Luca's POV.

My plans to tell Elizabeth, everything failed. I went to the restaurant a few days ago and the prissy guy in the suit said it was her day off. I didn't have time to go back to the restaurant after that. Saturday and Sunday I was preoccupied at the hospital, Monday and Tuesday I had tests and today my mother was flying in from England.

I was happy to see her again, but I knew she was going to be at my throat for giving Steph a hard time last week. This was besides the point of them always taking Stephanie's side. Did my mother portray me to be such a problem child that she couldn't even see when Steph was wrong. How could my mother not see that Steph was making a mistake.

I waited outside the airport leaning against my car. I hated airports. It's always so crowded. The doors parted letting out a second wave of people and I searched with my eyes through the crowd for my mother.

Thankfully, Harry wasn't accompanying my mother here. He had a business summit to attend and he would fly in once it was over. Harry and I couldn't coexist in a large sixteen bedroom mansion. I started to wonder how we were going to get along in a small apartment. Maybe the hostility in the room would choke one of us out before we finally lost it and tried to murder each other.

I couldn't see my mother and I began to get worried. Where was she. According to my watch, her flight landed just twenty minutes ago. Finally, the doors parted and out walked my mother. The most English woman in America.

She was wearing a white pantsuit and her eyes were covered with black sunglasses. Her blonde hair was cut short and was in waves. The luggage she was pulling behind her was half her size.

How long did she say she was staying for again. I had to ask myself while taking in the size of that ridiculously large bag. Not that I minded if she did stay longer than expected. I loved my mother and I missed her cooking. It was better than Jameson's tuna surprise casserole. To this day I still wonder what the surprise was. "Luca my son. Come to mummy," My mother said and a group of passing girls giggled.

Ignoring them, I let out a sigh and opened my arms. "Hello mother," I said and engulfed my mother in a hug.

"My strong boy," she said patting me against the side of my face. "You could use a shave," she said pinching my cheek. I was a grown man and yet she still treated me like a boy.

"Mum," I whined and she chortled.

"And a hair cut," she mentioned, before handing me the handle to her bag. I opened the passenger's side door for her to get into the car. When she was I shut the door and grabbed the bag and hoisted it into the trunk of the car. It was heavy. I had to wonder if she didn't just smuggle a tiny person into the country.

I walked over to the driver's side door and got in. My mother had taken off her sunglasses and perched them on the top of her head. She was now fiddling with the car's radio. I should have told her that there was no Capital Liverpool Station, but she soon got fed up and left the radio alone.

I started the car and drove out of the busy airport parking lot. "So did you enjoy your flight?" I asked and she sighed.

"Is that really what you want to talk about." My mother and I haven't talked after I found out Stephanie was getting married to some guy she just met. "That was very wrong of you Luca. Your behavior towards your sister was despicable."

"I know mother but what else was I supposed to say. Even Harry agrees with me, so you know I can't be wrong."

"You and your father are just the same."

"My father is dead," I said and she rolled her eyes.

"Luca, don't you start this again."

"Okay mother," I said not looking to continue this pointless argument.

How could she not see how retarded Stephanie was acting. Love, at first sight, what kind of nonsense. For a girl who never used to believe in fairytales, she was surely starting to act as if she was living in a fantasy world.

"And you will not be bringing that girl to this wedding!" She said and my eyes widened. Not even thirty minutes of us being in the same space and she brings up Allison.

I tried explaining to my mother that Allison wasn't half as bad when you got to know her. I tried to tell her that she needed to look beyond the tattoos and piercings. But every time I brought up mum spending time with Allison she clutched her heart as if she was having a heart attack and her face would contort as if she was having a stroke.
"I do not even want her in your life. So I definitely don't want to see her in your sister's wedding pictures." I remained silent as I listened to my mother's bad mouth, my girlfriend. We had had this discussion a million times. "I have two minds about letting you come back to England. I know that you will just sneak off to be with that girl." Part of me was only going along with this wedding so that I could go back to England and see Allison. Now she was threatening not to let me attend my own sister's wedding because of Allison. "I swear Luca. Your father and I would have had you back home a long time ago if you weren't so insistent on being with that bad influence of a girlfriend."

My eyes widened when I heard her say that. I could have my life back in England sooner than later. I could watch live football matches whenever I wanted to. I could go back to the cold lovely predictable weather and less busy roads. If only I didn't love Allison.

"Well, it's a good thing we not together anymore then," I blurted. I was so high on the thought of going home that I didn't realize what I was saying.

Some would say I was a fool but I had nothing in America. My family, my life long friends, and my girlfriend was in England. My life was in England but here I was in America.

My mother looked at me with one arched eyebrow as she searched my face. "Have you really broken up with that girl," my mother asked, hopefulness mixed with a sound of suspicion in her voice.

"Um, yes it's been.. months now," I went on.

"Oh just lovely, wonderful, spectacular..." my mother started singing as she put her hands together and let out a sigh of contentment. It seemed like she had been holding her breath for ages."Amazing," she ended.

"Okay, mum I get it. It's the best thing to have ever happened since the invention of the wheel," I said in annoyance.

"Oh, I'm sorry my boy but you need to know that a mother can sniff out a bad girlfriend before you can."

We went silent for a while after that. I didn't know what to say anymore. To make things worst the traffic wasn't moving at all and I began to feel claustrophobic in the car. I turned up the aircon.

"You know who would make a fitting date for your sister's wedding," she started.

Let me guess Abigail Berkins.

