GOOD TROUBLE

3

CHAPTER THREE

I had always done everything I could to avoid making Grandpa angry, but as he loomed over us now, his gaze heavy and unyielding, I knew we were toast. All of us. And why? Because Anna just couldn’t stick to the rules-not even once.

Luca, the cause of this whole mess, sat across from us in the diner office, his expression impassive and his dark eyes scanning us with a coldness that made my skin crawl. He looked about someone in his early twenties, but there was something intense, almost dangerous, about him that made him seem older and a lot more intimidating than he should. The tension in the room was thick as Grandpa finally broke the silence, his voice low and steady.

“So, Anna was… being inappropriate with you?” Grandpa’s gaze locked onto Luca, the words biting and bitter.

“That’s what I said,” Luca replied coolly, crossing his arms. “Maybe they’re not fit to run a diner-have you thought of that possibility?” His eyes swept over us, critical and piercing.

I cleared my throat, forcing myself to speak up. “On behalf of my cousins and me, I deeply apologize for what happened,” I said, my voice steady even as my heart raced. Luca’s gaze shifted to me, sharp and scrutinizing, and I fought to keep my composure. “I’ll make sure this never happens again. Please… do come back to our diner.”

But Luca just smirked as he stood, his gaze flicking back to Grandpa with a look of disdain. “I really don’t think your grandchildren are fit to run this place,” he said, shrugging his coat over his shoulder with a quick, dismissive motion before turning on his heel and striding out.

As the door swung shut behind him, the silence was deafening. I muttered under my breath, frustration bubbling up. “I didn’t even do anything…”

Grandpa didn’t miss a beat. “Scott, let me remind you, once again: you three come as a unit. One of you messes up, I put it on all of you,” he snapped, his eyes drilling into Anna. “Just what the hell happened out there, Anna? We have standards. We have rules; rules that are meant to be followed!”

Anna rolled her eyes, crossing her arms and leaning back defiantly in her chair. “Hey, he was hot, okay? And besides, I was looking for a date to prom, and maybe even a date to the mayor’s wedding if I’m lucky enough!” She said it without a shred of remorse, and her smirk was almost triumphant. “I never asked to work here. You know what I wanted, Grandpa? A summer in California, sunbathing with my friends, not stuck in some rundown diner that we all know is going to fail eventually.”

The words hung in the air, sharp and bitter, stinging like salt on an open wound. Grandpa’s face hardened, his jaw clenched, his patience clearly wearing thin.

I looked between Anna and Grandpa, silently praying one of them would back down, but neither seemed even close. Anna had that stubborn glint in her eye, the one she got right before she did something impossible to undo, while Grandpa’s face was turning a shade redder by the second, his patience dangerously thin.

“Fine,” Grandpa snapped finally, his voice rough with frustration. “You still have three weeks of summer left, don’t you? Why don’t you join those so-called friends of yours in California?” He pointed toward the door, his voice heavy with irritation. “It’s not like you’re helping out here anyway.”

Anna’s eyes narrowed, and she didn’t hesitate for a second. She stood up, swiftly untying her apron and tossing it onto the counter. “I will,” she said, her voice defiant.

She marched out of the room, but just as quickly popped her head back in, her eyes locked on her twin brother. “Are you coming or what?” she challenged.

Tony looked around the room, his gaze lingering on Grandpa, then me. It was common knowledge that Tony rarely made decisions on his own; whatever Anna wanted; Tony followed. With a resigned sigh, he silently untied his apron, letting it fall onto his chair, then trailed after her without a word.

The door swung shut, leaving the room feeling emptier, the tension like a weight pressing down on us. Grandpa exhaled, rubbing his temples, and his voice softened into a murmur. “Those two… they’re driving me nuts, just like their father did when he was a teenager.”

I tried to reassure him, though part of me felt just as drained. “Don’t worry. I’ve got this. They were barely helping anyway,” I said, forcing a weak smile.

But even as I spoke, I felt the weight of their absence settle heavily on my shoulders. I knew Grandpa was depending on me to keep things together, and without Anna and Tony, I’d be doing double duty at the diner. This place wasn’t just Grandpa’s pride; it was his life. And no matter how stubborn Anna could be or how frustrating it was to keep Tony motivated, we all knew the stakes of keeping this diner afloat.

“No.” Grandpa straightened up, a surprising warmth in his eyes. “I looked over the numbers, and I think we can afford to hire some help. You should enjoy the rest of your summer, too. School’s going to reopen soon, and Zara will be off to college. Why don’t you take some time to make memories with her while you can?”

“But, Grandpa—” I began, not sure I could just walk away and leave the diner when things were already tense.

“Listen,” he said, placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “Zara’s your best friend, but she has no idea you’re crushing on her.” He gave me a gentle, knowing smile. “Don’t waste this chance while you still have it.”

The air felt thick with the weight of his words. For a few seconds, I couldn’t speak, staring at the floor as I tried to picture confessing my feelings to Zara. “But… what if she doesn’t feel the same way?”

Grandpa’s smile widened, a twinkle in his eyes. “Then it just means someone else out there will feel the same way you do. You know, I had to go through my fair share of rejections before I met your grandmother.” He chuckled, a fond nostalgia in his voice. “Sometimes, rejection is just the universe’s twisted way of bringing you closer to the right person.”

The silence settled between us, warm and comforting. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. “Thanks, Grandpa,” I said, smiling up at him.

“Go on, Scott,” he urged, giving my shoulder a squeeze. “Summer doesn’t last forever, and neither do chances like this. Go be with Zara. Let me handle the diner for a while.”

As I left, the thought of finally telling Zara how I felt filled me with equal parts excitement and nerves. But as Grandpa had reminded me, life didn’t wait. And maybe, just maybe, this was my time to see if friendship could turn into something more.