“Jesus!” Noodle slams the wooden spoon on the stove and red splatters everywhere. “Give it a damn rest, Bruno.” She stands chest to chest to him with her hands on her hips. “No one is going to sell Grandma’s sauce, okay? Find a job, any job. Stop the get-rich-quick shit, and just work like everyone else.”

She pushes the kitchen door open and leaves the room.

“What is her problem?” Bruno looks back and forth from the door to me.

I don’t say anything because I’m fairly sure she’s upset that he interrupted us, and if that’s the case, I’m too happy to argue another reason. A smile creeps up my lips, and I can’t fight it.

I think she likes me.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Amelia

Todd and I leave my parents’ house and return to Fort Greene Park, because I want a few scenery pictures with the hope that Bette will allow me to sneak one or two in. I figure, as long as they have Todd in them, she’s more likely to be okay with something different. There are only a few more hours of daylight, and I think the dusk pictures will be a perfect fit for the show. Thank goodness, Jim and my dad were busy talking about work.

We sit down on a blanket, courtesy of my mom, and unwrap the pieces of pie we took to go.

“It smells delicious.” I fork my pie and stare out at the people running or walking along the path.

“What did you expect? I made it.” He gobbles down a healthy forkful.

I swear he has the metabolism of a teenager.

“I’m so nervous about the show.” I nibble on the inside of my cheek.

“Don’t be. The show is going to be great. Besides”—he leans in, and his breath tickles my neck—“I’ll be right by your side.”

I laugh. “Believe me, Bette will keep you occupied.”

“No one can keep me from you. Don’t worry. I guarantee everyone is going to love your work. You’ve done other shows,” he mumbles through another bite while my pie stays in the container, uneaten.

The pie looks mouthwatering, but my nerves don’t allow me to eat. “They were so small compared to Bette’s. Not to mention, the others were all new artists fresh out of the academy.”

“Don’t get me wrong. When my time comes, I’ll be sweating bullets in the kitchen, but this is your dream.” He grabs my shoulders to face him. “Your dream. Everything you’ve worked for. Now’s the time.”

“I know. It’s just nerve-racking.”

“Don’t lose faith in yourself now. I’ll just keep reminding you of how amazing you are.”

He goes back to eating, and I lean back on my hands.

“You’re sweet. Thank you.”

“You’ll do the same with me. Look what you did with Edith and Karla.”

“Speaking of which, what’s going on with that?” I say, like it was a big deal to act like his fiancée. Not at all.

“They haven’t called.” Now, he puts his fork down and lifts his legs to rest his arms across them.

“They will.” I knock him.

He catches himself before falling to his side. “Why are you always knocking me over?”

“It’s fun.”

The urge to hide behind my lens emerges, and I stand with my camera and start snapping pictures of the trees, the people, and water. The park is beautiful, and somehow, I’ll always think of it as my spot with Todd.

“Can you wait until I finish?” He holds his hand up in the air to block the camera.

“No.”

I look through the lens at Todd, and I can’t deny how good-looking he is. I’ve always known he’s gorgeous, but these last few weeks, it’s become about more than his chiseled jaw or bright blue eyes drawing me to him. He’s nice, encouraging, and protective of me. He bears a natural kindness to everyone, and lately, my thoughts drift to him instead of Davis.

“Is Davis coming back for the show?”

I turn my back to Todd and act as though I’m taking a picture of the boat floating on the lake. “No.”

“He’s not?” The judgment toward Davis is clear from his tone.

“No. He bought me a ticket to a movie premiere, and I was supposed to go out there.”

“The same weekend?”

“Yes.” I sit next to him and place my camera down. “Can I ask you something?”

I wish I had the nerve to ask him if he liked me, but instead, I decide to test the waters and see if I’m by myself on this attraction island.

“What’s up?” He downs the remaining part of his pie.

“Let’s say that you get your restaurant. Do you think your career should come before your girlfriend?” There. I asked it.

“No, but I’m different than Davis. Davis is all career-oriented, which isn’t a bad thing. His drive got him to where he is now.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

I think about my conversation with Davis the night before he left, how he did the enormous gesture for his now ex-wife. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want that side of Davis, or anyone for that matter.

“I told him I wanted to take a break.”

“Because he can’t come back for your show?” Todd’s eyes dig into mine.

I wish he’d kiss me and tell me we’re meant for each other. Shit, focus, Amelia.

“No, he called Bette to get the date of my show changed.”

“Maybe he just wanted you to be with him.”

“Don’t you get it? He wants to control the situation. He wants to control me. I don’t want a relationship like that.”

I could pound my fist on the grass from Todd not understanding why I’m angry with Davis.

“I get it, but it came from his heart.”

Why is he sticking up for Davis?

“Oh, my God. I want a guy who would put me in front of himself. A guy who I know, when I’m in his arms, there’s nowhere else he’d rather be. A guy who loves me with every fiber of his being.”

“Do you love Davis?” Todd licks his lips, and he inhales a breath.

“Obviously not. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have told him I needed a break.” I grab my camera. “Enough of this sappy shit.”

“Noodle, let’s talk.”

He pulls my sweatshirt, and I fall to the ground.

“What do you want me to say?”

“What do you want?”

Who do I want is more like it.

“I want a guy who does the grand gesture for me. A guy who abandons everything just to be with me.”

He peers down at me, and my breathing staggers with every beat of a second, thinking we’re about to cross the line.

He leans down, and I suck in one last breath.

This is it.

He snatches the camera from the blanket, and my attempt to grab it back fails.

“Look at me.” He poises the camera in my direction.

My hands fly up, and I bury my face into my chest. “No. I’m not meant to be on this side of the lens.” I twist around, dodging his advance to snap a picture of me.

“Come on, Noodle. It’s just for fun.” He places his hand on my arm.

I release a breath, staring over at him. He clicks the camera once, and my hands move to grab it away from him, but he turns around, gripping it in his hands.

“Todd.” I sigh.

He shakes his head. “This is your time. Come on. Make sex to the camera.”

He stands and squats down on the hill a few feet away, and I hear the shutter of the camera clicking nonstop.

“Todd, I’m not like that,” I pout.

He doesn’t change his position from holding the camera my way. “Sure you are. It’s me. Show me your spontaneous side.”

He clicks the camera button again, and I cringe.

I turn around and place my thumbs in my ear, bringing my fingers out like antlers. He laughs, and his finger doesn’t release the button.

“Not exactly sexy, but I’m easy,” he mumbles.

“I’m much better at hiding behind the lens.”

My head dips down, and I look up at him through my eyelashes.

Snap. The picture gets taken.

“Okay, enough.” I run over to him and try to grab the camera again.

His arm holds me out at length while the camera clicks away.

“Todd!” I scream.

His amusement only grows louder to my antics. “You get the camera, and it’s yours,” he eggs me on.