Gio

I need a drink.

I don't know why I invited her.

The whole point was to relax and have a good time and now I won't be able to concentrate.

Not with Chase being an annoying fuck and not with Celia being, well, Celia.

I'm glad Oscar and Chase set me up straight after she walked away. If it weren't for them, I'd probably feel too awkward to say sorry. But they were right, they know me too well.

Both are suspicious if I meant what I said about her, that she's just a babysitter and nothing else. Guess it's because I haven't been involved with anyone since Vivien left.

They also said she's gorgeous, which is obvious and not necessary to point out. Fuck them.

I wish it was easy. I wish I could just flirt and do whatever the fuck I want.

But I'm a fucking parent and there's too much on my plate. I got better things to worry about, like my daughter and the business.

I'm a grown ass man and I can handle a crush.

While Chase takes a shower after a long day of work, the four of us watch a cartoon in the living room. Everyone's already dressed— Ari in a pink sweater and pigtails, Oscar in a polo and hair side-swept, and me in a leather jacket.

"You're going to be cold in that," I point out to Celia, eyeing her bare arms in her red tank top.

"You can borrow one of my jackets!" Ari jumps up, taking her hand. "Let's go, I'll dress you!" She yanks Celia off the couch, dashing to her bedroom.

Two minutes later Ari comes out with her head down. "Nothing fit her..."

"Would you like to borrow my jacket?" Oscar unfolds his cardigan beside him. "My wife got it from⁠—"

"Oh, no that's okay. Thanks," Celia hugs herself and I narrow my eyes at her discomfort. Something about her sometimes makes me feel like she's not as bold as she pretends to be.

"Let's go," I sigh, getting up. "You'll pick something from my closet."

"I'm fine," she says as I walk past her down the hallway.

I open my door and go in, knowing she'll follow shortly behind. Luna meows from my pillow and I bend to rub her belly, giving her the attention she wants.

"Gio, I don't need your jacket, I'm fine," Celia says and I turn to see her leaning on my doorframe, arms crossed and one ankle over the other. Trying so hard to be casual, huh.

Covering my smirk, I walk over to my closet and slide the door, grimacing internally at the lack of colors and appealing options.

"Uh... I didn't think this through," I mutter, staring at my clothes as if a fairy-godmother might appear at any second and transform it. Is that too much to ask for? I got to stop watching cartoons.

Celia appears beside me, her presence immediately making me hyper aware.

The heat seeping from her small frame, the subtle fragrance from her shampoo.

"Hm... yeah, I'm going to look like a child in them," she nods, studying the contents inside the closet, most are black shirts and long-sleeves, some button-downs and dark jackets.

I pull out a navy blue bomber jacket. "Put this on."

I turn to sit beside Luna as she crawls on my lap, focusing on her and ignoring the rustle of my jacket as Celia puts it on.

"Oh, I like it!" Celia's chirpy voice snaps my head in surprise to find her smiling in the mirror.

The bottom of my jacket reaches below her butt, sleeves drowning her hands.

She looks adorable.

"That's the smallest one I got, it doesn't even fit me anymore," I sheepishly clear my throat, scratching behind my ear.

"Can I keep it, then?" She turns around, eyes so innocent I don't think she even means it in a weird way.

"No."

Her smile drops and I try to contain mine.

"Let's go." I get up, rushing out of the room.

~

"You look so cool, Celia! Like a skater girl," Ari giggles, making Celia strike a goofy pose.

The two chit-chat as they get ahead, nearing my truck.

"This should be interesting," Chase smirks, bumping arms with Oscar.

"Gio, my man, you okay there? You seem a little tense." Oscar laughs even when I glare.

"Come closer and I'll tell you."

"Hey, how much do you want to bet she'll break into the garage and find out?" Chase wonders.

"Fifty dollars, I say by next week," Oscar immediately says.

"Hundred, I say less than that." The two huddle together like high school girls.

"Deal!"

"Fuck you both."

Chase tries to sit in the back with Ari and Celia but I drag him in the passenger seat, telling Oscar to sit there. He has to squeeze a little and everyone in the back is uncomfortable, but I don't care.

"So, what do you think of our Gio?" Chase turns around five minutes into the drive like the fucking Donkey from Shrek.

"I'll punch you in the face," I mutter to him under my breath.

Thankfully Celia ignores him and my rigid muscles loosen a little bit.

"Okay, Ari what do you think of our Celia?" Chase asks.

"She's awesome! When we first met she trashed my room and got naked⁠—"

"Ari!" Celia and I yell at the same time.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Chase's eyes go wide like a pirate discovering a gem. Seriously, I need to stop watching cartoons. "Ari, my dear, tell uncle Chase all about it. Ignore these two haters."

After thirty agonizing minutes, we fucking arrive.

It's a large area with restaurants, bars, outside seating areas and indoor arcades. Thankfully it's after dark and crowded, meaning more chances of blending in and not having to worry about unwanted conversations.

We walk around a little with the girls ahead of us, deciding where to eat and at the end settling for a decent-looking burger place. I pay for everyone and join them at one of the tables outside.

