Oscar has never tried to fit in and has never wanted to, but when his party friend, Max, is revealed to be mafia prince, Marcus Gallagher, suddenly being a 'lone wolf' is no longer an option; not if Oscar wants to woo his prince and get out alive!
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A few things had started to become very clear to Oscar, over the course of a week living at the Gallagher residence. First, it confirmed what he'd already suspected, which was that Max wasn't there a lot. Dinner came and everyone was at the table, including Oscar, but Max and his father were regularly absent. After Tuesday, Oscar started skipping dinner as well. He felt more like he was intruding on the mother-daughter conversations while waiting for someone who wasn't coming.
It wasn't like Max was trying to ghost him, not on purpose. He sent him texts and called when he could, but he'd never say where he was or what he was doing. Always leaving Oscar at arm's length when it came to details.
The second thing that the punk had learned was that Elise was just as bored and lonely as he was. As strange as it was, living with Max had brought him closer to his lover's sister than anyone else.
During the day, they tore through the city, Oscar showing her the secret gems hidden on the west end, and her showing him the upper-class world, all on her monthly allowance. When the funds ran low at the end of the day, or when they'd had enough of riding around on his bike, they'd find someplace quiet and just talk. It was bittersweet, because while he loved hearing about Max as a kid, he wished Max was the one there beside him at sundown, sharing a beer and setting off firecrackers.
"He'll be around more on the weekend," Elise assured him as they sat on the back deck, watching the last firework he'd set off sparkle into nothing in the sunset.
"Yeah... Guess it was different when we both were doing our own thing..." he thought aloud as he tilted back the beer bottle and finished its contents.
She reached over and gave his knee a light squeeze, offering what was meant to be a comforting smile, but even she couldn't hide the sadness in it. "I'm sorry, Oz... He and Da must just be extra busy. They aren't usually this absent. I promise," Elise added, as her hand slipped back to rest in her own lap.
"Huh? Oh, shit, did I look sad? I'm fine!" Oscar laughed while tossing the empty bottle into the fire pit next to the pool. "I mean...if I was upset about it, I could just show him what a bad idea it is to leave me unattended."
Elise's face brightened as soon as Oscar laughed. "Do I dare ask how you'd manage that?" she wondered, leaning back against the arm of the outdoor sofa. For just a split second her gaze had dropped from his eyes, to his lips, and then his bare torso, before she was able to direct it back to the last brilliant colors the setting sun had stained the sky with.
Oscar was about to say he could find a pretty girl to fool around with, but it felt less like a joke and more like an advance.
Honestly, just looking at her there, lounging on the sofa next to the pool in her cute bikini, was enough to make his mind wander, and he was sure he couldn't just go pick up a girl at the club half as cute. At the same time, it felt wrong... Like he would be using their friendship the same way the Italians, or Vick used people, and that wasn't him.
