Unapologetically, Juliet

Chapter Twenty

CHEF Rocco hated me. Ever since the whole getting his hand broken thing, I felt his glare every time I walked into the room. He tried to hide it as much as he could, but it definitely came out when he was assigning things to us, or asking us to make something. He always knew exactly the moment I stopped paying attention to him, and made me pay for it every single time.

"Wow, you must've really pissed him off. What'd you do, flirt with him too much?" Marianne looked down at me like I was no better than a sticky piece of gum on the bottom of her designer shoes.

"Actually, I had the mob break his hand," I responded casually as we walked out of class for the day. I seriously felt like the two hours would never end. I'd missed a few classes, so he was especially hard on me.

Marianne rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right. I don't even get what he sees in you." She kept her voice low, but I was pretty sure Saber heard her anyway, although he didn't say anything as he walked in front of us.

"I'm hilarious once you get to know me." Marianne snorted and shook her head, her shocking red pony tail swinging back and forth as she moved.

"She thinks so," Saber slowed down and fell into step with me. He slung an arm around my shoulders. "You ready for dinner?"

"I'm not really that hungry. But I won't get away without eating, will I?" We veered away from where Marianne was going, but I watched her shoot me a dirty look before she crossed to the other side of the parking lot.

"Not even for a second." When we got to his car, Saber held the door open for me, and waited until I was all situated before he closed it. "Greer and her friend, Carlie, just got into town this morning, and they're really excited to meet you, just so you know."

I grinned over at him. "I'm ready."

But I wasn't. Not even close.

As we pulled up to the house where Saber lived with his grandmother, he turned to me and his expression was more serious than I'd seen before. "My family is insane. So, don't feel obligated to do anything they ask you. I'm giving you permission right now to say no to anything and everything you hear tonight. And just let me know when you can't take it anymore. I'll take you home, no questions asked."

"Is this what you tell all the girls when you introduce them to your family?" I snickered into my hand a little.

For a second, I thought I saw him blush. "No. You're the first." I wasn't sure if he meant I was the first girl he'd ever introduced to them, or if I was the only one lucky enough to get the speech, but I didn't bother asking either way.

"Well, I'm excited, so let's go." I wanted to see what his family was like when they were all together.

Reluctantly, Saber jumped out of the car and led me up to the front door. "One more thing, before we go inside." He pulled me to a stop and for half a second, I thought he might kiss me. "Whatever you do, don't bring up my Search and Rescue team or anything about it."

I shrugged. "Okay." I figured it was an easy enough request, so I didn't think much of it. Especially not after the door was yanked open and Mel Rosewood walked out onto the porch with a cigarette in his mouth. He looked kinda stressed, but when he saw us standing there his eyes lit up.

"Saber! You brought the lovely, Juliet! I'm so glad you two met. I knew you'd like her. Didn't I tell you?" He flicked the lighter and held it to the end of the cigarette, inhaling deeply as he leaned against the side of the house.

"Actually, Dad, I met her first." Saber smirked at his father as commotion inside the house, erupted from behind the front door.

"I swear, your brothers and sisters are going to drive me crazy. Why do the twins think everything is about art?" Mel groaned, taking another drag off his cancer stick.