Alleyway BxB

XXI (I'll See You Later)

SUNDAY, 21 OCTOBER
NATHAN COVINGTON

I nearly collapsed. Both of them were there. They were right there! -only a couple of feet in front of me. Rosina and Antonio Lockheart. Their resemblance to Marcella was outstanding.

"Oh!" Their mother lit up as I turned around. Letting go of her husband, she ran up to me; and I found myself planted to the floor as she looked me over. "This one's handsome." She reached up to grab my jaw and even gave me a little squeeze. "Your father would have loved him," she said as she looked back to Marcello.

Marcello was just to the right and he stepped forward. There was a small smile on his face too. "You think so?"

"No doubt. Your father was always around the strong looking ones, he played football too, remember?"

"Of course." Marcello rolled his eyes, nudged Antonio as he cleared his throat. "It's not like I've heard it hundreds of times from this one."

I stood there quietly. Was I supposed to say something? Do something? I never had to formally meet anyone's parents. Not like this. Marcello and I had been together for just over two weeks! If I knew, I really would have stopped by the flower shop.

"Okay," Antonio ruffled Marcello's hair as he pushed his arm aside. "Let me get a look at him."

I was sure many others could agree that the Dad was the scariest parent to meet. Not only was he just as tall and broad as Marcello once was, but he was a man of class and wealth. An A-list actor who had won a plethora of awards for countless of roles in giant movies, and he had children on track to do the same thing.

Me? I was a regular guy who was decent at football. I didn't fit into the Lockheart scene at all.

A nod of the head, a handshake even. I was prepared for either of those to happen, but my heart started to pound when I realized that wasn't the case. Antonio had his arms extended for an embrace and I felt as stiff as a plank. Then, it happened. Antonio hugged me with the firmest of holds I had ever been held in. It made me thankful that my bruises there weren't as painful as they used to be.

Time slipped my conscience as I gained control of myself again-finally found it within myself to move. With arms a little too awkward and robotic, I returned the hug anyway.

"It's like you're not breathing," Antonio stated as he pulled away from the hug but kept his hands on my shoulders. "We must have startled you?"

"I'm sorry," I blurted out and I almost cursed myself out. "I wasn't prepared for this so early on." I found my words at a better pace, but they fell out in a fumble. That was it. I totally nailed the first impression.

An undercover fan boy who scored a date with their favorite actor.

You're real slick, Nathan.

"He's scared," Marcello snickered as he swooped in to engulf me in our own little embrace. He had his entire front side against the side of me, an arm hooked around my waist. "He's cute, isn't he?" Just like his mother, he squeezed my cheeks. "My precious quarterback," he cooed.

My cheeks started to burn and I swatted him away from my face. "You're so embarrassing," I grumbled.

"Feisty," Marcello murmured. "But he likes me. I swear. You know, he went off at a whole gang of cheerleaders because of how protective he is."

I glared at him. "I wasn't jealous."

As if they had planned it, completely uncalled for, Jaxon, Carter, Ryder, and Cameron all scoffed at the same time.

"You shouldn't lie to your in-laws, Nathan," Jaxon scolded.

"We taught you better than that," Cameron said as he shook his head.