"Abigail Berkins," she said as if it was the least obvious thing in the world. "Oh Luca, she is a darling girl. She comes from a respectable family as well. Just give her a chance, she is a lovely girl....." my mother began to sing Abigail's praises.

Abigail was weird as fuck and that's putting it lightly. One night Stephanie had a sleepover and invited all her friends over. I woke up in the middle of the night because someone was breathing on me. I opened my eyes to be horrified at the sight in front of me. Abigail was asleep next to me snoring like a cow with a breathing problem.

Besides that creepy episode, she was also nauseating. She didn't shut up and she had this nazle laugh. Mum just loved her for some reason, but to be honest, mum loved any girl that wasn't Allison.

"I got someone already," I blurted quickly getting that idea out of my mother's head. I was not spending the duration of this wedding with the insufferable, witless wonder Abigail Berkins.

I would have to tell Allison about lying to mum later. These past few days were good. We didn't argue at all. I think part of it was because we were both looking forward to seeing each other in a few weeks, but none the less it was good. It was just like old times.

Allison wouldn't be mad if I told her. She knew my mother didn't like her, but she could care less. Why couldn't my mother treat Steph and I the same. She didn't care that Steph was marrying a man they haven't met. What if he had tattoos and piercings. Would she still let Stephanie marry him.

"Are you going to tell me who she is or not?" My mother asked from beside me.

"Huh?" I asked, lost in thought.

"The girl you bringing," she said in a sound of annoyance.

"Oh, um, she is someone I've been seeing for a ...um," I cleared my throat. "A while now."

"Really, you should invite her over on Friday. So me, your sister and father can meet her." I nodded. What did I get myself into. Where was I going to find a girl my mother approved of by Friday. Could I not endure all this wedding stuff with Abigail by my side. No no, I could not. If she started laughing I would think I was being attacked by the wicked witch of the west. I would duck down to avoid the flying monkeys.

Fuck.

What was I going to do. Who was I going to ask to be my date. My knuckles began to turn white with how hard I was gripping the steering wheel.

"Are you okay there?" My mother asked and I moved one hand to unbutton my collar.

"I'm fine."

I needed to think fast, Friday was only two days away. Where was I going to find a girl I could tolerate. All the girls I knew were mentally exhausting. If I asked them to be my date they would start planning our wedding, hell they would even start planning our children and I didn't want to put up with that kind of drama.

My mother burst out into a fit of laughter beside me. "Oh, I've never seen anything more adorable." She said holding onto her face.

"What?"

"Elizabeth got her corgi a designer pink coat," she said showing me a picture on her phone of a dog in a pink coat. Elizabeth was one of my mother's book club friends.

As if a light bulb appeared above my head I realized something. How could I be so stupid. She was perfect. She looked decent. I could bet my Mercedes that there were no tattoos on her body and that she only had two piercings, which are on her ears. My mother would love her.

Elizabeth...

Would she. Could I. No, I couldn't. She wouldn't agree anyway, she hates my guts. But maybe she won't when she finds out I helped her. It's even better if she hates my guts I would just tell her she had to repay the favor. I wouldn't have to spend time with her during this I could slip away and be with Allison.

Traffic started to move and I started to feel hopeful. I could actually pull this off. Once the roads were clear I resisted the urge to race to my apartment building. I knew my mother wouldn't hesitate to thump me from the passenger seat if I did. So I kept to the speed limit while she was in the car.

A few long minutes later I stopped the car in front of my apartment building. "I'll be back in a few hours there's something I need to do," I told my mother and she looked at me strangely.

"What is it, my boy?" She inquired with worried eyes.

"Nothing important. Just go up and get settled. James is home he'll open the door for you. I'll bring your bag in later."

"Luca you are acting strange," my mother argued. None the less she moved to get out of the car and once she closed the door I sped off.

I hoped Elizabeth was at work. I sat in traffic impatiently thrumming my fingers on the car steering wheel. See this is why I hate this country. Why the hell is there so much traffic.

While sitting in traffic I thought about how I was going to tell her. I should just say it and let it sit in the air. Let her process it. Finally, traffic started moving and I drove like a madman for the next few minutes.

I was nervous. I knew Elizabeth would never just agree. She would probably think I was sick for playing mind games with her, but she was the only suitable candidate for the job.

The restaurant's golden gates came into view and I drove in. Ignoring the valet, I parked my car and ran up the few steps. The doors parted and I rushed through them, and then finally there she was. My savior standing behind the front desk.

I straightened my shirt and walked over to her. Okay, it's time to be nice to her. I can't be rude. I needed her help. I walked over to the front desk and she looked up at me as I approached. Her eyes were wide as she watched every step I took.

Even with her eyes expanding to the size of golf balls she still looked beautiful. Her hair was up in a bun and her fringe covered one half of her face. She moved it away with a swift movement of her hand and placed her hand down on the desk before picking it up again and holding with her other hand.

She was nervous but so was I.

"Hello," I said smiling at her and she stared at me in confusion. I probably freaked her out by my smile because she took a step back.

This was it. She was the solution to all of my problems. I needed her to agree, but the way she was looking at me told me that she wasn't going to agree so easily. I had to come up with a plan and fast.
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A/N

So this is it. The moment we have been waiting for. Poor unsuspecting Liz. I hate to do this to her. (I'm also excited I think I've prolonged this long enough) I know it was a bit of a short chapter that's only because the next is the continuation but in Elizabeth's pov.

Please don't forget to vote and feedback is highly appreciated :)

💜P. A.