Too Close

Chapter 17

Tyler's P.O.V

I forced myself not to openly stare while she introduced me to each family member. Which was torture because she stood at my side in her red dress and kept turning to me every time she made a new introduction. But along with keeping up with the names and faces that came to greet us, my mind gave itself the task of thinking about the way the beautiful fabric dipped slightly on her chest and fit around the curves of her body, sculpting all the beautiful places that were Olivia. I was glad Reed suggested I wear something nice, otherwise I would've looked like a fool standing next to her.

"This is my Nonna," she said, introducing me to her grandmother. I held my hand out for her to shake.

"Nice to meet you," I said to her as politely as I could. She laughed, pushing my hand away and engulfed me in a tight hug. I think I heard something crack in my back.

"Welcome to the family, Tyler," Nonna's booming voice nearly shouted in my ear.

"Thank you," I tried to say but her hold on my ribs made it sound like a thick wheeze.

"Olivia!" We both turned and O immediately beamed from ear to ear at the woman standing in front of us. She looked a lot like Mrs. Callahan and O's Nonna. She was younger though, somewhere in her thirties.

"Aunt Katie!" Olivia hugged the woman then was introduced to the man at her side, Tony, her fiancé who seemed to be the talk of the hour. I didn't know what else to do so I stepped away from them to look around the big room we were standing in. It was huge, almost like a ballroom I've seen in movies, full of Olivia's family and their plus ones. People were coming in and out of the other rooms in the house laughing and in deep conversation. A few caterers carried trays of tiny sample food with toothpicks and champagne. It felt like we were caught in a movie scene or one of those Galas they always show on TV.

"Is this Tyler?" I heard the woman ask and I turned around.

"It is," Olivia said. Then she took my arm and pulled me closer to them. Her touch zapped my previous thought away and just like that it was completely gone. Or maybe her skin just shocked me. I think she felt it too because she pulled her hand back almost as soon as I felt it.

"Tyler, this is Katie."

"Nice to meet you, I've heard so much." I extended my hand and she too pushed it away to hug me and land a kiss on my cheek just like her mom had done. Okay, this family doesn't do handshakes.

"And you," Katie smiled then gestured to her fiancé. "This is Tony." He stuck out his hand for me to shake and I clasped it in mine while giving him a solid pat on the back.

"Congratulations."

"Thanks man," he nodded. He introduced us to his daughter, Katie's soon to be step-daughter when she bumped into us with some small children. Then Olivia spent the next hour showing me to the rest of the family. All of the older women said the same thing, along the lines of, "such a handsome young man" and "are you sure you're seventeen?". As O took me around the room I forgot the names to the unfamiliar faces as soon as we moved on to someone else. There were just too many. A cousin, second cousin, third cousins, another first cousin, aunt, uncle, husband, aunt and uncle, all related to either Jack or Mira and, by law, Olivia. I didn't even bother acknowledging the plus ones with more than just a hello. Unless a good sum were adopted, Nonna had a lot of children. A lot.

They were all happy to see O. One of her very preppy, very annoying third or so cousins—Amber was it?—was a little too friendly. She clung to me and laughed obnoxiously whenever I spoke. I tried to keep up with O and stay by her side because I didn't want to leave her, but her cousin made it difficult. I had to duck out of there and locked myself in the nearest bathroom for a few minutes so she could lose me.