Chapter 14 Lannie
FOURTEEN
LANNIE
“Where’s Ruby?” Suz asks, glancing around the room.
Colton drops into his favorite video game-playing chair. “She said family meetings are stupid.”
“I’m here.” Ruby doesn’t sit. She leans against the entertainment center with her arms crossed. “I didn’t call them stupid.”
“Yes, you did.”
“No. I said pointless—”
“Stop.” Suz glares at them until they’re silent. Then she smiles at us. “Go on, boys.”
Frank and Suz are sitting close together on the couch. He leans over and casually kisses her cheek. They aren’t overly affectionate, but it’s easy to see how much they still love each other. The complete opposite of my parents’ relationship.
I imagine Jace and I still together after twenty years with kids of our own. It helps quiet the fear.
Frank isn’t like my dad.
Jace nods at me. I cross my arms to hide the shaking. “Things have changed a lot in the last year. I mean, obviously, since we’re not at a church right now with me getting married to—”
“Uuuuuu.” Jace gives me a pointed look that either means what the hell are you doing or get on with it. He rolls his hand.
Right. “I’ve been moping around a lot lately—”
“Do you want me to do it?” Jace asks.
“No. I’ve got it.” I laugh, but no one else is laughing. They’re staring at me like I’ve lost it. Get it together, Lannie. I take a deep breath. “I’m…seeing someone.”
“That’s wonderful,” Frank says with a wide smile. Then he looks around. Is he wondering why she’s not here? Or why no one else is happy for me?
Suz is shaking her head. Ruby still looks bored. Colton glances wistfully at the gaming controllers and is probably wondering why we had to have a family meeting for this.
Jace’s expression is similar to his mom’s but with more fondness.
“Jace,” I say, wanting to get it over with. Then I ruin it by adding, “is seeing someone too.”
Suz actually groans.
“Uuuuuu.” Jace looks less fond now. “Lannie, I swear…”
“I’m sorry. I panicked.”
“I don’t understand.” Frank glances from Suz to us. “What’s going on?”
“Dad…” Jace starts, but then he looks at me.
And I realize he’d keep doing this secret boyfriend thing just to protect me. And I can’t have that. I can’t let him think he’s not important enough. That being together as a couple isn’t worth the risk.
“I’m in love,” I say, almost stumbling on my words in my haste to get them out. Taking a deep breath, I grab Jace’s hand and thread our fingers together. “I’m in love with your son.”
Ruby gasps, mouthing, Oh my God. Then she finds her voice. “Does Nikki know?”
Jace’s eyes widen. “Um, no. Can you let me tell her?”
“Oh, sorry, bro.” She waves her phone. “Too late.”
Jace gapes at her. And then his phone rings. He silences it. And then Ruby’s phone rings.
“Sorry, got to take this,” Ruby says and runs out of the room.
Jace curses several times, and I squeeze his hand. But my focus is on Frank. He still hasn’t said anything.
Suz touches his arm. “Frank?”
He looks at each of us—Suz watching him closely, Colton grinning, Jace biting his lip—and then me. I can’t read the look in his eyes. He stands and nods. “Okay.”
“Okay?” Jace asks.
“Yeah, okay. Let’s play Rook.”
“Dad—”
“Oh, sorry. Is the meeting not over?”
“Hold on.” I should leave it, but I can’t. “Is that all, Frank? Nothing else to say?”
Frank walks over to me, and I brace myself. He claps me on the back with a smile. “I’d say welcome to the family, but that’d be a little redundant, don’t you think?”
My voice isn’t working, so I nod.
He squeezes Jace’s arm. Suz gives us both hugs. Colton has his headphones on, already playing video games.
“Are we playing cards or not?” Frank asks, looking around. His gaze settles on me. And all I see is love and acceptance.
It’s tempting to play Rook as a couple, as an actual member of this family. I kiss Jace’s cheek. “Sorry, Frank. It’s Valentine’s Day, and I have plans with my boyfriend.”
Frank laughs. “See you both tomorrow. But you’d better brush up on your dad jokes, Lannie. I can’t do all the work.”
Jace sends a text to Nikki and grabs his stuff, and less than twenty minutes later, we’re in my house. In my room. All alone.
“I can’t believe it was that easy.”
I wrap him in my arms and breathe in the scent of Jace and coconut. “There might still be some bumps. Once your dad processes everything.”
“Nikki’s the one I’m worried about.” He laughs and tightens his grip. “But that’s tomorrow’s problem.” He pulls back with a sweet smile. “Tonight is for us.”
I kiss him, putting everything I’m feeling into it. And then, in case it’s not clear, I say the words. “I love you, Jace. More than anything.”
“More than Mom’s cherry pie?”
“I mean, that pie is amazing. But can we not talk about your mom?”
“Not talking sounds perfect.”
We make out for a while, and when Jace nibbles on my ear, I remember. “The lasagna. I promised you dinner. And you seem hungry.”
He kisses my chin. “Dinner later. Dancing first.”
“You realize I meant actual dancing.”
“Actual dancing can wait. I want you to teach me those other steps we talked about.”
Reaching between us, he palms the bulge in my jeans and squeezes. It’s more difficult to think after that. But I focus on his face. His trusting eyes.
“We should wait.”
His face falls. “Why? Don’t you want to?”
“I do. So, so much. But this is your first time, Jace. There are things we can do—”
“It’s like you don’t even know me.” He shakes his head. “In case you missed it, I want you to fuck me.”
“I got that part.”
“Do you think I wouldn’t come prepared? The information’s out there.”
“Wait… Did you know?” Did Suz tell him our plan?
“No. But it’s Valentine’s Day. And if you hadn’t made a move,” he says, unbuttoning my jeans, “I was fully prepared to take matters into my own hands.” He kisses me as he slips his hand in and wraps his fingers around my cock.
“Oh God, babe, yes.”
“I cleaned everything out, in case you’re wondering,” he says, biting my ear. “And I practiced.”
I groan. “Practiced?”
“Yes. Nikki bought me a dildo last year as a joke, but I put it to good use.”
The thought of Jace practicing is hot. I’m already impossibly hard. “Naked. Now. And no more talking about your friends or family? Deal?”
“Deal.” Jace strips off his shirt and unbuttons his pants. “But it’s our family.”
As I watch my boyfriend undress, a burst of happiness zips through me. Before Jace and his family, I was all alone. And that one moment of bravery—reaching out to my new neighbors—changed my life forever and gave me the thing I wanted most.
People who love me.
“Our family,” I say, and then proceed to teach my not-secret boyfriend some new steps while showing him how much I love him.