Not Even Close (A New Generation) by Elizabeth Reyes (books to read in a lifetime txt) 📗

Vannah decided to give her roommate a headsup. So, her good friend probably already not only knew why, but thatVannah would rather not discuss that right now.

“Did she tell you the best part?” Xochitl asked all bright eyed.

“What?” Nena asked curiously.

“He’s Beast, the famous boxer Beast’s brother.”

Nena’s mouth was already wide open. “Oh my God.” She grabbed herphone. “Why didn’t you say something?”

“Who are you calling?” Vannah asked.

“Daddy. Him and the boys are gonna flip.”

For whatever reason that made Vannah even more nervous. The knot thathad formed in her stomach the moment her dad had suggested she bring Byron todinner only got bigger now. She wasn’t past the insecurity that Byron was wayout of her league, despite his seeming genuinely into her. So, the reminderthat he was a minor celebrity to boot, even if only by relation, just added tothat insecurity.

“That man never answers.” Nena frowned as she put her phone down.“This makes even more sense, though. Your hot new man was on fire today. Ofcourse, they’d be related. His brother didn’t get his nickname for nothing, youknow. That Beast is an inferno when he’s pissed. I saw footage of himand his family at the airport and one idiot reporter made the mistake ofgetting too close to his daughters and spooking them.”

“Oh my God, I saw that too.” Xochitl nodded adamantly. “Thatreporter would’ve been a dead man had they not been in a public place.”

“I remember too but even daddy said any father would’ve reactedthat way,” Vannah added not sure why she suddenly felt the need to soften Byronand his brother’s tempers.

Nena rolled her eyes with a smirk. “Of course, daddy would saythat. He’s no better but this guy’s brother is known for his seething temperand clearly, he and Byron are cut from the same cloth. Though he was quick tochange his tune the moment he realized he was facing your siblings and daddy. God,tonight is gonna be fun.”

Thankfully Vannah’s phone rang interrupting the nerve-wracking conversation.She closed her eyes momentarily when she saw it was her mother, but then hitthe answer button and walked to the fridge.

“Hey, mom.”

“Savannah Bridgette Moreno, why in the world hadn’t you told anyof us about your boyfriend? At the very least me or your sister?”

Vannah stopped just before grabbing another bottled water fromthe fridge feeling her insides tighten. “Because I don’t?”

“Oh, really? So, this guy who isn’t your boyfriend makingsuch a scene over Sienna hanging out with another guy because he thought it wasyou, is just a friend?”

“Mom,” Vannah lowered her voice glancing back at her sister asshe opened her bottled water. “Where’s dad and the boys? Are they listening?”

“No, I purposely passed on going into the comic book and gaming storeso that I could call you.” Vannah heard her mom thank someone then was back totalking to her. “I came into the coffee shop next door instead. Seriously,Savannah, your fathers all worked up over this. Thinks you’re keeping stufffrom us. You know we don’t have secrets in this family, honey.”

“I’m not keeping secrets, mom,” Vannah insisted even as hersister smirked and shook her head. “My first official date, if you could evencall it that, was just this past Monday. He’s just . . . I don’t know.Intense?”

Vannah knew it sounded insane, but fact was just one week or not,she’d already shed a few tears over this guy. She explained about not havingbeen able to see him but having kept in touch all week and how theirmuch-anticipated lunch date yesterday was cancelled last minute.

“It’s when he saw Nena with another guy.”

She smiled remembering how relieved he’d been about getting itstraight today. “Yeah, I’ll get to her too when we get home. You girls havealways been so good about being able to tell me everything. I don’t want thatto change.”

“It won’t. It hasn’t.” She assured her then heeding her mother’sworries and feeling a little guilty she decided to tell her more. “He’s not aboy either, mom. I didn’t meet him at school. He’s twenty-five, has his ownapartment and just recently became part owner of his own business. An autorepair and restoration shop.”

Her mother’s response was not anything she’d been expecting. “Areyou in love, Savannah?”

Feeling her face flush and slightly scandalized, Vannah walked intoher bedroom. “Mom, I told you, it’s only been a week.”

Her mom chuckled. “Doesn’t make a difference. I didn’t evenwitness the outburst up close, but I saw and heard enough. With some guys itcould be nothing more than them being territorial. But that boy and yes, I saidboy, twenty-five is still pretty wet behind the ears, has got it bad,honey. I see your dad and the boys headed out now,” she added quickly. “We’lltalk privately about this another time. Only piece of advice I’ll give you nowbecause clearly this was a misunderstanding of epic proportions and thatonly ever happens when there’s failure to communicate. Don’t do what your dadand I did for years, babe. You have something to say or that you want to know, youask him straight out and encourage him to do the same. Trust me, you’ll saveyourself a ton of heartache, not to mention eruptions like todays.”

“Okay I will,” Vannah said smiling weakly despite the flutter hermother’s words had given her heart. She thought about how she hadn’t daredquestion Byron’s text before today. Instead, chose to dissect it to death withXochitl before crying about it. “And mom?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

“Love you too, baby. See you in a few.”

Sixteen

Daddy Dearest

Byron

What the fuck did it even matter? Byron thought as he flungthe third shirt he’d tried on, onto the bed. He’d never obsessed about whathe’d wear for any occasion. Her family had already seen him and at hisworst anyway. What difference would his appearance make now? Talk about nightmarefirst impressions. Byron had never even contemplated meeting a girl’s daddymuch less having dinner with her entire family just a week after their firstkiss. Especially not after that clusterfuck incident at the gym. This was insane.Only good thing about this was this had to mean something, right? Had he nailedit when he’d begun