Chapter 23 Hazel
TWENTY-THREE
Hazel
Storm was an understatement. It was a freaking blizzard outside. Reid had to go ten under the speed limit as the wipers frantically worked overtime to keep the windshield clear.
His parents only lived about ten miles away, but we took a couple of back roads to avoid any cars sliding out on the main road. The drive was silent as I made sure not to say anything to distract Reid. It was the kind of storm where you could barely see a few feet in front of you.
When we finally pulled into his parents’ driveway, we let out sighs of relief.
“Made it. Thanks to these snow tires.”
“Seriously, that got bad fast.” I pulled my coat tight around me as we jumped out of the car, racing for his front porch.
Even in the apocalyptic snowstorm, I could see how idyllic this house was.
It had a front porch where I was sure a rocking chair or something sat in the summer months, and shutters bordering each window.
The whole place screamed cozy and inviting.
That vibe was amplified by about one hundred when Reid pulled open the door. Warmth and the smells of something delicious roasting in the oven wafted out to meet us.
“Reid, is that you?” A woman in her fifties with kind eyes walked down the hall and into the entryway. She wore a fuzzy sweater, and slippers poked out underneath her jeans. “Oh, and you finally brought Hazel.”
The way she said finally made me smile. As if I wasn’t some girl who had only been in her son’s life for a matter of weeks.
“Hi, Mrs. Mitchell. It’s so nice to meet you. Your house is beautiful.” I handed her the flowers that I had managed to keep mostly protected from the pelting snow outside.
“Aren’t you sweet,” she said, pulling me in for a quick hug before giving Reid a kiss on the cheek. “Come in. Let me get these into some water.”
I followed her through the short hallway. The doors to each room were propped open, and family pictures lined the halls. The floorboards creaked underneath the worn runner.
“This is where you grew up?” I asked Reid. It wasn’t a huge house, but it was homey to the max.
“Yep.”
“We’ve been here for thirty-five years, believe it or not. Bought the place right after we got married,” Mrs. Mitchell said.
The kitchen was right out of the nineties in the best possible way. Reid’s childhood home was so relaxed compared to the harsh white lines of his townhouse.
“Ah, is this Hazel?” An older man with a warm smile, who looked a bit more like Reid than Ruby, stepped into the kitchen and gave me an outstretched hand.
“Mr. Mitchell. Thank you for having me.” My smile was natural, not forced, as they welcomed me into their home.
“Nice of you to finally show. We’re starving.” A girl trailed behind Reid’s dad. She was tall, probably at least 5’9”, and looked a lot like Ruby.
“And this is Regan. My younger sister.”
“Hazel!” she exclaimed when she noticed me. “Yay, I’m so glad he brought you.”
She wrapped her arms around me, and any tension I’d been holding onto disappeared. Reid wasn’t kidding when he said his family was welcoming. This was way more than I had been expecting, and my guard fell away immediately.
“The roads are shit out there,” Reid said. “Took us twice as long to get here.”
Reid’s mom pursed her lips and looked out the window. It was nearly black outside, but we could still see the outlines of trees getting whipped around in the storm.
“It’s a lot worse than they said it was going to be,” she said. “We’ve already got a few inches that are sticking, and with the freezing temperatures tonight, some of that will surely ice over.”
“Where are Ruby and West?” Reid asked. I knew from talking to him that West was his best friend and always attended family dinners.
“They should have been here by now. I hope the roads didn’t give them trouble.” His mom’s tone held a hint of concern, but before she could dwell on it, a phone rang. They all reached for theirs, but it was Regan who held hers up.
“It’s Ruby,” she said, answering the call. “Hey, where are you?”
I could hear a muffled voice on the other end. Regan nodded. “Okay, I’ll tell them. Glad nothing worse happened. Stay inside and stay safe.”
“What happened?” Mr. Mitchell demanded, his face tight with concern.
“They skidded into a ditch in their neighborhood. West was able to push them out, but they turned around and went back to his house after. Said the roads were too bad, and they were sliding everywhere.”
“Thank goodness they’re okay.” Reid’s mom clutched her heart before her expression transformed into a quizzical one. “Wait. Why were they together?”
Regan shrugged. “I mean, they only live like two streets away from each other.”
“West probably offered to drive because of the storm, or something,” Reid said. There was something in his eyes that looked like he was calculating, though. “I keep telling them both to get snow tires,” he added.
“We can’t all be Mr. Responsible,” Regan said, with an exaggerated sigh that made me laugh.
She smirked and shot me a wink. Something told me Regan and I would get along just fine.
“Hazel, what can I get you to drink?” Mr. Mitchell asked.
“Oh, water is fine.”
“I hope you like lasagna.” Mrs. Mitchell pulled out a pan from the oven.
“It smells amazing.”
A small squeeze of my forearm. Reid stayed by my side, shooting me a smile when I looked up.
