Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
Blue
E veryone’s here, they’re all on time, now let’s just hope things stay civil.
As soon as I lower a pan of lasagna to the middle of the table, I volley a gaze between Sterling, Tiffany, and Lexi. Out of everyone present, their trio is honestly my only concern. Not even the lighthearted banter circulating around mine and West’s patio table has me convinced we’re not a breath away from catastrophe.
Lex looks tense, but Joss and Jules are seated at either side of her, keeping her sane, I imagine. Meanwhile, Tiffany hasn’t left Sterling’s side yet tonight, and I’ve noticed her becoming increasingly attached to him, a sign of her insecurities bleeding through.
Attempting to stay calm, I drop down into my seat between West and Hunter, feeling incredibly content to have nearly everyone I love gathered in one place—West, Ricky and Dez, Dane and Joss, Sterling, Lexi, Jules, my siblings.
What more could a girl ask for?
We’re eating by candlelight underneath the stars, and soft music hums in the background, creating a chill atmosphere that will hopefully keep tempers from flaring. The more I think about it, Hunter was right to not want our father here. God knows I can’t afford to focus on keeping two explosions at bay tonight.
Beneath the table, West places a hand on my thigh as dishes are passed and plates are filled. Despite the tension, this feels right.
“Speaking of changes,” Scar says, breaking up a conversation about politics that threatened to dampen everyone’s mood. “Blue, you meet with the contractor in the morning, don’t you?”
Smiling at her smooth segue, I nod. “I do. We’re doing a walkthrough, so he can get a better feel for what I envision. You should come, too.”
Her eyes beam, and I love that she genuinely enjoys being involved in things that are important to me.
“I’d love that. I’ll meet you there.”
I nod at her. “Good.”
“What’s the timeline for completion looking like?” Jules wants to know.
“Could be anywhere from six to eighteen months from what I understand, but after tomorrow, I should have a clearer idea.”
“Well, the sooner the better,” she says. “Things seem to be getting worse in the neighborhood. The kids are bored, lacking resources, and that leads to more petty crimes being committed. Just last month, my dad scared off a small group of teenage boys circling his car. He’s pretty sure they would’ve broken into it if he hadn’t intervened.”
Hearing this makes my mission feel more urgent. No, I can’t save everyone, but if I can do my small part, like Ricky has done in recent years, then it’s better than nothing.
“That’s not good,” Joss chimes in. “I get wanting to protect his property, but imagine if they’d pulled a gun on him.”
Jules lowers her gaze. “Trust me, that was my first thought, too.”
There’s a lull in conversation as we all seem to be thinking the same thing. That the south side of Cypress Pointe needs all the help it can get.
“Well, hearing this, I’ll see to it that the building has added security,” West says. “Including while it’s under construction. The last thing we need is vandals breaking in overnight, stealing tools, materials, copper piping. It’s sad that we have to think like this, but it’s better to be overly prepared than to think we’re invincible and get caught off guard.”
“Agreed,” Ricky chimes in. “I can even put my cousin’s company on the job if you’re interested. He’s got a really good team of guys, super reliable.”
West nods at the offer. “Perfect. Thanks, man.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Joss reaches for a bread stick, and the movement draws my gaze that way, stopping on Jules. She’s been quiet tonight, mostly because she’s barely taken her eyes off her phone. If it were just the two of us, I would’ve already asked what gives, but that’s probably not a good idea in front of everyone. So, I suppose I’ll mind my business.
For now.
“Oh, check this out,” Sterling pipes up, and everyone’s attention shifts toward him.
He takes a moment to pull something up on his phone, then turns the screen. It’s a pic he took of a very colorful, surprisingly detailed drawing.
“Jax did this,” he shares. “It’s actually all he draws these days. He stayed over this past weekend, and I swear the kid was spitting these things out like a copy machine.”
There’s this look of pride in his eyes that I don’t miss, and it warms my heart. It’s amazing what a good dad he’s become, despite issues with his own father. It’s all the proof I need—if I needed it—that West can one day be just as loving toward our children.
Sadness attempts to creep in, but I’m able to shove the feeling aside when Sterling’s phone gets passed around the table for everyone to see.
Hunter squints when it gets to him. “Does that say Goose at the top?” he asks, drawing a quiet laugh out of Sterling.
“Yeah, that’s what he kept calling it. I told him over and over that it’s a dog, but he insisted it’s a goose, so I wrote it in for him.”
