Chapter 31

NOVALEE

T here were two things in life that kept me sane. Messing with Memphis—I had to show him my love somehow—and my music. Neither of which were available when we got home. Memphis wasn’t there and Maw Maw confiscated my MP3 player and phone. So, I was sent to my room with nothing but my own mind to occupy my time.

That was a dangerous game. I could do some interesting things when I was bored. And by bored I meant distracting myself from my thoughts. That was one place I did not want to go and confinement did not help that. Although, I suppose there were worse places to be imprisoned than my bedroom.

Sure, I had to listen to Maw Maw’s angry storming around the kitchen, banging pots and pans. I did have some things in here to occupy my time. Like the shoes I’d stolen from Gio.

The first hours I spent building a shrine to them. Pu them up on the top shelf with Christmas lights and few crosses, because a shrine wasn’t a shrine without some kind of religious artifact. I even found a fancy pillow to put on the floor for anyone who wanted to pray to the red sneakers God.

After that I cleaned up a bit and found a few things I thought were gone forever. My missing blue sock, a picture of Memphis and I in our seven-year-old Halloween costumes, and a hair clip that I wasn’t entirely sure was mine. Of course, had to toss a few shirts on the floor after, because it was too clean. What kind of teenager had a spotless room? That was just unnatural.

Then came the race across the room, which darted from one end to the other and back again, which by the way was the least interesting race in the history of the world. But I did win the coveted Styrofoam cup, so it wasn’t a complete waste of time.

Now, I was completely out of ideas.

The only objects available were one of Knox’s toy cars and a yoyo I stole from those pissants Billy and Kyle. The yoyo I was pretty sure was cursed—I kept whacking myself in the face with it—so I opted for the car and drove it around my bed while I waited for Maw Maw to calm down.

She was really mad. I had two collisions with pillows, a major sock pileup on the blanket highway, and a high speed chase down the bed frame alley, before the banging in the kitchen stopped.

That’s when my gut started to swirl. Loud and abusive to the kitchen Maw Maw was a form of angry I could handle. It was when she got quiet that I started to worry. Quiet Maw Maw liked to talk, and the subject matter this time was not something I was looking forward to.

I sat on my bed listening to her footsteps come closer and tried to think about what I was going to say. She was going to want to know what I was doing with Gio Mancini, and the truth wouldn’t exactly go over well. Maw Maw wouldn’t have a bunch of bikers follow me around—a few of which were currently parked across the street—but she would call the cops and demand the Mancini’s be arrested. An act that would not end well for anyone I cared about.

I really only had one option. Play the ‘you can’t keep us apart’ crazy teenage girl. I could cry and scream, maybe throw a few things. It sounded easy enough. It wouldn’t be my first tantrum. That was how I got the last piece of Veda’s birthday cake. Sibling rivalry was a way of life.

Preparing myself, I tried to think of something sad to help me cry, as Maw Maw walked up and threw the door open.

“Lunch is ready.”

That was all she said before walking away.

I stared down the hallway after her and considered staying right where I was. It was safer here.

If only the smell of Maw Maw’s cooking didn’t lure me out of the room. Before I knew what was happening I found myself sitting down at the kitchen table, eyeing the various dishes. And I meant dishes.

Maw Maw liked to cook when she was angry. And based on this spread, she pissed right off. There was jambalaya, crawfish, sandwiches, red beans and rice, a cake, and some cookies.

I was at a crossroads. On one hand I wanted to dig in, but Maw Maw was staring at me from the other side of the table and Veda was nowhere to be seen. Meaning, she was sent away so Maw Maw and I could have some alone time. That was never a good thing. However, we couldn’t talk if our mouths were full. So, I began filling my plate.

One bite was all I got.

“Are you pregnant, Novalee?”

“What?” I coughed, choking on my food.

That I was not expecting.

“No?” I whispered once I was able to breathe again.

Why would she think I was pregnant?

“Don’t lie to me child,” she tipped her head to give me that eye that drew secrets out of a person’s soul. “If you’re in trouble we will figure it out.”

This was why my Maw Maw was the best. Her reaction to me being pregnant at seventeen, was we will figure it out. Not, what have you done, or how did I fail you, but we will figure it out. God, I loved this woman.

“I’m not pregnant, Maw Maw.”

Relief washed over her face for a fraction of a second before her brows knit and a slipper thwacked off the back of my head.

I had no idea how she did that. I swear the woman didn’t move. She was still sitting across from me, and yet the back of my head was aching.

“What were you thinking, spending the night with a boy?”

Oh, I knew the answer to that. “Clearly, I wasn’t thinking.”

Nor would I be anytime soon if I lost any more brain cells. Which I did when the dreaded slipper whacked me again.

“Ouch, damnit Maw Maw. What was that for?”

First rule to dealing with my Maw Maw was never question her motives. She was up and out of her chair before I could blink. That’s when the slipper was replaced with her hand. And all I could do was duck down and bob out of the way.

“What was that for?”

Smack.

“I’ll tell you what that was for.”

Smack.

“Sneaking around with a boy.”

Smack.

“You are seventeen.”

Smack.

“I am not having sex,” I tried while darting out of my chair and bolting to the other side of the kitchen.

“Don’t you lie to me. That young man didn’t lie to me.”

