21. Anastasia
Chapter 21
Anastasia
Before I know it, dinner’s been served, and I’m sitting next to Bash. The table looks custom-made to fit so many people. Misty is on my right, her two kids sandwiched between her and Damon, and Scarlet and Matthias take up the other side. Eve is in her mother’s arms, and Olivia and Tucker next.
Bash fills a plate, taking his time to choose each item carefully before passing it to me. I go to protest, but Bash gestures with his chin, and I notice Damon and Matthias doing the same for their wives. Xander is at the end of the table, polishing off a beer while he watches me. I take the plate from Bash, plastering on my best fake smile.
Xander gives me a knowing grin and shakes his head like he doesn’t know what to do with us. Clearly, it’ll take more to convince him. Maybe Bash should just tell him. They’re close enough he’ll keep it a secret, right? Just so long as he leaves out the bit about me stealing the tiara from the Order.
Bash’s thigh presses against mine, his heat seeping through my pants. He kisses my temple, lingering for a second too long. I can feel his lips curve against my skin as if he knows exactly what he’s doing to me. Turns out I don’t need to act because my body’s reactions to him are all but pretend.
“Mom, Tucker stole my fry,” Olivia whines as she pushes her little brother.
“Nuh-uh. Olivia’s lying. I never.” Matthias catches Tucker easily, stopping him from hitting his sister with his tiny, clenched fists.
The two of them are at each other, and like a well-practiced dance, the parents move them around like they’re playing musical chairs until the boys are sitting together the same as the girls. The noise level drops significantly as they go back to eating their food.
None of the adults look fazed by any of this, instead easily talking amongst each other.
Whereas Olivia and Finley look like they’re plotting their younger brother’s downfalls.
Baby Eve is the best behaved out of all of them, sitting on Scarlet’s lap, munching on some kind of puff cracker.
Scarlet goes to get up. “Can you take her for a minute?”
Bash lifts his hands up, taking the baby easily like he’s done this a million times before. It’s strange seeing this other side of him. An almost domesticated version of the usually roguish Lord. It’s like seeing through a window I’m not supposed to. Somehow, all his playfulness has morphed from mischievous to cute. The way my heart skips and my cheeks heat serves as a warning that I can’t get too attached to him. This isn’t how he is with me.
I stand to shake off the fuzzy feeling growing in my stomach and start to stack empty plates. Matthias puts his hand on my shoulder, drawing my attention.
“I’ll get those. Women don’t do the dishes in the Everette family.”
Bash winks at me, already standing. “See, aren’t you happy you’re my girlfriend?”
There’s a shallow pain in my chest. Maybe if this wasn’t all a lie, I could be happy here, surrounded by so much love.
It’s a stark contrast to how I grew up.
The adults settle the kids, Bash laying Eve down in the playpen, where she plays with the multicolored mobile.
Damon switches on the TV and pulls Orion into his lap. It’s not long until the room’s quiet, and Misty’s ushering me to go sit in one of the four lounge chairs facing each other.
Scarlet hands me a glass of wine before taking the seat beside me. “It’s nice, isn’t it?”
“What is?”
“The way they all love each other,” she responds.
No one’s fighting, the girls and boys relaxed, watching TV with their fathers. It’s strange to see the Lords of the Order of Saints like this but somehow also feels right.
“Yeah, it is,” I reply simply.
Misty leans in and whispers, “So, how did you and Bash meet?”
I should’ve seen this coming. There’s no way they aren’t curious about Bash suddenly settling down. “Just kind of bumped into each other.”
I keep my answer short, not technically a lie. I’m just leaving out the fact we immediately went into a gambling room.
“I’m sure you two have run into each other before. What was different this time?” Scarlet asks and refills my glass I didn’t realize I’d emptied.
My mouth opens, then closes. It’s not like I can tell them it’s a part of a ruse since they’re the ones we’re supposed to be fooling. “It was just time, I guess.”
Neither of them pushes when I evade their question, giving them the minimum response possible.
Misty smirks. “You’ve got to give us something. How long have you two been seeing each other?”
“Not long. A weekish.” I shrug.
Both girls look at each other, then back at me. “But it must be serious. Bash has never brought anyone to meet us,” Scarlet says.
Thank God Misty jumps in because I have no idea how to respond.
“Plus, it’s almost an Everette brother tradition to basically imprint on the girl they love.”
“Imprint?” I parrot.
She nods. “Yeah, like they see you. Fall for you. Then never let you go.”
I suck in a breath. That’s not at all what’s happening.
Scarlet laughs. “It’s okay. It’ll grow on you.”
Orion comes running up, clinging onto Misty’s arm. “Mamma, the movie’s too scawy.”
She smiles down at him, swooping him into the air, and he responds by snuggling into her neck.
“I’m going to go sit with him. Looks like he’s getting tired,” Misty says to us. I can just make out her son’s reply.
“Am not.” His mouth opens in a giant yawn in stark contrast to his response.
“I need to use the restroom. Will you be okay on your own here?” Scarlet says, rising from her chair. An explosive sound comes from the TV and startles Eve awake. She screams at the top of her lungs, and Scarlet looks at me. “Never a free moment.”
She looks exhausted, but there’s a warmth in her eyes. Like she’s acknowledging how hard motherhood is while enjoying it.
“I can grab her.” I jump up before I can examine what I’m saying.
“You sure?” Scarlet cants her head, looks me over, then smiles. “Thank you. I won’t be long.”
I lift Eve into my arms, bouncing and settling her down.
I may not be used to babies, but I know how to wrangle five-year-old girls practicing ballet. How different can it be?
Little Eve wraps my hair in her fist before letting go, only to do it again. The motion soothes her until she quiets, looking up at me.
She has the same piercing blue eyes as her mother, which go perfectly with her father’s chestnut hair. She’s a perfect mix of them.
Warm, strong arms wrap around me from behind, tugging me into a hard chest. I don’t have to look back to know it’s Bash.
“Do you think our kids will have red hair?” he asks.
I ignore the thrill his words shoot through me and twist in his arms to respond.
Before I can say anything, Bash holds a finger to his mouth and shushes me, cutting off my words, and points to Eve, who’s asleep in my arms.
I tug him closer with my free hand and speak into his ear. “There is no our kids.”
He pulls back, a sadness in his eyes, and I ignore the ache beneath my ribs.
Reminding myself that none of this is real.