Chapter 7 Archangel
SEVEN
ARCHANGEL
“Please be good,” I say as we pull up to the valet.
“What does that even mean?” Wolfe asks, and he’s got a point.
“I don’t know. Don’t cause a problem on purpose?”
“Are you asking me?” he counters, and I’m regretting every choice I’ve ever made, but we don’t have time to discuss further because we’re led back to the private room. “You allowed me to come, this is on you.”
He’s right, and I have regrets.
Wolfe turns every head as we walk. Not only is he a giant, but he’s also heavily tattooed, which isn’t common here.
He wears the sleeves of his button-down rolled up, along with the first two buttons of the shirt undone, revealing some of his dark chest hair and a glimpse of his collarbone tattoos.
It should be illegal for him to be this sexy, and everyone in the restaurant is taking notice.
I should enjoy it for the time being, but I can’t. It’s only a matter of time before he finds a woman to be with. Maybe sticking it to my sister will give him enough closure to finally move on.
The table is packed, and I realize this isn’t just my immediate family. It’s my grandfather, a few aunts, their husbands, and my cousins.
I check my watch. We’re early.
Did they tell everyone else an earlier time?
We take the last two seats at the table, and one by one, everyone goes silent, as they notice us, leaving my sister as the last. She turns, putting on a fake smile until she realizes who’s next to me.
“Hi, Steph,” Wolfe says way too loud for the stone-cold environment.
“What are you doing…” Steph seems to be short-circuiting. “Did your boyfriend bail, Wilder?” she finally says smugly.
“Nope,” I say, popping the p, refusing to elaborate.
No one says a word. They are used to Wolfe coming to everything with me, but I’m sure they think my bringing him is a social faux pas, considering he’s Steph’s ex. But does anyone have the guts to ask?
The waiter must sense the awkwardness because he appears and takes our drink order, including second drinks for my mother and father.
Finally, when the waiter leaves, my mother speaks. “It’s nice to see you, Atticus.” She uses Wolfe’s first name and he cringes. “But I thought you were bringing your boyfriend, Wilder?”
Before I can answer, Wolfe jumps in: “He did.”
My family exchanges looks, and I can tell some of them are beginning to put it together.
“Well, where is he?” Mother asks, turning dramatically to look around. “We don’t have enough seats because you told us…” She trails off as Wolfe grabs my hand, ruining all the plans I had to go bury myself in the yard.
He lifts our joined hands above the table. “Things just have a way of working out, don’t they?”
A few people cough into their napkins.
My mother is a stoic Southern socialite, so she doesn’t blanch. “Lovely.”
Mark, to his credit, gets up and holds his hand out. “I’m Mark. It’s so wonderful to meet you both...” He trails off as he narrows his eyes, realization dawning in his expression. “You play for the Gods as well…”
“I do.” Wolfe stands, dwarfing him and taking his hand. “Thank you for inviting us. It’s such a great time to get to know each other, isn’t it?”
“What do you mean?” Mark looks at my sister.
She seems just as confused. I shrug because I never know what Wolfe is up to.
“We gonna end up as teammates or something? You got inside info on the draft?” Mark asks with a nervous laugh.
“Oh, no.” Wolfe gives him a roguish smile. “I mean because I’m her first and you’re her last.” He delivers the line so perfectly, it takes Mark a full thirty seconds to process it.
At this point, I just pray for my drink to come faster.
“You…you two…” Mark looks at my sister. “What?”
It’s fucking hard to tell if he’s being genuine or an ass, so he can’t even be called out for it.
“But life really works out for the best. I’m so happy for you two. You really deserve each other.” Wolfe winks and brings our joined hands up to brush his lips over my fingers.
My entire body ignites, and I go pink.
Great. This might as well be my funeral.
Mark sputters, but Wolfe retakes his seat and turns to greet my grandfather, Walt.
I shake Mark’s hand, not saying a word, praying for my drink to come soon.