The corner of Hunter’s mouth tugs up with a grin. “Nice.”
The phone gets passed to Joss next, and Lexi leans in for a better look. There’s this uncomfortable expression on her face as she rubs the side of her neck. Almost like there’s something she wants to say, but maybe she isn’t sure she should say it.
“Actually… I think I may know why he’s calling it a goose,” she says. “That’s the name of Matt’s chocolate lab. Jax is obsessed with him, and it looks like he’s now resorted to drawing him, so…”
She smiles, but it’s an awkward expression as realization settles in with not just Sterling, but everyone. We all have our suspicions about the nature of her relationship with Matt, but she insists it’s purely plutonic. Well, on her end, anyway. She can feed us that line as much as she wants to about Matt, but none of us are buying that he isn’t in love with her. Even if she doesn’t see it herself.
The phone makes it back into Sterling’s possession, and it’s clear the light has gone out of his eyes. Whether due to the fact that this is yet another reminder of Jaxon’s closeness to Matt, or… perhaps because it’s an indicator of Lexi’s closeness to Matt. Who knows, though, because Sterling would never admit to that if it were true.
“So, speaking of pictures,” Joss chimes in. “Tiffany… I saw you posted a pic the other day. Looked like you and April had lunch at The Vine. How was that?”
Joss sips from her glass, leveling some intense eye contact Tiffany’s way. Tiffany seems to notice the awkward energy and shifts in her seat.
“It was nice,” she says, forcing a smile. “She called, I didn’t have anything going on, so she invited me out. Her treat.”
Joss smiles, too, but it never reaches her eyes. “Sounds fun.”
I swallow deeply, wanting to talk about something else.
Anything else.
“Scar,” I blurt out, cringing at the odd tone of my voice. “How are things going now that you’re interning with Joss? Anything interesting going on there?”
Please, God, let there be something interesting going on there. For all our sakes.
I take a huge gulp of water while Scar answers.
“It’s going great! Haven’t landed any eight-figure deals yet, but the boss says I’m well on my way,” she teases, and I don’t miss the look of admiration that flashes in her eyes when she glances toward Joss.
“She’s doing awesome,” Joss states, and it’s clear that the enjoyment goes both ways. “It’s only been a month, but she’s a natural. If she likes it well enough, I’ve already told her she might want to consider sticking with me. With plans to expand into other industries, I’d like to build a solid team and, who knows, maybe she can dip her toes into doing PR for the entertainment industry. Music maybe.”
Scar lights up, hearing Joss’s praise, and the diversion I prayed for seems to have arrived.
“I’d love to,” Scar chimes in again. “My dad’s going to have to fend for himself more, though. He’s gotten spoiled by me doing most of the cooking. Then again, I suppose Hannah can handle that part.”
We were doing so well, but just like that, my mood’s gone south. I haven’t met the woman, but my father’s world seems to be revolving around her now. Not that that’s an issue, but he’s notorious for going to a dark place when his relationships become challenging. Like with Mom. And I’m not sure my siblings and I can handle him putting us through that again.
As a matter of fact, I know we couldn’t. Nor should we have to.
“Well, let’s just hope Hannah sticks around,” I say with a sigh, downing the last of my water right after.
“I don’t know. I think you’d like her,” Scar says. “She’s been good for Dad.”
“I’m sure she is. Until she isn’t.”
Hunter frowns in confusion following my grumbled words. “Who the hell is Hannah?”
“Dad’s girlfriend,” Scar says, but I don’t miss the air of hesitation in her voice.
At first Hunter just stares at her, but when he scoffs, I’m thinking this isn’t a scab we should’ve picked at tonight.
“Of-fucking-course. The last thing that man needs is another relationship to manage. Romantic or otherwise,” he adds. “God only knows he’s doing a bang-up job with the three of us.”
The table goes silent, and the tension I thought we’d just avoided is alive and well again.
“You three don’t… want your dad to get involved with anyone?” Joss asks, and it’s an innocent question.
“It’s not really that. I’d love for him to settle down and be happy one day, but… I just don’t know if he’s stable enough for that yet,” I explain. “I mean, rehab got him back on his feet, but I’m not sure one blow to the heart couldn’t take him right back to square one.”
“Yeah, but isn’t that something he’ll have to manage on his own?”
I glance toward West when he speaks, surprised that he’d ask something like that.
“I get why it might seem that simple, but honestly, if my father falls off the wagon again, even after walking a straight path for several years now, there’s no promise he’ll ever get back on.”
