Chapter 42
42
N ate and I didn’t speak for the drive to Max’s house, not one word. Then when we arrived, he turned on his fake friend act so thoroughly it creeped me right the fuck out. For the first few days, I just straight-up avoided him. He followed through on our agreement to apologize to Mom, so I couldn’t complain.
By the day of Thanksgiving, the mood had shifted somehow. The night before, Mom had baked four different kinds of pie, along with some other surprising treats. Baking wasn’t Mom’s strong suit, but I had to admit, the pies smelled amazing . Mom and Max were sickeningly in love as they prepared our Thanksgiving meal together with music playing. They’d been up before dawn, and there’d been breakfast waiting when I came down. While Mom and Max were having such a good time, I tried to stay out of the way of their kisses and PDA. Which explained how I found myself helping Nate set the table.
“What time does the game start?” I asked as he folded the linen napkins into swans for each place on the oversized table. Why he decided on swans, no clue. Where he learned how to do it, also no clue. Kind of fascinating to watch? Undecided.
“Not until three,” he murmured, frowning at the swan he was working on. Its neck kept drooping and he was growing visibly frustrated with it. “That’s why we’re eating dinner so early. Dad didn’t want Carina to feel rushed. It’s like…a big deal to her that we’re both here.”
He shot me a quick look, and I pursed my lips. “I’m aware.” Mom had said as much when we arrived—and every day since. It meant a lot for her to think Nate and I were getting along.
“I wasn’t taking a dig,” he said with a short sigh, giving up on his napkin swan and shaking it out to start again. “I just meant maybe it wouldn’t kill us to visit for dinner more often. For our parents.”
There was an odd tone to his voice, but when I looked over his focus was entirely on the napkin he was folding. Maybe I imagined it?
“Yeah, I guess,” I murmured. I really did love spending time with Mom and I’d have to be an idiot to not see how worried she was after my last stay…when I accused Nate of trying to kill me.
The doorbell rang as Nate finished his swan—with an erect neck this time—and I arched a brow his way. “Are you expecting anyone else?” I asked. As far as I was aware, it was just the four of us for dinner. Dad couldn’t get leave from his job, Mom’s parents lived in Florida, and Max’s parents were both deceased.
Nate shook his head. “Nope. Dad would have mentioned if we needed more place settings. Maybe it’s…” he trailed off as voices from the foyer trickled through to us. “That sounds like?—”
“Surprise!” Carly yelled, bursting into the dining room. “I bet you missed me.”
She totally brushed past Nate, launching a hug on me and I laughed as I hugged her back. Heath followed her into the room somewhat less excited and exchanged a bro-hug with Nate.
“Carly and Heath are joining us for dinner,” Mom announced from the doorway, “can you set some extra places?”
“Got it,” Nate replied, crossing to the cabinet at the side of the room where place settings were all held.
Meanwhile Carly had released me from her hug and Heath held out a hand…not forcing me to embrace him but making it crystal clear that it’d be welcomed. My breath catching, I took his hand and let him reel me in.
His arms closed around me and I was home . My cheek pressed to his chest, my eyes closed, I melted.
“I missed you,” he murmured, kissing the top of my head.
I drew a deep breath, inhaling his uniquely Heath scent. “I’m sorry. I hate that I caused so much tension between you all. Nate’s a dick, but the rest of you don’t need me fucking up your lifelong friendships.”
“Hey!” Nate protested, and I ignored him.
Heath loosened his hold enough that he could cup my face in his palm and tip my head back, meeting my eyes. “This isn’t on you, Ash. Friends fight, especially friends who’ve basically lived as brothers for more than ten years. It’d take a lot more than one argument to split us all up.”
It was on the tip of my tongue to point out the tension with us was also about me and Carter, but I swallowed it back. We could dissect that mess later, in private, if he wanted.
“Heathcliff,” Max called from the kitchen, “come help me with drinks for everyone!”
“Yes, sir! Coming!” Heath replied, then dropped a quick, sweet kiss on my lips. “Can we please be good again? It’s torture being ignored by you.”
My answer was to grab the back of his neck and kiss him back, albeit less sweet and quick than he’d kissed me.
“Heathcliff!” Max called out again, and I released him with a laugh.
“Okay, go.” I told him. “But for the record, I’m glad you’re here.”