Damnit Gio, what was he thinking telling my Maw Maw the truth. We really needed to get on the same page.

Maw Maw lifted her hand and pointed an angry finger at me. “I will not have another illegitimate child in this house.”

She loved Knox. I knew that. Veda knew that. Hell, Knox knew that. But Maw Maw was very set in her ways. Children came after marriage. In her mind even sex should also wait for marriage.

“I’m not going to get pregnant. I’m on birth control.”

I stopped.

She stopped and got this look in her eye. “What?”

Shit. Birth control was one of those taboo subjects. I wasn’t quite sure where she stood. Was it evil, was it not? It was a very grey area in the catholic church. I talked to her about it once and the only response I got was the father, son, and holy ghost cross she made with her hand. That was when I asked Veda to take me to the gynaecologist.

“Did you say you were on birth control?”

Fuck it.

“You know what Maw Maw, yes I did. I’ve been on birth control for years, and I’m not sorry. Because I love Gio and what we’re doing isn’t wrong.”

My mouth had never clamped shut faster in my life.

I did not just say that, did I? Gio was an asshole. He was demanding, had an ego the size of Detroit, was completely unreasonable, and I…

Son of a bitch.

Huffing out a sigh, I grabbed a wooden spoon off the counter and held it out for Maw Maw. “You can beat me to death now.”

“That’s my job.”

Maw Maw and I both turned to see Gio walking through the front door.

What the hell was he doing here? And how long had he been standing out there? If he heard what I said, I would stab myself in the eye with the end of this wooden spoon, right now.

“Young man,” Maw Maw wagged her finger. “It is not polite to walk into someone’s house uninvited.”

“I know. I’m sorry,” he apologized, which was something I never thought I’d hear him do. “but there’s something I need to say to your granddaughter.”

His stare locked on mine and there was something glimmering in his deep jade eyes that I didn’t like. This couldn’t be good.

Gio didn’t wait for Maw Maw’s permission. He walked right past her and up to me. My stomach started to sink before he got down on one knee.

I cocked a brow down at him and whispered, “what are you doing?”

It better not be what I thought it was.

“Novalee Ford. You are a pain in the ass, and half the time I’d rather strangle you than kiss you, but I don’t want to hate anyone else.”

Son of a bitch, he was.

Gio reached in his pocket, pulled out a box and opened the top. “Will you marry me?”

I looked at Maw Maw, she eyed Gio, and Gio stared up at me.

Maw Maw and I were too stunned to speak. It was very awkward, and kind of sweet. As far as proposals went, that was spot on for someone like me. Except for the ring that is. It was a pink teardrop diamond on a platinum band encrusted with other diamonds. That thing was way too expensive to go on my hand. And apparently, I wasn’t the only one who thought so.

Maw Maw’s eyes narrowed. “Where did you get that ring?”

Teenagers were two things to Maw Maw. Idiots or criminals. Both assumptions had merit in this situation.

“It was my mother’s.” Gio responded while keeping his eyes on me.

That was his mother’s ring? Why would he give it to me, and why was he doing this? Technically we were already engaged, so why put on the show? Was it for Maw Maw’s sake? He did say I had to announce our engagement. Was this his way of doing that? Did he expect me to say yes? Did I want to say yes?

“Gio…”

He cut me off. “I know it’s sudden.”

No it wasn’t. This was already predetermined.

“We’ll have to wait until after college of course.”

Ah crap. That was the magic word. Maw Maw was on board now.

She clapped her hands together as a tear came to her eye. “This is so beautiful.”

No, college was what was beautiful. Not the proposal. Although I don’t think she saw the difference.

“Do you two kids know where you want to go to school? Oh wait…” Maw Maw clapped her hands, and rushed down the hall, saying, “I have some brochures.”

I watched her disappear then glared down at Gio. “Are you proud of yourself?”

His brow arched. “It worked didn’t it.”

Yeah, except now I had to go to college and Maw Maw thought the sun shone out of his ass. Prick.

“Besides,” he braced his hand on the counter and rose to his feet. “You’re the one that said you loved me.”

Damnit. Wooden spoon to the eye it is.

“I said no such thing.” And he couldn’t prove otherwise.

A sly smirk curled the corner of his mouth and I suddenly had a better idea for the wooden spoon.

I smacked it off his arm. “Stop looking at me like that.”

Gio didn’t even flinch. “Hit me all you want, I still heard you.”

“You heard nothing.”

He bent down and purred in my ear, “I could force it out of you.”

I knew what that meant.

“Do you want Maw Maw to beat you to death?” Cause I kind of did.

“Alright.” Gio leaned back against the counter and held up the ring box. “You better put this on before she comes back.”

In true Gio Mancini fashion he didn’t wait for me to answer. He took the jewelled band out of the box and grabbed my hand. I may have accidentally hit him again with the wooden spoon. Unfortunately, that didn’t deter him from sliding the ring on my finger.

I didn’t like being responsible for something worth that much. On the upside this thing would really hurt if I punched someone with it. Like say the asshole standing next to me.

“Look at that,” Gio said. “It’s a perfect fit.”

Uh huh. Bastard. “Have I told you I hate you today?”

He bent down, kissed my cheek, and whispered back, “I hate you too.”