Lorenzo's Lucky Number

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EVELINA

"So, who's your man?"

I swore to myself, I was only there for the food. And because Lucious was my friend, nothing more. I made it clear I was off the market from the beginning soif he respected that, he wouldn't try anything. It wasn't like I was all that, anyway.

"Hm?"

"You talk about this guy all the time but ion know nothing about him." Lucious continued.

I took a sip from my lemonade as I grinned and scrolled through my phone's camera roll. "His name is Lorenzo."

It was as if I had flicked a switch; the playfulness was instantly drained from his face and he became stern. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"You good?"

"Yeah, um, what's this guys full name?"

My eye caught a picture of Lorenzo caught off guard that I took for Genevieve, the day we went to the bluffs as he was getting into the driver's seat of the Jeep. His hair was still damp and the sun illuminated half of his angular face perfectly.

"Lorenzo De Luca." I said almost proudly, showing him my phone.

He was silent for a while; enough time for it to be uncomfortable. His eyes were glued to my screen the whole time, when he finally looked at me it was with this expression of shock and bewilderment.

"This?" he asked pointing to the picture like he didn't believe me, "this your boyfriend?"
I almost laughed. Was he jealous?

"Hot, right?"

"No...this-this was the guy at my school who was always starting shit with everybody. He fought almost every guy he didn't fuck with—and  I was one of his favourites."

Now I was the confused one. "Um..are you sure?"

"He was the biggest asshole and fuckboy in the school. None of us had a chance." he said, ignoring my uncertainty.

I suddenly remembered what Lorenzo's parents had said that night at dinner. Something about Lorenzo's promiscuous past..I remembered Eleonora mentioning the names of a bunch of girls and...

'You just another one of his hoes."

Shit.

It made sense to me now but I couldn't just change my view on him now. Not without talking to him first.

"Even if it's true, he isn't an asshole to me."

"I'm not tryna make you hate him, aight? It's just crazy seeing him now."

"It was only June when you last saw him at school, wasn't it?"

"Nah, Lorenzo got expelled. He never told you that? Got into way too much shit."

It was hard to take in, but why would he lie?

"I...wow," I muttered, "you said he fought a lot?"

"He was just always mad. Probably had some shit at home, like, this man came to class with bruises almost everyday."

I finally understood. Lorenzo's dad took his anger out on him so he took his anger out on his peers. My poor Lorenzo...