Sleeping with the Frenemy (Vega Family Love Stories #3)

Chapter 5

5

Sofi couldn’t stop looking at Leo. She wasn’t the only one. Just about everyone in the restaurant had been sneaking glances at him since the scene he and his mom had made. She could tell that he was getting annoyed with the attention, but he was playing it off like he wasn’t.

He and Papo Vega had virtually kidnapped Abuela Fina. They’d taken her over to see Kane Distillery and returned a short time later looking a bit too pleased with themselves. Now they were sitting at the bar chatting with Liam’s beer-brewing friend whose name she’d forgotten, sipping something that looked amazing while eating a plate of shrimp-stuffed tostones.

“He’s cute, no?” Kamilah’s mom, Valeria, asked her.

Sofi froze before shooting a panicked look at Liam, who Kamilah had left in charge of decision making before heading back into the kitchen for a bit.

Thankfully, Liam wasn’t paying them any attention. He actually looked to be playing a game on his phone.

“I think you should ask him out,” Valeria continued.

Sofi felt like she was going to puke.

“Don’t make that face,” Valeria said. “He’s exactly your type, tall, dark, handsome, and built. With both of your backgrounds and his eyes, imagine the cute babies you’d have.”

Sofi frowned. “What?”

“And according to Kamilah, he used to play professional football, so you know he’s good with his body.” Valeria waggled her eyebrows at her in an expression that reminded Sofi too much of her son.

Sofi released a breath. “Oh, you’re talking about Liam’s friend?”

It was Valeria’s turn to frown. “Claro. Who did you think I was talking about? Leo?” She laughed at her own joke.

Sofi tried to join, but it sounded weird even to her own ears. “Of course not. That would be crazy.”

Valeria turned to Liam. “Mira yerno, does he have a girlfriend?”

Liam looked up from his phone, his face a mask of confusion. “Who?”

Valeria pointed to the man to show Liam who she was talking about.

“Roman?” Liam’s confused frown deepened. “Why would I know that?”

“Isn’t he your friend?” Valeria asked.

“Yes,” Liam answered immediately but his tone still held his lack of understanding.

Valeria pushed. “You don’t know if your friend has a girlfriend?”

Liam gave a one-shoulder shrug. “I don’t know if any of my friends have girlfriends. We don’t talk about that stuff.”

“Y’all don’t talk about it or you don’t listen?” Sofi inquired even though she had a good guess already.

“Does it matter? Either way, I don’t know if Rome is dating someone.” He stood up and walked to the kitchen.

Sofi and Valeria watched him go.

Valeria was shaking her head. “Ay ese muchacho...tan raro.” She looked back at Sofi. “How does he not know anything about his own friends?” She sounded so genuinely flabbergasted that Sofi had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. Much like her daughter, Valeria was one of those people who wanted to know everything about everyone. She could and would talk to anyone. Before she was done, she’d know their entire life story. “Come on,” she said to Sofi. “Let’s go join them and we can find out.”

“Valeria,” Sofi drew out. “I’m not looking to date right now. I just got back and I need to get everything together before I even think about guys.” That comment was as much for herself as it was for Kamilah’s mom.

That still didn’t stop her from checking Leo out as they walked up to the little group. He was in a tan-, olive-, and rust-colored floral button-down T-shirt and pair of snug dark khaki shorts that showed off more thigh than necessary. His hair was styled in his usual tousled waves, but his scruff seemed more scruffy than normal. The most different however was the look in his eyes. Leo normally had an ever-present spark of mischief as if he were constantly ready for a wild adventure. Now he looked...not quite serious, but more mature. Like he was grounded or something. She didn’t know how she felt about that. She’d always told him that he needed to grow up, but she’d never wanted something so horrible to be what caused it.

Suddenly he threw his head back in laughter and Sofi saw her Leo. Wait not her Leo, but old Leo, happy-go-lucky Leo.

“Roman,” Valeria practically yelled, giving the man’s name a Spanish flair it didn’t actually have. “I wanted to introduce you to Sofia.”

Everyone in the little group turned around, including Roman.

“We met before,” he said in a pleasantly deep and slightly raspy voice. “At Kamilah’s birthday party. I was a vampire and she was a unicorn.”

Sofi winced at the memory of the epic hangover she’d gotten that night. “Yeah, I don’t actually remember much after the party bus, so I apologize for what had to be a bad first impression.”

“It definitely wasn’t good,” Leo said loudly, causing her to startle.

She dropped Roman’s gaze immediately as if she’d been caught doing something she shouldn’t. Then she remembered that she was a single woman and could do whatever she wanted. She scowled at Leo. “I didn’t ask you.”

Leo gave her an annoying smirk. “I’m just trying to be helpful and coax your memories out. I remember everything about that night. I can share more if you want.”