He disappeared back out of the dining room, and I watched him go, then realized I was staring and cleared my throat. Nate’s eyes locked on me were the first thing I saw when I looked away from the door and I frowned back at him.
“What?” I asked.
He shook his head. “Nothing.” He shifted his gaze to Carly. “So what happened at the Briggs family reunion? Atticus can’t be pleased that you two have dipped out.”
She shrugged. “I don’t think he’d be shocked. You should have seen the arguments going down between Dad and Uncle Nash.” Then to me she added, “That’s Heath’s Dad. They—and their younger brother, Zeth—have a really unhealthy rivalry going on. It’s a whole thing. The only reason we lasted as long as we did is because Uncle Zeth didn’t even show up.”
Nate grimaced, shaking his head. “Is Heath all right? Nash can be a bit…”
Carly gave him a pointed look. “Why do you think we’re here?”
I looked back and forth between them, attempting to fill in the blanks. “His dad is abusive?” The wince Carly gave confirmed my guess, and my stomach dropped. “I didn’t know. That’s awful.”
Nate nodded vaguely, twisting up another swan. “That’s why Max took over as his guardian when we were eleven. He basically lived with us already, it was an easy transition when his parents moved to Hong Kong.”
I knew I loved Max, but that fact made me love him even more. My heart ached for Heath, but I got the feeling Royce and Carter weren’t in much better situations. Hadn’t Max mentioned being guardian for all four boys during high school?
“Um, have you heard from the other guys?” I asked Nate nervously.
He quirked a brow at me, seemingly startled by my question. “No…but that’s not unusual.”
I nodded, accepting his answer because guys were generally pretty awful at discussing feelings …not that I was a lot better. But still, when we finished setting the table and headed through to the living room, I pulled out my phone.
Things were worse than awkward between us, but my gut said I needed to check in.
I kept it brief, sending the same thing to both Royce and Carter both.
Ashley: Happy Thanksgiving 3
As soon as I sent it, a flood of anxiety filled me. Carter would obviously ignore me, and now that I’d sent it I realized he wasn’t even celebrating Thanksgiving. He was in Europe somewhere with his mother…probably planning his arranged marriage.
“You okay?” Heath asked, handing me a cocktail from the tray he’d carried into the living room.
I gave him a tight smile as I accepted the drink. “Fine. Are you?” I gave him a closer look as he sat on the sofa beside me, noticing a slight redness to his cheekbone.
His answering smile was sad, and he dropped a kiss on my shoulder. “I am now.”
My phone buzzed in my hand and my heart leapt into my throat. Royce must have replied. Biting my lip, I unlocked the screen and did a double take when I saw the message was from Carter.
Carter: Spark?
It occurred to me, I’d never text him before so he likely didn’t have my number. Still…it got him to reply.
Heath glanced over at my phone and I stiffened. We hadn’t discussed the Carter thing, and I didn’t want him getting the wrong impression.
“I just sent them both a Happy Thanksgiving message,” I said quietly, feeling like I needed to explain. “Just in case…um…”
“In case their holiday is going similar to mine?” he guessed, snuggling me into his side. “Probably a good idea.” He kissed my neck, just under my ear and I sighed with relief.
Deciding not to reply to Carter—because I had nothing to say—I checked my message thread with Royce. We had a lot more text history thanks to his roommate position, but my latest message sat on read .
At least he’d seen it? That was something, even if he wasn’t going to reply.
My phone buzzed again, but not from Royce.
Carter: Has Nate been playing nice? He promised to be on his best behavior.
I bit back a smile, reading the message in my head with Carter’s voice. I could just imagine how that conversation with Nate had gone…then I found myself questioning why the fuck Carter cared.
Again, I refrained from responding. He made his position abundantly clear, despite the incredible sex. He wasn’t going to risk his mother’s wrath by pursuing things with me and frankly, I didn’t blame him. Not when there was a murder involved. Not when he was in that position because of me in the first place.
Carly carried the conversation, telling us about some argument her family had been engaged in before she and Heath left, and I tried my best to pay attention when my head was miles away. Would Royce reply eventually? What was Carter doing? I was glad to have Heath and Carly here, even if the circumstances sucked.
Heath’s phone dinged a few minutes later and he shifted to pull it out of his pocket. Sliding the screen open, he draped his arm back around my shoulders, making no effort to hide the message as it displayed.