There’s this somber look in West’s eyes that implies he understands, but I reserve judgment when he speaks again.
“That’s a terrifying thought,” he agrees, “but… I don’t think any of us can expect him to be alone for the rest of his life, simply because we’re afraid of what might happen if things don’t go his way. Wouldn’t it be more productive to, I don’t know, bring these concerns to his attention? So he can just be conscious of it? So he’s aware of your fears of being let down if he slips up?”
My heart’s racing, and I can’t put my finger on why West’s words are so triggering to me, but I think it’s because I believed that out of everyone, he got it. Only, now I’m starting to think he feels I’ve been overreacting about the situation with Hannah.
And I’m not really sure what to say to that.
“I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree,” is my conclusion, and I go completely silent after that, so deep in my own thoughts I’m not sure what the new topic of conversation is when it switches.
It takes me a moment to bounce back, but I shove my feelings down as far as I can, and I manage to smile, listening to Dez sharing a knock-knock joke Gabbi told her last week. Pretty soon, it’s almost like the weirdness between West and I never happened.
Almost.
By the time we finish, there are only scraps leftover from our meal, and I’m certain the guys will take care of them before the night is over.
“Oh, Babe! Give them their bags,” Joss says, nudging Dane.
It only takes half a second for him to remember what she’s talking about and make his way back inside the house. I’d noticed two gift bags in his hands when they got here, but then forgot about them because I had to get the lasagna out of the oven.
A curious smile curves West’s lips as his brother approaches, handing one bag to him, and the other to Sterling. They both reach in at the same time, and that smile grows times ten.
“This always feels like Christmas morning,” West teases, and I now see what had his face lighting up so big.
A video game.
An official NFL video game that the players always get far earlier than the general public.
“They shipped to the office yesterday,” Joss says, grinning as the guys scan the cases.
This year’s edition is special to the brothers. Following West’s miraculous comeback after surgery, his team in Sacramento finished with a record of eleven to five, helping them reach the NFC Championship. Fresh out of recovery, West managed to throw for 4,327 yards, and twenty-eight touchdowns that season, which made him a shew-in for the title Comeback player of the Year.
And it also earned him the cover of this year’s game.
Observing the swell of pride that fills his eyes as he studies the image makes my previous annoyance with him fade a bit. He earned every bit of this.
I toss an arm around his neck, then kiss his cheek. “I’m so proud of you. You have no idea.”
He meets my gaze, placing a kiss on my lips. “This isn’t just me,” he says. “It’s us. No way I would’ve made it through the injury, through surgery, then back to the football field without you.”
This time when our lips meet, we linger in the kiss long enough that we’ve earned a sigh from my brother that has me smiling. But I still don’t pull away. He can sit uncomfortably for a few more seconds.
“All right, you two, save something for later,” Scar says, singing a quiet, “Thank you,” as we separate.
“We’ve gotta test this shit out,” Dane says, still eyeing the cover of the game. “And I volunteer West’s mancave as the location.”
“I second that,” Sterling chimes in.
West laughs, already nodding in agreement. “We’ll demo it this weekend, then. Ricky, Hunter, bring your asses, too. And… I might even invite a few guys from the team.”
I arch a brow, surprised he’d even consider it, but I think it’s a great idea.
“Cool. Then, us girls can have a party of our own up here,” Joss says. “It’ll consist of takeout and sparkling cider.”
Dez raises her hand. “I’ll bring sushi to snack on before the food comes.”
“It’s a date,” Jules says.
I’m smiling from ear to ear, always excited about another opportunity to hang with the girls, but then my gaze slides toward Lexi when she sighs.
“Unfortunately, I can’t make this one. I’ve got labs pretty much all weekend, but I’ll catch you ladies next time.”
There’s this look on her face that’s hard to read.
“I’ll bring the sparkling cider,” Tiffany chimes in, and I can’t help but wonder if she only now decided she’ll attend, hearing that Lexi won’t be available.
My guess is I’m not the only one thinking it as that look on Lexi’s face hardens. My gut says it’s time to create a diversion, so I stand from my seat, grabbing mine and West’s plates and glasses as a cover.
“I’m gonna get a jump on the dishes. Mind helping me, Lex?”
“Of course,” she says, standing to her feet the next second.
Her face lights up, and I’ve never seen someone more excited to do a chore. I can’t say for sure what she’s thinking, but one thing’s for sure.
She could definitely use an escape.