She one hundred percent did not want, because one of the only things that she recalled was raving jealously at Leo for his audacity in bringing his basic-ass date to a party she’d planned. It was not one of her finer moments.

“I don’t believe that at all,” Abuela Fina decreed. “Mi negrita es una dama perfecta.”

Leo, who’d just taken a drink of water, spit it all over the place. He started coughing and laughing at the same time.

Sofi ignored the fact that she’d asked her abuela many times to not call her “mi negrita” in front of other people. It was a nickname she only allowed her mother and grandmother to use and she didn’t want anyone else to even get the idea that calling Sofi their “little Black girl” was an acceptable possibility. She didn’t want to have to put anyone in check. Except for Leo. She loved checking his ass, so she glared at him. “Are you saying that I’m not a perfect lady?”

“Yes. That’s one hundred percent what I’m saying.”

“Leo,” Valeria said in a stern tone.

But Leo didn’t appear to listen. He stared at her in a way that made her heart pick up the pace. “There are a lot of words I’d use to describe you, but perfect lady doesn’t make the top of the list.”

Her thighs clenched. She knew exactly what words he’d use, because he’d said them all to her before. Moaned them in her ear really.

“She is too the perfect lady,” Abuela Fina said. “She’s been sleeping on the couch because she refuses to take the bedroom from me even though it’s her bedroom.”

Sofi really wished she hadn’t said that, but she loved her abuela for defending her honor. “It was my bedroom when I was a kid. Now it’s your room.”

“Why are you on the couch?” Valeria asked. “What happened to your apartment?”

Sofi shifted her feet. “I’d sublet it for a few months because originally that’s how long the job in France was going to be. When I ended up staying longer, I tried to hold on to it, but the owner was in the process of selling the building anyway. I had to give it up.” She didn’t want it to seem like she was irresponsible so she continued explaining herself. “I was supposed to get one of our company apartments when I got back, but there was a mix-up and it ended up going to someone else, so now I’m looking for a new place.”

“Stay here with Leo,” Papo said.

“What?” Sofi and Leo asked at the same time.

“The apartment above the restaurant is basically empty, except for him,” Papo said.

“What?” Sofi asked again, because it just wouldn’t compute.

“Santos and I moved out last year,” Valeria said. “Eddie built us a place at his house, so the apartment was empty.”

“Expect for those few months of Lola using it with the kids,” Leo said. It was clear from his tone that he liked this Lola person.

Who the fuck is Lola? Sofi grit her teeth. There was no way she was living in the apartment that Leo had shared with some girl and her kids.

“But now it’s just Leo and it’s a five-bedroom apartment,” Valeria said. “There’s more than enough room.”

“Let’s not call it five bedrooms,” Kamilah said as she walked up to them holding Liam’s hand. “Some of those are glorified walk-in closets that you used to make us sleep in.” She looked around. “What are we talking about?”

“We’re talking about how Sofi should move in upstairs. She doesn’t have a place and is sleeping on her mom’s couch,” Papo said.

“Sofi and Leo sharing an apartment?” Liam shook his head. “So we’re actively trying to get Leo murdered now?”

Kamilah laughed. “I just got Sofi back. I don’t want to lose her to prison.”

“Excuse me,” Leo said with very real offense. “I’m a fantastic roommate. I keep all common areas clean, I don’t make tons of noise, I share whatever I buy, and I’m no drama. Ask Ricky.”

“That’s not what I remember,” Kamilah said.

“Please,” Leo scoffed. “You were the one who was always leaving your stuff all over the place, your dirty dishes in the sink, and your hair in the bathroom drain. Ya nasty.”

“He’s not lying,” Valeria said.

“That was when we were kids,” Kamilah argued. “We’re adults now. Things change.”

Leo and Valeria gave each other a look. “Yeah sure,” Valeria said.

“Speaking of Ricky,” Sofi interjected. “Why aren’t you living with him anymore?” she asked Leo. He and his cousin had been roommates since their early twenties. Meaning that Ricky was one of the only people who knew about her and Leo’s relationship.

“Ricky moved to Florida with Gio,” Papo said, referring to his youngest son who was a well-known DJ and producer.

“What?” Sofi couldn’t believe the amount of stuff she’d missed.

“Leo was staying with Saint for a bit after he got shot because he couldn’t be alone and Ricky worked long hours,” Valeria said. “So Ricky moved Elena into their place.”

“Yeah,” Kamilah nodded sadly. “But then he found out that Elena was cheating on him and since Gio was already moving for work, Ricky decided it was time for a fresh start.”

“Leaving Elena with our nice-ass rent-controlled apartment. Hence me moving in upstairs,” Leo concluded.

