20. Anastasia
Chapter 20
Anastasia
The words stall in my throat as my brain catches up with my mouth and I realize we’re not alone.
Damon, Matthias, and Xander are all standing, their backs rigid and muscles tight as if they’re primed to take on whatever danger’s coming through the door. There’s a cool calculation that settles over us and chills me through my bones. I would not want to be the one who tries to attack these guys.
Bash is the only Everette brother still sitting. He’s lounging in a club chair, a brow raised and a smile on his face telling me he knew exactly what he was doing. The expression is ruined when two tiny, adorable baby hands squish his cheeks together. If I had to guess, I’d say around a year and a half. The baby giggles, spit going everywhere, some landing on Bash’s face. He pauses for a second, and I can feel myself stiffen, but that’s lost when he lowers and blows a raspberry on the child’s neck and the room erupts with laughter.
The three other Everette brothers relax, looking at me, then back to Bash.
Damon sighs, looking defeated. “What did you do?”
Bash blinks up at his brother in a mockery of innocence. “Me? I didn’t do anything.”
I choke on a laugh and point at him. “Oh yeah? You removed all of my things from my house. Where’s my freaking couch, Sebastian.”
“Oooh, yeah, I did do that.” He doesn’t apologize, and it’s for the best because he doesn’t look sorry at all.
I force my jaw to unclench and count to ten twice in my head before I can begin to come up with something to say. This arrogant bastard… I narrow my eyes at him as my muscles tense again. The only thing keeping me in place are the daydreams of all the ways I’ll pay him back for this later.
Bash stands up, settling the baby on his hip and smiling. “You made it! I was wondering if you’d come.”
Made it? “What? You…you did this on purpose ?” I stutter as I come up with every vile name I can call him.
Bash’s brilliant smile takes up his face. “Of course. I wanted my family to meet my girlfriend.”
I freeze, mouth falling open, then clamping shut. Dammit. I forgot about our deal. I can’t just lose it on him here. Not with so many people around. People. Oh my God. How did I forget about everyone else? My eyes widen as I take a second to look around the room. I recognize Scarlet and Misty Everette, who are surrounded by little faces looking right at me.
“Everyone, this is Stasia. She’s moving in with me.” Bash says it so casually, like it was the only possible next step. Like it’s been decided and written in stone, and any other option is foolish.
No, the hell I’m not , I scream internally. The audacity . I may not be able to call him out now, but he’s going to regret this later.
The room is heavy with silence as the entire Everette family looks between us, and then it erupts into chaos. Each member speaks over the next. The kids play into the energy and start running around, chasing each other until the place reaches a peak level of noise.
Xander’s the only one not saying anything. Instead, he’s looking at his brother with one raised eyebrow. He doesn’t look mad so much as peeved that he didn’t know.
“Alright, alright. Settle down,” Scarlet says, and they go quiet. She holds herself and leaves no room for argument. She reaches out a delicate hand to me. “Now that you’re here, come hang out with us.”
Misty and Scarlet share a look when I don’t immediately take it, and each grasps one of my hands, pulling me deeper into the house, not letting me go until I’ve fully entered the living room.
Once my shock runs out, I default to years of etiquette. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude.”
I’ve known Scarlet most of my life. Not that we’ve ever been close. My brother and I would only go to events if they were absolutely necessary. Neither of us wanted to spend more time pretending in front of everyone that everything was fine than we had to.
Misty joined the Order of Saints circle several years ago, and each time we’ve met, she’s been a little ball of sunshine. She squeezes my hand, and some of her warmth seeps into me, and my shoulders relax.
She leans in close. “By the look of it, Bash set you up.”
Scarlet laughs. It’s friendly, like she’s welcoming me to laugh with her. “Everette brothers definitely have an odd way of flirting.”
I tuck my chin in and shake my head before I can think better of it. “Oh, it’s not like that.”
Since Bash didn’t tell me this was happening, I didn’t have a chance to prepare anything to say. “Um…I mean… We’re just getting started.”
Bash snorts and has to apologize to the startled baby.
“Come on, kids. Come make your introductions,” Misty calls out to them. Her voice is light and singsong-like.
One of the girls groans from where she’s seated on the ground, coloring. “Do we have to?”
I hold my hands up. “It’s really okay. That’s not necessary.”
Damon steps up to us, and Misty lets go of my hand as he pulls her into his side. “I once told your mother she doesn’t have to do anything she doesn’t want to do. But you two have to do whatever she asks.”
“Come on. Looks like Bash got you chicken fingers and fries, so let’s hurry up and get this over with,” Xander says, and surprisingly, all the kids do as he says.
Matthias joins us, and I do my best not to shrink away now that I’m surrounded. Do they not know how intimidating they are?
“I’m Olivia. I’m five years old, and my favorite color is blue.” The little girl looks up at Scarlet, her brown eyes wide waiting for approval.
“Great job, Livy.” It’s Matthias who responds, settling his enormous hand over her head and ruffling it.