Somehow the only open seat is next to Celia, so that's where I end up. Chase asks her some questions and learns she's a nineteen-year-old college student who lives with her dad and grandma. Her dad's a preacher and she doesn't believe in God. She also hates people.

Stuff I already knew, but my ears are sharp for other reasons, trying to figure out if she might be interested in Chase.

"So am I going to find out what the whole hospital and car smashing was about?" she asks, leaning forward on her elbows.

"Oh... I need a drink for that," Oscar sits back, petting his stomach. "And I need to walk this off."

"I want one too," Celia pops beside me when I approach a booth that sells alcohol. Chase and Oscar are grabbing a churro with Ari a couple of yards away.

"Ask me in two years," I ignore her, reading the limited menu.

"Come on, can you not be such a boring asshole?" She huffs, raising her arm to point at the picture of a blue cocktail. "I want that one."

"And I want a unicorn." I hand the cashier forty dollars. "Three beers, please."

"Fine, I'll buy it myself," Celia begins to walk off but I grab her hand.

"The fuck did you just say?"

She smirks, raising her brow. "You heard me. Let go."

"Celia, calm down. Why are you trying to drink, anyway?"

"Because that's what I want. What's your problem?" She snaps, humor dropping. "You can't tell me what to do, I'm off the clock. I'm not babysitting."

"Doesn't matter, you're still my responsibility," I drag her close so that no one hears. She stumbles forward, confusion crossing her face. "Please, don't be reckless. I'm not trying to control you, but I'm not comfortable with you drinking if you're underage. Call me old-fashioned, but this is who I am." I let go of her hand as she looks down. "Now, can we just go one night with compromise and have a good time?"

"Fine..." She rolls her eyes, moody but no longer mad. "I've drank before, you know? I'm not innocent."

"I know, you're a gangster," I smirk, grabbing the beers the cashier hands. "I saw you forcing Chase on the ground with your fake gun."

"That's right," she snorts, hiding her smile behind her hair.

"Okay, so I take my car to his auto shop and I'm having just the shittiest day," Chase says as we stroll down the main road. "And this... this broody guy my age barely looks at me as I try to explain what happened to my baby."

"Baby being his car," Oscar clarifies, with a churro in one hand and a beer in the other.

"Yeah, so I get pissed even more and before I know it, we're punching each other in the face."

"Naturally." Celia gives him a strange look, the rim of her coke bottle below her lips.

"Naturally. I don't even know his name, but I want to kill the guy and he's strong! Must be the Frankenstein genes mixed with whatever chemicals he inhales from working on cars all day, but he had me in a choke hold and I could see my life flashing before my eyes."

"So this idiot grabbed a beer bottle and smashed it on my face," I sigh, holding Ari's dangling feet as I carry her on my shoulders.

Celia's mouth falls open. "And you guys call me crazy? That's insane!"

"I know, I was so stupid," Chase says. "I felt so bad that I kept visiting him in the hospital when he had to get⁠— how many stitches did you get, man?"

"Hundred-twenty, how do you always forget?"

"Must be my brain wiping it to deal with the guilt." He takes a sip of his beer. "Yeah, poor guy lost some clients too because of me."

"And then he paid them without my knowledge," I add, raising my brows at him.

"And then he smashed my car," Oscar chimes in. "A few months after that, I took my dad's Lamborghini for a polish and these two were there. Chase pretended to be nice just so I'd let him take the car for a test drive."

"Oh, no. And you let?" Celia asks, pity all over her face.

"I was alone and didn't have any friends." Oscar shrugs with a humble smile. "I warned him that stick shifts are hard, but he got cocky and went too fast. Then felt so bad he blamed me for letting him drive!"

"You're a terrible person, uncle Chase," Ari chides above my head.

"Don't say that my love!" Chase throws himself at her, making me stumble sideways. "Please, I beg! I've changed!"

"What is wrong with you?" I laugh, kicking him away.

"How the hell did you two end up as friends after that?" Celia asks Oscar, ignoring us.

"I had to call my dad to come help. He wasn't happy, so I took the blame..."

"I thought he was just a rich wuss with fifty other cars," Chase scoffs, "but when I met his dad, I realized he's just a kind kid and didn't deserve to pay for my mistake."

"So you ended up making up to him too." Celia smirks, drinking her coke. Her eyes flit to mine, catching me staring.

"What can I say, I'm a man of wisdom and honor." Chase looks around with a heroic smile. "Oh my God, laser tag! Can we go play?"

"Yes!" Ari bounces excitedly. "Daddy, daddy, can we please? Please, please, please?"

I glance at Oscar and Celia, expecting them to grimace that they're too old for that.

"Might be fun!" Oscar beams, checking in with Celia who shrugs, rolling her eyes at Ariana.

"Want to beat the boys together?"

~ A/N~
Let's put these two in the dark with some loud action music hehe

This chapter is dedicated to splotchymint who is always SO ON POINT with analyzing the characters! Thank you for your support! ❤️