“I can’t believe she cheated on Ricky,” Sofi said. Ricky was, like, the nicest guy ever. He was basically a golden retriever in a human body—sweet, loyal, cute as hell, and just the right amount of playful. “I never liked her anyway.” Sofi had been one of the only ones to see through the whole girl-next-door vibe which was why she wasn’t surprised every time she caught the woman checking Leo out when she thought no one was watching. She’d definitely been a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

“Yeah, well, that hardly means anything. You don’t like anyone,” Kamilah said. “You’re worse than Liam, you just hide it better.”

Sofi shrugged. “And nine times out of ten, they justify my dislike.” People were the worst most of the time and Sofi wasn’t dumb enough to pretend otherwise. “I call it having good instincts.”

“Or enough trust issues to fill Lake Michigan,” Leo grumbled over the lip of his glass.

Papo smacked him on the back of the head. “What is wrong with you?” he asked. “That’s no way to convince Sofi to move upstairs with you.”

Shit. She’d thought she’d successfully distracted everyone from that idea. “I have no intention of letting myself be convinced of anything.”

“I don’t see why not,” Abuela Fina said. “You complain every morning about being too tall for the couch and too old to be living with your mom. Plus you haven’t been able to find a place that you like that you can afford anyway.”

Dear lord, could her grandmother make her sound any more pathetic? Sofi wished the floor would open up and swallow her whole. The feeling only got worse when, in typical Kamilah fashion, her best friend went from zero to one hundred.

“Oh my God, Sofi! Why didn’t you tell me you’re struggling?” She reached over and grabbed Sofi’s hands. “What can I do to help? Do you want to stay with me and Liam? We technically don’t have a second room anymore because we turned it into Liam’s office when Mandy and Leo started working with him and needed an office to work out of too, but at least our couch is bigger than your mom’s love seat. And you have to let us pay you for planning the reception. There’s no reason we can’t. Right, Liam?” she asked without even looking at her fiancé.

At this point Sofi knew that she was blushing. She’d felt the heat rush to her cheeks and while she knew it wasn’t as noticeable on her dark skin, especially under her layers of makeup, it was still visible to those who knew her well. Case in point, Leo was staring at her with a knowing look on his face. Since he’d been one of the only causes of her blushes for over a decade, he knew she was flushed. She shot him a warning glare. He’d better not mention her situation out loud or she’d be forced to throat-punch him.

His lip curled in the corner and her flush grew. Shit. He was going to say something obnoxious. She just knew it. His lips opened and Sofi braced herself for more embarrassment.

“You should move in,” he said, shocking her to her very core.

“What?” she choked out. He must’ve lost his damn mind.

He raised one shoulder in a shrug. “I’m barely ever there. If I’m not sitting behind a stupid desk at the CFD headquarters or practicing with the band, then I’m in the distillery with this box of cornflakes.” He used his thumb to point at Liam—who simply rolled his eyes. “I basically just sleep and shower upstairs.”

Valeria decided to jump in with her two cents. She grabbed Sofi’s hand. “And with as much as you work, you’d never see each other. Plus, almost everything upstairs was updated by Luís and his crew last year. It’s in better shape than anything you’ll find around here and definitely cheaper.”

Leo snorted. “Especially since no one around here will let me pay any rent, so I don’t see why they’d let you.”

“Claro que no,” Valeria said. She squeezed Sofi’s hand. “You’re family and family doesn’t pay rent.”

Now Sofi must be losing her damn mind, because she was actually considering this insanity. Her and Leo just being in the same room together was a terrible idea, let alone cohabitating in an apartment. However, the idea of not having to pay rent was too tempting to refuse outright.

Abuela Fina wasn’t exaggerating when she said that Sofi couldn’t afford any of the apartments she liked. Her bank account had dwindled to virtually nothing after a year of living and traveling abroad. Even though she was now looking at potentially having to room with fucking Leo Vega, Sofi didn’t regret any of her spending. She’d told herself that she was going to live her best life in Paris and she’d done that. Besides, it wasn’t like she wouldn’t be able to build up her savings again even if she did quit her job. She just needed some time to figure out her next steps and put them in motion. As soon as she did, she could move out. She wouldn’t have a lease tying her to the place. “If I move in, it will be short-term,” she heard herself say. At the smiles of everyone around her, especially the smug one on Leo’s face, she felt the need to clarify. “Very very short-term. As in I will still be looking at other options.”

“Sure. That makes sense,” Papo said as if he still owned the building or had any say. “No one is going to hold you hostage. And it’s not like we’re expecting the two of you to get married or anything.” He started laughing as if he’d just made the funniest joke in the world and soon enough Kamilah, Liam, Valeria, and even Liam’s friend were laughing. The only two not busting a gut were Leo and Abuela Fina, but something about the looks on their faces made Sofi gulp.

She just knew this was going to bite her in her nonexistent ass, but she honestly didn’t know what other options she had. “I’ll think about it,” she said even though she knew she’d soon find herself under the same roof as Leo.