So Brianna liked to think she had a pretty good feel for Brooklyn. She knew how to stay safe, but she would be really nervous about this trip if Tino weren’t with them.
She studied him for a long moment, with his head tossed back against the seat. His eyes were closed. His hand rested on his crutches that he had leaning against the seat next to him. His Yankees hat was pulled low. His East Harlem Martial Arts Center shirt was faded, but the black basketball shorts he wore were clearly new.
He looked like any other twelve-year-old boy, more handsome, definitely, with those full lips and defined cheekbones, but still fairly ordinary in a New York Italian sort of way.
There really wasn’t anything about him to make her feel protected.
He wasn’t thick and muscular like his brother, whom Brianna had caught glimpses of throughout the week while she and Carina made up for a summer apart. Tino was wirier, still looking more like a kid, but she could see the corded muscles of his biceps. It was obvious he was extremely athletic, and it made her wonder what he was going to look like in two years when he was Nova’s age.
His cast was silly and ridiculous and had Carina written all over it.
Literally.
Any other boy wouldn’t leave the house with it, but Tino didn’t seem to care. Just like he didn’t seem worried on the C train. He was chewing gum, popping it in a way Brianna’s mother would have had a fit about. He blew one big bubble, eyes still closed, before he popped it, turned his head on the seat, and asked, “What?”
“I didn’t say anything.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Why do you keep staring at me?”
“I just—” She shrugged, feeling her cheeks heat as she looked to Carina sitting on her other side. Carina was chewing the same watermelon bubblegum and smiling as if she was wondering the same thing Tino was. “I was curious why you aren’t nervous on the train,” she admitted and resisted the urge to cup her cheeks. It was bad enough dealing with Carina, who was very good at embarrassing Brianna. Now there was a whole collection of Moretti kids, and they all seemed to be missing that filter most people had. “Why aren’t you worried about what someone will think of your cast? I mean, I don’t care. I think it’s kinda funny, but most boys would care, and I was wondering why you don’t.”
“You think that’s what I have to worry about? A cast?” Tino asked her. “I got bigger fucking problems.”
“Yeah, maybe that’s the difference,” she agreed, but she didn’t think that was totally it.
“Am I being an asshole?” Tino asked her like he wasn’t sure.
“Sorta,” Carina answered before Brianna could assure him that he wasn’t. “What’s up?”
Tino was quiet for a long time before he said, “I didn’t sleep last night. Tired.”
“You’ve had a bad month.” Brianna didn’t know why she did it, but she reached out and grabbed his hand, intertwining her fingers with his. “Maybe next month will be better.”
She’d been hoping the same for herself, because having her father basically dump her for life had left her crying into her pillow more than a few nights since she got back from the Hamptons.
Life was very mean.
“If yous guys got married, we’d be sisters. Real sisters.” Carina blew a bubble, making it pop loudly. “That’d be cool.”
“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.” Brianna had to let go of Tino’s hand to cup her cheeks this time, because they were on fire. “Carina.”
Tino laughed at her, but it was such a nice sound, like something he needed to do, and Brianna figured her embarrassment was worth the sacrifice.
“You’re cute, Brianna,” he finally said, which made her cheeks burn worse. “Very cute.” His voice got distant. “Wish I met you when I lived in East Harlem.”
She frowned. “Why?”
“East Harlem Tino was cool. Everyone liked that Tino. I had lotsa friends.” He shrugged. “Maybe you would’ve liked him too.”
“You don’t like Tino in Brooklyn?” Brianna asked.
“No.” He said it without hesitating. “I don’t.”
“Well,” she whispered as she considered that. She looked at him for a long time and then admitted, “I like Brooklyn Tino.”
“Me too.” Carina smiled. “Brooklyn Tino’s way cooler than East Harlem Tino. Brooklyn Tino’s got a kick-ass sister.”
Tino laughed again and asked, “Do you kick ass?”
“I do.” Carina popped her gum again.
“Yeah, okay.” Tino rolled his eyes. “You know, me and Nova are gonna find a dojo once my leg heals. You could come with me. Both of you should come.”
“We should,” Carina agreed. “Then maybe I wouldn’t have to ditch the bodyguards all the time.”
Tino leaned past Brianna and looked at his sister. “Bodyguards?”
“Yeah, that’s why I spent the night at Brianna’s last night. You think Nonno would let me ride the train to Bed-Stuy?” She laughed in disbelief. “They think we’re hanging at Brianna’s all day.”
Tino’s face physically paled, the horror was so blatant. “What the fuck, Carina?”
“It’s fine,” Carina assured him. “We do it all the time.”