Chapter 38 Gavin
Gavin
SCOTTIE CAN TAKE HER
That was not how I planned on telling Scottie I was in love with her for the first time.
Not in the middle of a screaming match with my sister.
Definitely not with my entire family watching from the lawn behind us.
Elyse calmed down pretty quickly, though. So much so that she and Scottie have been in the office for over an hour now, door closed, and I haven’t heard any yelling.
Thank God.
“So…” Shane drawls, leaning back in his chair, hands laced behind his head. “Scottie, huh?”
Jesus Christ.
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Shane—”
“No, no, hold on.” He lifts his fist toward me, eyebrows raised.
I look at him. He looks at me.
There’s no winning here.
I sigh and bump his knuckles, hating that I’m encouraging this.
He grins. “Nice.”
Dominic sits beside me, elbows braced on his knees. “I think the honeymoon will be good for her,” he says to no one in particular. “Take some of the edge off.”
The room nods like this is a perfectly reasonable conclusion.
I clear my throat, and every head swivels to me.
“Just so we’re clear,” I say, “I won’t be answering any questions. We’re still figuring things out.”
Shane nods. “Yeah, okay, but like…still it’s nice, though.”
“Shane,” Ethan grumbles.
“What? Can I not be happy for them?”
I sink back into the couch, wishing I could disappear beneath the cushions.
After everything went down, everyone migrated to the living room. Except Ariana, who had the sense to grab Lily the second voices started rising. She whisked her upstairs and texted me twenty minutes ago that her and Lily were watching a movie.
So, at least one thing went right.
“I had a feeling you two might end up together,” my mom says, breaking her silence.
Our response is to stare at her.
She shrugs, unbothered. “What? I’m a mother. I notice things.”
Shane shakes his head. “I didn’t see it coming.”
“That’s because your emotional intelligence is somewhere below sea level,” Ethan says without looking up.
I let let out a groan, as I rub at my temples. I hate being the center of attention. Especially like this.
Marisa settles onto Ethan’s lap. “Me and Ethan already knew.”
“Why am I always the last to find out anything?” Shane whines.
Layla, the only one actually eating dinner, doesn’t even look up. “I’m too busy for your guys’ drama.”
The room goes quiet for a beat—awkward and heavy, stretched so thin I can hardly stand it.
I just want to get the fuck out of here and away from everyone staring at me like they’re waiting for me to divulge details that are none of their business.
“Well,” my dad says eventually. “I always did say she was family. I guess now she is.”
Yep.
That’s my breaking point.
I stand.
But before I can take a step, my dad’s voice snaps—sharp, commanding in a way I haven’t heard since I was a kid.
“Sit down.”
I freeze.
“Let them work it out,” he says. “You don’t need to go in there and defend her honor. Scottie can hold her own. They’re sisters in every way that counts. Sisters fight. And then they make up.”
“You saw how she was yelling,” I say.
He nods, calm. “Yeah. And Scottie can take her. She’s tough. They’re both tough.”
He’s right. Scottie is tough. Tougher than I think anyone actually realizes.
That doesn’t mean I’m not crawling out of my skin not being in there with her.
Dominic exhales. “Ellie’s feelings are hurt, that’s all. She’s sensitive. She feels left out.”
“They’ll work it out,” my mom says with absolute certainty. “In the meantime, let’s eat.”
Two hours later.
They finally emerge and they’re…laughing.
Scottie’s wiping tears from her eyes and Elyse is clutching her stomach like she just heard the funniest thing she’s heard all year.
I just stare. Dumbfounded.
Because I was ready to break into that office. But apparently, whatever happened in there resulted in giggles.
Scottie’s eyes meet mine and she gives me this small, soft smile that instantly eases everything tight in my chest.
Elyse trails behind her, her makeup smudged and hair a little messy. But she looks lighter, and maybe a little embarrassed.
She walks up to me, her voice steady. “I’m sorry,” she says. “For the way I handled that. I shouldn’t have come at you like that. Or her.”
I nod slowly. “It wasn’t done maliciously, Elle. We weren’t purposely keeping it from you. It was a secret from everyone.”
“I know,” she says. “And I get it now.”
“Good.” I pull her into a hug because we don’t fight. Not like that.“Next time, maybe don’t show up guns blazing.”
She laughs into my shoulder. “Okay, I promise.”
We start to pull apart, but she stops and pokes me—dead center of the chest.
Hard.
“But if you ever hurt her,” she says, quiet enough that only I hear it, “I will personally end you. Slowly. And I will make it look like an accident.”
I roll my eyes at Elyse just as Scottie slips into my space, her arms winding around my waist, her head settling against my chest like it’s perfectly normal for us to show affection in front of my family.
For a beat, I forget how to function.
My body stutters.
My heart hammers.
Then my brain catches up and I wrap my arms around her, holding her the way I’ve wanted to all day.
“Stop threatening him,” Scottie says to Elyse without looking up. “Leave my man alone.”
And there it is.
We’re doing this. No more hiding. No more secrets.
Fucking finally.
My siblings explode—hooting, cheering, teasing. I’m pretty sure both Scottie and I turn the exact same shade of red.
But I pull her closer anyway, unable to hide how stupidly happy I am right now.
My mom approaches us, wearing a knowing grin. “How about we keep Lily for a sleepover?” She winks. “That way you two can have a free evening. I would imagine there’s lots of discuss.”
She’s not even trying to be subtle.
We share a look, Scottie’s eyes more dazed than usual.
Five minutes into this thing we still haven’t labeled and my family is already overwhelming her.
“I think we’ll take you up on that offer.”