Devotion

four ﾒ she's got a crush

ANGELICA

Sunday dinner has been raised for the De Santis family. It's always Sunday dinner in a black household, so expect a fully homecooked meal on the table.

Tonight we are having collard greens, barbecue beef ribs, and potato salad. Now, my parents may have been born in Italy (hence the last name), but they moved here very young, so we are very familiar with soul food and all that jazz.

Usually, I'd celebrate because it's Sunday, and although I have a 10 o'clock class in the morning, I'm hungry as hell. Let's hope the Bertarelli men don't spoil my appetite.

They're good at doing just that.

I can't lie and deny that we are wealthy. We always have money. But the maid is allowed a day off every Sunday because if we are busy every day, we aren't on Sunday. We sit down, talk about our week, and then ignore each other after that.

My mom, Jessica, cooks all the time. She's never missed a Sunday dinner, and I doubt if she ever will.

Leilani pops out of the kitchen with a handful of napkins as I make my way around the table with the utensils. "What else is usually at the table when you eat?"

She sets the napkins down in one place before separating them and putting a couple on each chair. "Wine glasses," I remind her, going after her with the utensils on top.

"Right," she says, placing down the last napkin. Lei goes back into the kitchen before coming back with a box of wine glasses in her hands. "You guys really go all out for Sunday dinners."

Leilani struggles to keep the box in her hands. Before they could slip out of her grip, Rowan randomly helped her, which is so unlike him. He smiles too.

I've actually never seen him smile, so it's also a refreshing sight coming from my big brother. I think he's used to the seriousness of the dangerous shit he and my dad do, so he feels like he can't show emotions. So, ew, but aw.

Leilani completely falters at his actions and nervously smiles back, and they're just staring back into each other's eyes. I clear my throat. "Guys." I motion towards the table.

Rowan clears his throat and puts the box on the table before moving into the kitchen. He likes her back! Yay, this is amazing! "Let me help you." I take the glasses out of the box and set half of the table while she does the other half. I think I may have made the moment awkward because now her cheeks are flushed and Rowan's back to square one.

How can I get these two to stop being pussies and get them to make out?

My mom comes with extra napkins to put in the napkin holder. "Hi, babies." She goes back into the kitchen and comes back with a spoon, her hand under it to avoid spilling. "Baby, drink this. I want to make sure the stew is good."

The wooden spoon meets the inside of my mouth, and my eyes widen. "Ooh, good!" I exclaim with a full mouth and a thumbs up. She smiles before going to the kitchen and back to make Leilani taste good too. Her reaction was the same as mine.

"You're not making the ribs?" I ask my mom, who turns around with her hand still cupped under the spoon.

"Yes, baby. I am making the ribs still, but you know how these men eat," she pauses, looking back. "Like they ain't ever eaten before." I nod in understanding.

Yeah, my dad and brother are a bunch of eaters. Like father, like son.

My mom headed back into the kitchen for the millionth time before coming back out but with no spoon this time. She moves her silk-pressed hair out of her face and fixes her dress. "Need any help? I move a bit so she can join the table-making journey.

For some reason, I feel like she's up to something because she doesn't even help; she just stands there like a mannequin. My eye trails to the side. "Um, mom...?"

She looks at me with her bright green eyes. "Yes?"

"Why are you just standing there?" I ask.

"Because," she says no further and moves her hair out of the way. I move slightly away from her with a grimace. "What are you thinking about?"

"Angelica," she says firmly, with a hand on her hip. I might be a little late to social cues, but this is doing serious brain work in my head because I have no clue what she's trying to hint at.

"Mom," I say back in a similar tone.

She then looks over to Lei. "Leilani, have you seen anyone you're interested in?" She casually asks with a smile on her face. Okay, nosy. So, that's what she wanted to know.

Lei hesitates to answer the question. I've never seen this girl even close to as flustered as she is right now. This should be illegal. She doesn't just like Rowan; she's head over heels in love with him. Not that I'm complaining, because they'd make a cute pair based on the interaction I've seen earlier.

I just laugh at her hesitation because it's very cute coming from a bold girl like herself. "Are you sure, Lei? It's just us in here." I say not to pressure her, but to see if she'll seriously admit it.

Sure, she'll play around and flirt with Rowan when she's wasted or if he's the only one around, and I'm not the closest person to her sight, but this is serious. She has never gone out of her way and said the words, "I like Rowan."

At this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if she said that she loved him.

My mom looks at our interaction confused before just brushing it off, now looking at me. "What about you, Angel? Do you have a little boy thing?"

"Boy thing, really? I'm twenty-one, mom. Not thirteen, and no, I don't have a boy thing." I quickly dismiss their attention, and the dining room falls silent. She smiles a little, knowing that one or both of us are lying and knowing she wants to investigate further.

Before the silence could become uncomfortable, Rowan and my dad, also known as Aziel, came in with food in their hands. Rowan holds a pot of collard greens against his chest, and my dad walks in a little after him with the pot of stew. "Hello, ladies."

My dad speaks in this weird formal tone with literally everyone except for my mother because he only has a soft spot for her, and I'm not exaggerating.

Not to trauma dump, but I don't remember having Daddy and Daughter time.

When Leilani spots Rowan's tall figure, she darts back into the kitchen for a quick place to hide. Now, she's embarrassed and can't even bear to look at him anymore. Gee, this crush is crazy.

"Lei?" I call out to her. When she doesn't answer, I just hope for the best. My mom bends over to my space bubble just to ask, "So, it's your twin brother she likes?" She whispers, and the men are unable to hear.

A knock is made on the door, and all of us, including Leilani—who pokes her head—face the door, all in silence. I glance at Rowan and Dad since they're the ones who invited them in the first place. "It wouldn't be polite for us to get to the door since you just handed out invitations."

"Don't be a smartass, Angel," Rowan says. "Don't be a dumbass," I say back.

Rowan grabs the door, opening it for the Bertarelli men.