surprised Luca hasn't marched in there already and demanded changes, ownership or no," Will joked.

"Oh, he's thought about it. You know exactly what's stopped him."

"Probably who ," Will said. "Oliver."

Enzo nodded. "His better half."

Will thought about this as he finished his pizza. "You ever think we'll end up like them? Like Luca and Oliver?"

"Married and still wildly in love, running three businesses like they never want to do anything else?" Enzo's voice was drowsy. "Yeah, I hope so. Which is why . . .I hate to say it, but I think you were right. There's nothing else to do but come clean. With my mom. With your parents."

"I thought we already decided that?"

Enzo nodded and glanced up at Will. His dark eyes were as serious as Will had ever seen them. "Not just that. Not just a partial truth but the whole truth."

It was what Will had been rolling around in his head, too, and he'd come to the same conclusion as Enzo.

"It's going to really suck," Will said. "But I think you're right."

"And, I do think it should be just my mom and your parents. Not Luca, not Oliver, definitely not Rocco."

"What did Rocco ever do to you?" Will asked, giving him a playful nudge.

"Was very snotty when I asked him to not tell everyone yesterday," Enzo complained. "He basically knows, anyway. And Luca and Oliver must, too, but I think we should still tell them. Just not with our parents."

"Agreed."

Enzo pulled his phone out of his pocket. "No time like the present," he said and dialed, setting it on his knee as he hit speaker phone.

Luca answered in a clipped voice. "I'm busy," he said in lieu of a greeting.

"We got something to tell you," Enzo said.

"I meant it. I'm on the line, at the restaurant, and I've got half a dozen tickets. What is it?"

Will realized that Luca was that busy and yet had still answered Enzo's phone call. He hoped Enzo realized how meaningful that was.

"Will and I are dating," Enzo said.

"Yes, and?" Luca still sounded impatient.

"Remember how you told me something seemed off?"

"How could I forget?" Luca asked wryly.

"You weren't wrong. It was a scheme. Sort of. Kinda. But it's not now. It's hundred percent not fake. We're together. We're in love."

"I know," Luca said.

"But I—"

"I know what you said ," Luca interrupted. "But that doesn't mean I actually believed you. You went on a few dates, pretending to get Giana to quit matchmaking. And I guess it worked—or it didn't?"

"It worked," Enzo said, chuckling. "A little too well. You'll tell Oliver? And that we're sorry we lied to both of you?"

"Enzo. The only person you were really lying to was yourself," Luca's voice went from impatient to empathetic in a second. Will watched as Enzo heard it, the look on his face as he absorbed the change. He realized then that maybe Enzo hadn't completely comprehended how much Luca cared about him before, but he was beginning to realize now.

"I was lying to myself, too," Will added in. "A lot."

Luca chuckled under his breath. "Yeah. I know. But it's alright. You got there in the end. So you're coming clean, then? Both of you? 'Cause I have to say I heard an even crazier rumor that you two were already getting married."

"We're not. Well, not now. Not yet ." Enzo paused. "And yes, we're telling the truth. Tomorrow morning. If you see a crater in the middle of Main Street, you'll know why."

"Nah," Luca said. "Giana's gonna be upset, sure, especially when you tell her why, but I think she'll ultimately understand. And be happy, of course, because she gets to say I told you so ."

"Thanks for that," Enzo retorted.

"Hey, I'm just the messenger. Now I gotta get back to cooking. But you don't have to worry about us. Let's have dinner next week, all four of us, alright? We'll go to Charleston. Make a real evening of it. Celebrate your sort-of-new relationship."

"Sounds good," Enzo said and then in a quieter voice added, "Thanks, Luca."

"Anytime," Luca said, and Will could tell he meant it.

Enzo hung up and Will could tell he knew Luca meant it, too.

Will didn't say anything. Let Enzo think for a minute.

"I . . .I hated him when he came here, you know?" Enzo sounded like he'd never regretted anything in his life more.

"I bet you did."

"Really? Saint Luca ?" Enzo's tone was wry.

"He isn't a saint, and I bet he wasn't a saint back then, either. But yeah, I can imagine how it felt when he showed up here, and even though your mom had asked him to come and help you guys, I bet it sucked when he told you everything you had to change. Everything you were doing wrong. And you didn't even want to be here."

"I didn't," Enzo said. "And you know how he paid back all my bullshit? He intervened. He stood up for what I wanted, with my mom. He saw my dreams, when I'd given up on them. I wouldn't have anything I have now, if it wasn't for him." Enzo was quiet for another moment. "I don't know if he even understands that."

"He does," Will said firmly. He pressed a kiss to Enzo's shoulder. "I promise you, he does."

Enzo sighed. "I shouldn't have lied to him."

"You heard him. You lied to yourself, not him." Will nudged him. "After all, you couldn't have known you couldn't ultimately resist this stud muffin ."

Enzo laughed, and Will knew he wanted to make Enzo sound exactly like that for the rest of his life. Was it still too early to say so? Absolutely—which was why they were gonna have to come clean tomorrow morning.

"I have one piece of good news for you," Enzo said.

"What's that?"

"Tomorrow night," Enzo said, leaning in and brushing a kiss across his lips, "it'll be over and they'll know everything and we'll still have each other."