“Holy shit man!” His eye lifted from the tattoo and met mine. “How did I never see that before?”
“I don’t really walk around shirtless for you,” I said purposely. “It’s just a tattoo,” I slowly turn the water off hoping Mikey wasn’t about to ask questions.
“You know…,” he says as he leans against the bathroom door and crosses his arms against his chest. So much for avoiding his questions. “You avoid talking about her any chance you can and I try, being the fantastic friend I am, to cut you some slack because I’ve put it in my head that pretty little Adrianna drove a bulldozer over your heart, but it’s so much more than that isn’t it?”
I didn’t answer him because he was right and I didn’t even know where to begin to explain.
“She wasn’t the one driving the bulldozer was she?” He asked.
“No, she wasn’t,” I replied. I didn’t elaborate that he had hit the nail on the head and used the perfect analogy to describe how everything had fallen apart. I was the one who broke her heart and while I didn’t drive a bulldozer over it, I had been the one driving the car the night of the accident.
“You two suck you know that?” He blurted out, causing me to turn around and face him, raising an eyebrow at his little outburst.
“You want to rephrase that?” I asked.
“No, not really,” He rolled his eyes. “I’m not scared of big, bad, Anthony. You forget I knew you long before you became Gotti in training or whatever the fuck …,” he motioned with his hand towards me. “…you are.” He took a step closer and poked me in the chest with his index finger. “You know back in the day, I put a lot of work into getting the two of you together.”
“You got to date a different girl every weekend. Such a hardship for a teenage boy,” I said pushing his hand away.
“Dude, I had a paper route at the time. The fucking movies were expensive and then half those chicks wanted popcorn! I had to smuggle drinks inside my jacket. Like I said, I put a lot of work into you and Adrianna. Now I don’t know what the fuck happened, which is getting a little ridiculous. I mean I’m home a couple of weeks now and everybody is so hush hush when it comes to Anthony and Adrianna, like you two are secret service agents or some bullshit.”
Mike continued to ramble on as I pushed him out the bathroom door and slammed the door in his face. I had to give him credit though the little fucker was relentless and pounded on the door.
“You’re lucky I have to go meet with Al Capone at his fucking night club but this conversation isn’t over, Anthony!” He shouted against the door. He managed a chuckle out of me when he compared Vic to Al Capone. Mike was still a sarcastic little punk but I was realizing I was happy he was back home. I hope he stayed on the straight and narrow.
I heard the front door close and decided it was safe to come out of the bathroom, to pour myself a cup of coffee in the kitchen. I was just about to take the first sip when someone pounded on the door. I grumbled, mumbling a stream of curses under my breath and vowed to get Mike his own apartment as I headed to answer it. I was certain the guy lived to torment my life, probably forgot his keys, he did that at least three times a week.
“What’d you forget this time?” I said as I pulled the door open. I didn’t register that it wasn’t Mike on the other end because a fist came swinging at me. My reflexes were lightning fast, and I ducked just before the little fist collided with my freshly shaved jaw.
“What the fuck was that for?” I growled, backing away out of Adrianna’s reach as she tried to swing at me again.
“That’s for yesterday!” She spoke through gritted teeth, and then whimpered as she reached across herself to hold her shoulder.
I squinted, trying to think about what the fuck I could’ve possibly done to her yesterday that earned me a visit from Mohamad Ali.
She took a step closer, splaying her palms against my bare chest, shoving me once, twice, before I grabbed hold of her wrists.
“All right, tiger what’s going on?” I questioned, holding her at arm’s length as she tried to struggle to free herself from my hold. My dick stirred to life, watching the fire ignite in her eyes as she wrestled with me.
“You could’ve warned me that every single part of my body would hurt me today! I couldn’t even lift Luca, my arms feel like Jell-O, and my legs. Forget it. I should kick you in the balls for living on the second floor and making me have to climb the stairs in my condition!”
I bit my cheek so I wouldn’t laugh but it was hard to hide the smile that creeped across my mouth.
“Oh baby, are you sore, is that what this about?”
“Sore?!” She asked outraged. “My body is broken!”