Four Week Fiance (Four Week Fiance #1)(30)
Ch
apter Nine
Mila
July 18th, 2010
Dear Diary,
There’s this saying that if you pray for something hard enough, you will get it. Or, as Nonno says, everything you wish for can come true, so only wish for something you know you want. I think it’s a saying from his village, somewhere in the Amalfi Coast in Italy. Nonno said he will take me and Nonna once I graduate from college. I asked him if Cody will come as well, not because I want Cody to come, but because I want him to bring TJ. Nonno just laughed. Then I went to my bedroom to say a prayer that TJ would get to come. I think it would be romantic if we fell in love in the same country that my grandparents fell in love. It would mean that we were fated to be together and that our relationship would be as perfect as my grandparents’. Sally thinks that’s a big wish and prayer, but I figure it can’t hurt to try. I’m also praying to stop world hunger and for peace among men, so I’m not being desperately selfish. I’ll say another prayer tonight. I’d love to tell my grandchildren the story of how TJ and I fell in love in Positano. I can picture it in my mind already.
Mila
XOXO
“Lunch is ready.” Cody walked into the yard and stared at me with Troy for a few seconds and continued without blinking. “Will you go and get Sally, please, Mila?”
“No, why don’t you go?” I said with a frown. Wasn’t Cody going to even ask me who the guy with his arms around me was?
“Fine,” he said gruffly, then he looked at me and frowned. “Who’s your friend?”
“This is Mila’s boyfriend, Troy,” TJ said, responding for me. “He arrived in his Mercedes first thing this morning.”
“Yeah, it’s a cool car,” Troy said and grinned at him. “Much cooler than my Nissan.”
“I guess that’s why you traded it in, huh?” TJ asked with his eyebrow raised.
“Traded it…?” Troy paused and then grinned. “Yeah, yeah, that’s why.” He looked at me and took my hand. “Wanna go catch up in the bedroom for a few seconds?”
“I don’t think that’s necessary,” TJ said with a small frown. “So, you like sports cars, Troy?”
“Yeah. I used to drag race in high school. My buddy Pete souped up an old Honda CR-V and we used to take it to the track every Friday.”
“I like car racing as well.” TJ nodded. “I like to take out my dad’s Ferrari and race it.”
“Wow, a Ferrari.” Troy’s jaw dropped. “That’s dope.”
“Yeah. I drove a Spyder a couple of months ago.” He grinned.
“That’s cool,” Troy said. “I think I’m going to get a Honda CBR and get into some street-bike racing.”
“Yeah, I do that too,” TJ said. “Though my bike’s in the shop. I had a little accident a couple of months ago.”
“I didn’t know that,” I said sharply. “You were in a motorcycle accident?”
“Yeah, no biggie.” TJ shrugged. “Just fractured my wrist.”
“You fractured your wrist?” I frowned and looked at his arm. “How did that happen?”
“A truck pulled into my lane and he didn’t check his blind spot,” TJ said nonchalantly. “It happens. It’s the risk you take every time you drive.”
“Yeah, but you don’t almost die in a car every day, like you do on a bike.”
“Bikes are safe,” TJ said, his lips thinning.
“No, they aren’t,” I said stiffly, my heart thudding as my face heated up. I couldn’t believe that TJ had been in an accident and I didn’t even know. No one had told me—not him, and not even Cody. Did I matter that little? But why would they tell you, Mila? a voice inside of me whispered. What possible reason would you have to know about what’s going on in TJ’s life? It’s not like you’re his wife or girlfriend. And, sadly, that was true. I was barely his friend.
“Mila, darling, did you miss me?” Troy asked me, looking at me adoringly. I wanted to ask him what the f*ck was going on, but I figured he was some really good actor that Sally had hired to help me make TJ jealous. I kinda wished I’d made up the fake boyfriend for her now. She could have hired someone to try and make Cody jealous. In fact, I was going to tell her that very fact as soon as I got her in a private room. How could she do this to me and not tell me? Ugh! I was so annoyed.
“Of course, my dear,” I said to Troy, looking into his sky-blue eyes and trying to smile. I could see both Cody and TJ looking at me and I knew they were trying to figure out what was going on.
“I’ve been thinking about you all day and night, hoping that I could see you and kiss you all over,” Troy said, and I could see Cody’s eyes narrowing as he looked over at me. Oh boy, Troy was really laying it on strong and I knew that it was way too strong when I saw Cody at our side.
“So tell me again—who are you, exactly?” he said, looking at Troy properly for the first time.
“I’m Troy, Mila’s boyfriend,” Troy said confidently, his perfect white teeth looking up at Cody as if he expected that answer to be the solution to any problems that might come up. “Who are you?” Troy’s smile faltered as he realized that Cody was now glaring at him.