She squeals and squirms away, hollering something about how he messed up her clips.
Not to be outdone, a boy with golden hair and honey eyes stares up at her. “I’m Tucker. Four years old, and when I grow up, I want to wash cars.”
I swallow my laugh. “Sounds very honorable.”
“Last week, you wanted to milk cows.” A second girl comes up. She has springy, curly hair and is missing several teeth. “I’m Finley, five, and Olivia’s my cousin but also my best friend.”
Misty smiles at her and gives her the nod that lets her follow after her cousin.
There’s a shock of blond visible from where a boy peeks out from around Damon’s thick leg.
Misty drops down to her haunches and smiles encouragingly. “It’s okay. Just like we practiced.”
“Yeah, Wyon. Just like we practiced,” Tucker adds from beside me.
Gray eyes, round like an owl, meet mine as the small boy steps out from behind his father.
There’s a slight flush to his cheeks, but he pushes through, saying, “Orion Everette. Age three,” before chasing after Tucker.
I’m so caught up in the introductions that I don’t realize Bash is right in front of me.
“This little ray of sunshine is Eve. Say hi, Evy.” Bash holds her tiny hand in his huge one and gives me a little wave.
I wave back, and she smiles at my smile. A feeling of satisfaction courses through me from her response.
I’m still waving when Bash leans over to kiss me. I jerk my chin to the side, and his lips land on my cheek with a low chuckle.
I glare at him with the force of a thousand exploding suns and whisper, “You are dead.”
Bash’s lips brush my ear, speaking low enough so only I can hear. “Killing me wouldn’t be very girlfriend-like, now would it.”
There’s a buzz tingling under my skin, and I turn from him to collect myself. Our deal is the best chance I have to get the tiara within the month timeframe. No matter how I look at it, in order to accomplish it, I need Bash’s help. Which means I have to hold up my end and convince everyone here that we are, in fact, dating. Although, they may not be surprised his girlfriend wants to kill him. If he’s anything with them like he is with me, I’m sure they’ve felt the same occasionally.
I need to get a grip on myself and plaster on a smile. His home provides the perfect distraction to help me calm down. Unsurprisingly, the place is a nice multistory brownstone located in the middle of the city. Windows take up the entirety of the far wall, and the setting sun casts the entire space in a warm glow. The open-concept floor plan is common for these renovated spaces, so I’m not surprised to see the living room is open to the kitchen.
On closer glance, there are weird clips located on each cupboard, the kind that keeps children out. I scan the rest of the house, noticing the safety wall plugs and plastic rings that go over the doorknobs so only adults can open them. The coffee table has been taken over by crayons and coloring books, the older children giggling as they work.
There’s a thud in my chest when my attention lands on the playpen and the mat beside it. I swallow hard as I process everything around me.
Wait… Does Bash have a kid? I give him a sidelong glance without shifting my head. The adorable baby, Eve, is tucked under his chin. It would be fine if he did have a kid. It’s not like we’re dating. Actually, even if we were dating, it would be fine. But why didn’t he tell me before? Wouldn’t that be something a girlfriend should know? Actually. My heart begins to beat harder as I think it through. What kind of dick move is it to hide your kid from your girlfriend. Seriously though, he definitely should have told me. Right?
Bash moves closer, scanning my face. “What’s going through your mind right now, Princess? From how red you’re getting, I think there may have been a misunderstanding.”
Olivia comes up, cutting off my response, and Bash rubs her head, causing her to giggle and try to get away.
“Uncle Bash’s house is the best. He always has the best stuff,” she whispers to me, but it’s loud. She tugs on his shirt until he leans closer. “Did you get ice cream?”
Bash laughs and looks conspiratorially at Olivia, then at me. “Double chocolate.”
Olivia gives us a toothy smile. “See, the best!”
I drum my fingers on my hips. The more I think of it, the more I’m sure these are his nieces and nephews. “Do they come here often?”
“As much as they want. They bounce around between our houses, but it’s nice to give their parents a night off.” Bash’s fingers cup the nape of my neck, his thumb stroking back and forth. This time, his annoying ability to read me comes in handy, curing my suspicions without me having to ask. “Scarlet and Matthias hired a nanny when Eve was born, but it’s not the same as when family watches them. It’s like a tornado when all the kids are here at once. They definitely know how to keep me on my toes, but I love seeing how close they are. Reminds me of me and my brothers.”
“And that’s why you have all this stuff?” I ask, gesturing to the playpen.
He shrugs and adjusts Eve in his arms. “Made more sense than packing and moving everything all the time.”
I nod, taking all the information in and ignoring how the tightrope unravels in my chest.
“Were you nervous, Anastasia?” Bash’s lips graze my ear, sending tingles down my spine. Heat coils beneath my navel, traveling lower until there’s an ache between my thighs. I’m not going to last if he keeps doing that. I’m going to lose my mind.
“Of course not.” I clear my throat, trying to step away, but he wraps his arm around my waist, holding me to him.