Carter: Are you at Max’s? With Ash?
Heath gave me a quick glance before typing his reply.
Heathcliff: Yeah, how’d you know?
Carter: Your bike is in the driveway, dickhead, that’s how. Open the door.
Heath barked a laugh out loud. “Carter’s here.”
Nate grinned—an actual honest-to-god genuine grin—and rose to his feet. “I knew he’d show up sooner or later. Dad! Carter’s joining us!”
Max’s laugh echoed from the kitchen. “Told you. Carina owes me fifty bucks.”
Confused, I looked to Heath for an explanation. He just shrugged. “Carter’s mom is an insufferable bitch,” he said matter of fact.
“Heathcliff,” my mom scolded, having just come in carrying a tray of snacks.
Heath just shrugged. “It’s true, though. She has exactly zero time for him too. He never lasts the entire holiday break before snapping and flying home.”
He got up from the couch as Carter entered the room like a dark prince returning from court. Fuck he was gorgeous. The heated glance he sent my way as he bro-hugged Heath nearly set me on fire too. Was I seriously getting turned on by the two of them embracing? Yes, apparently.
The moment I mentally acknowledged that fact, my imagination inserted myself between them in that hug. Naked. Shit .
Biting my cheek, I prayed my blush wasn’t obvious and gave Carter a small smile in greeting.
“Aw, come on Spark, that’s all I get?” he asked in mock outrage. “It’s Thanksgiving!” He extended his hand and I flicked a quick glance to Heath. He was smiling, though, his expression more relaxed and content than I’d seen in months , so I sighed and let Carter pull me up from the sofa to hug.
The breath knocked right out of me as I sank into his embrace, and painful emotion thickened in my throat. This wasn’t fair. He’d apologized for hurting me the first time, then did it all over again.
“I’m so sorry, Spark,” he whispered directly against my ear, his words only for me and no one else. Had he read my mind, or were my thoughts that obvious? “Please forgive me, I can’t let you go.”
What the fuck did that mean?
I was saved from having to reply by Max and Mom joining us. Carter released me with a brush of a kiss on my cheek, then turned to greet Max with exuberance. Now the overabundance of food made a lot more sense. Max had known the boys might show up and wanted to be prepared.
“Anyone heard from Royce?” Mom asked, glancing between the guys.
They all shook their heads. “The Colonel had a five-day break, so he was hoping to spend some time with him,” Nate said. “I’m sure we’ll hear from him once Mike goes back to base.”
Max and the others all seemed to understand, and I wondered if that was why Royce had left my message on read. He was just busy spending time with his dad…The Colonel.
Everyone seemed in a great mood as Carly dragged out some board games and Mom ducked back and forth from the kitchen while the food finished cooking. We all played Monopoly until things got heated with our banker—Nate—being accused of embezzlement by Max.
I tried to enjoy myself too, but I kept checking my phone, hoping Royce would reply. Even a thumbs-up would do. Just…something. I didn’t know if we were okay, but I desperately wanted to know if he was at the very least.
We all helped to bring the food out to the dining table—now set for seven—and Mom poured champagne for all of us. Max started carving the turkey as Carly chatted with Heath about the teams playing later. Carly loved the competition way more than me. Carter tossed flirtatious grins across the table at me, seeming to make a sport of making me blush.
Then the doorbell rang.
Without even realizing what I was doing, I dashed out to answer it and nearly cried when I found Royce standing there. His shoulders were slumped and his eyes red-rimmed and puffy. The smell of whiskey on his rumpled shirt was intense, but I didn’t hesitate when he stepped forward and grabbed me in a hug so tight it nearly cracked my ribs.
“Can I sleep with you tonight, roomie?” he mumbled into my hair, lifting me off the ground with the intensity of his hug. “I don’t like being alone.”
My heart cracked right the fuck open. “I don’t like being alone, either.”
A deep shudder ran through him, and I just hugged him back. Someone breathed a disappointed curse behind us, but I knew no one else was surprised to see Royce show up.
As awful as I felt for the guys that their plans didn’t play out, I was overwhelmingly glad Max had created such a safe space for them all to come home to. And that my mom was a part of that warmth now. She chose well, even if I did feel for my dad in all of this—who did he have?
I was also glad for me ’cause they were all here with me too.