The scene was impossibly picturesque, like something straight out of a movie.
If I’d ever tried to imagine the perfect little family moment, this would be it.
Everyone was pitching in to get dinner on the table, someone setting out plates and silverware, their laughter echoing as they swapped stories from the week.
It made my chest tighten, thinking of Gran. Our dinners had never looked quite this perfect, not in the glossy, magazine-cover kind of way. But the love? The sentiment? That was always there.
Conversation flowed easily as we all gathered around the table. They made answering question after question about myself seem friendly instead of like an interrogation.
“How do you like the salon? I know Ruby is really happy you’re there.”
“What made you want to be a hairstylist?
“Where did you grow up?”
None of the questions were about the extortion situation, my Gran, or Vermont, for which I was immensely grateful. It was nice to feel normal and not like a spectacle. They treated me like a girl Reid brought home to meet the family, not like his current charity case.
Which wasn’t how I felt. Not really. But sometimes my intrusive thoughts got the better of me.
After we’d all had seconds—thirds if you were Reid—Regan started clearing the plates. I jumped up to help, but Reid’s mom put a firm hand on my shoulder. “Hazel, you’re a guest. You relax. Do you like mint chocolate chip cookies? I just baked some fresh.”
Ugh, they really were perfect. I stayed seated while his mom brought over a heaping plate of cookies. My stomach was near-bursting but they looked way too soft and delicious not to have at least two.
“You can see why dinners are only weekly.” Reid took one off the plate. “If we were here more often than that, I think my arteries would get blocked.”
His mom waved off the comment. “You need food that sticks to your bones. You eat enough healthy stuff.”
“Yeah, not everything needs to go into a macro tracker,” Regan added.
I settled into my seat. They had welcomed me with open arms, and I couldn’t be more grateful Reid had asked me to come tonight.
“Does your family get together often?” his mom asked me.
“Oh, uh, no, not really,” I started.
“Mom.” Reid glared at her.
“No, no, it’s alright,” I added hurriedly. “My gran was my only family, and she passed away last month.”
“I’m so sorry.” Reid’s mom reached out and grabbed my hand, giving it a squeeze. “Reid mentioned that, but I didn’t realize…Anyway, you’re welcome here anytime.”
“Thank you,” I said. The weight behind my eyes loomed, like I might cry at any moment, but it wasn’t so bad. Because this time it was a mixture of sadness and happiness.
“And we don’t have to talk about it, of course, but I hate what you’re going through right now. I hope you’re doing okay.”
“People absolutely suck,” Regan chimed in, shaking her head.
“We’re here if you need anything,” his dad said.
That was it. Now the tears were really in danger of spilling over.
“I appreciate that. Would you just excuse me one second. Where’s the bathroom?” I stood up, the chair squeaking across the tiled floor.
“Down the hall to the left.” Mr. Mitchell pointed behind him.
I rushed off down the hallway, rounded the corner, and enclosed myself in the tiny pink powder room. A few tears spilled out almost immediately and I tore off a piece of toilet paper to wipe them away.
A soft knock came at the door. I quickly blew my nose and wiped at my face. My eyes glistened and were a little red, but overall, I looked put together.
“Hazel? It’s me. Open up.” Reid’s concern shone through even with his voice muffled.
I unlocked the pocket door and slid it open. His eyes widened when they saw me, before he pulled his glasses off and squeezed the bridge of his nose in frustration. “Shit. Are you okay? I should have warned them not to say anything.”
“I’m fine,” I said.
“You were crying.”
“Barely,” I whispered, wiping the last stray tear away.
“Then that’s not okay,” he said.
“It is, though. Your family is so sweet. I shouldn’t have expected anything else, since they raised you after all, but still.
I can’t believe how welcoming they are. I’m tearing up because I can’t remember the last time I felt so at home.
The love is like, literally palpable here.
I’m just happy to be a part of it, even if it’s only for one night. ”
Reid let out a slow breath and gave a curt nod, like my answer had satisfied him—at least enough to stop him from storming back into the kitchen to scold his family.
“You can come next week, too.” Reid reached out and laced his fingers through mine. His thumb rubbed the back of my hand. “And the week after.”
I laughed. “Watch it, or I might take you up on that offer.”
“I hope you do.” The corner of his lip lifted before it fell. His eyes searched mine before he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to my lips. My chest nearly exploded.
When he pulled away, he lingered close, forehead pressed to mine.
“I’ve been thinking about doing that all day,” he whispered. And just like that, a dam burst. Relief gushed through me. It hadn’t just been me replaying our kiss a million times in my mind.
“Why did you wait?” I asked.
“I don’t want you to think I’m taking advantage of you when you’re all vulnerable. Especially since you’re staying at my house.”
A nervous laugh escaped me. “Reid?”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but please take advantage of me.”