He’s still processing, so I retake my seat. My sister glares across the table and I pretend to ignore her while listening to Grandfather and Wolfe’s exchange.
“Look at you, handsome as ever, Atticus. Are you really dating my grandson?” Walt says like there could possibly already be gossip.
“I am.” Wolfe beams like an actual proud boyfriend, and I’m starting to think he should go into acting, not hockey, because this is an Oscar-worthy performance. “Not too long since we made it official, but when you know, you know, I guess.”
I’m like an awkward NPC, not sure where to put my hands, or even what to say to my own family.
“Excellent. You two are such a better match.” Walt smirks with his words.
I feel my sister seething, but still refuse to look at her.
Wolfe, while talking to Walt, grabs my chair as if it’s the most natural move in the world and pulls it closer to his, and then slips his arm around me.
A shiver runs down my spine.
I am so done for.
This is a prison, and I made it for myself.
“How long have you two been dating?” my mother asks during a lull in Wolfe’s conversation with Walt. “Wilder didn’t tell us he was seeing anyone until last week.”
“Only a couple of months. But we’re serious.”
“Are you?” Mother shockingly lets a little sarcasm slip into her tone.
Wolfe narrows his eyes but then grins. “I thought I’d keep it in the family since we are all so close.”
My mother nearly spits out her drink and starts coughing, way less politely this time.
I barely recover from my shock at my mother’s break in character to elbow Wolfe. “Please don’t kill anyone.”
He leans over, putting his lips next to my ear. “What?”
“You know what,” I mutter, trying to keep a smile on my face.
“You told me to play the part. Would you like me to stop?” His warm breath fans down my neck, making me half hard.
I gulp. “No.”
Thank fuck I’m sitting down with my lap hidden under the table.
He rubs my shoulder. “That’s what I thought.”
I turn to stare, pretty sure I’m hearing things. Did he just do a Dom voice? “Are you kidding?”
“If I tell you to take it, you’re going to be a good boy and take it,” he says with a wink, but my body reacts like he’s serious.
I hate him and myself a little.
“And if I don’t?” I ask, not allowing myself to just give in to his antics.
He just smiles.
“Well, it’s wonderful to have you.” Mother seems to have recovered.
“I couldn’t be happier.”
“I need to use the restroom.” Steph stands and looks directly at me. “Wilder, will you come with me?”
I move to stand, and Wolfe tightens his grip on my hand. “It’s fine,” I whisper. “I’ll have to talk to her at some point.”
Reluctantly, Wolfe releases me, and I follow my sister to the bathroom.
I stop in the hall, but Steph opens the door and gestures for me to go inside. I roll my eyes but do.
She checks the stalls, then turns on me. “What the fuck is this?”
“Huh?” I decide to play dumb in the moment.
“You know what.”
“I’m not allowed to be happy?” I ask, not sure what she wants to get out of this.
“You really want my sloppy seconds?” Her words hit me in the chest.
“I’m not interested in you or any of the other puck bunnies he fucked.”
“You know I wasn’t a puck bunny.”
I lift my brows and stare at her.
“With Atticus I wasn’t.”
“And what about with Mark?” I don’t give a shit what she did, but I won’t let her lay a claim on him because of a high school relationship. If she wants to play that way, I’ll throw it back in her face.
“It doesn’t matter how it started.”
“And his history doesn’t matter to me. I love him.” I can’t give her an inch, or she’ll take a mile.
“You really do love him, don’t you?”
I cross my arms.
She laughs and shakes her head. “Good luck.”
“What?” I shouldn’t take her bait, but I’m an idiot.
“He’s straight.”
I lift a shoulder. “Ask him about that.”
“He’s going into the NHL in less than a year. He’s going to have millions of people trying to suck his dick. You sure enough about his sexuality to trust there won’t be a girl?”
“I’m not worried about it. He’s my best friend.”
But I knew she was right. Why the fuck had I done this?
He’ll be able to move on, get married, and have a normal life, but for the rest of my life, my sister will hold this over my head.