Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
Wendy
A week has passed since Callum's outburst at the office, but the memory still lingered in the back of my mind, like a bad dream that refused to fully dissipate. Tonight though, has me more on edge than that day ever did. Tonight, I am meeting Cole and Ethan's families—all of them. My nerves are in overdrive.
I stand in front of the mirror, smoothing my hands over the soft fabric of my green dress. It isn't too formal, but it hugs my curves in all the most flattering ways. I want to look nice, approachable, but not like I am trying too hard.
"What if they don't like me?” I mutter, fidgeting with a stray curl that refuses to stay in place.
"They'll love you," Ethan says from the doorway, his voice warm and playful. "And if they don't, we'll just blind them with your charm. Or, you know, I can distract them with my devastating good looks." He grins, leaning casually against the doorframe, his tie undone and sleeves rolled up.
I give him a look. "This isn't a joke, Ethan. What if I mess this up? What if your parents think I'm... I don't know, not good enough?"
Ethan crosses the room in a few strides and places his hands gently on my shoulders. "Wendy, listen to me. You're amazing. If my dads don't see that, then it's their loss. But they will. Trust me. And if all else fails, we'll feed them sushi until they're too full to be judgy."
Cole appears behind him, his presence grounding and steady. "You're worrying over nothing, babygirl. My mom might have her moments, but she'll see how incredibly happy you make me." His voice is calm, reassuring, but his hand on the small of my back as he guides me out the door tells me he understands my nerves.
The drive to the restaurant feels both too short and unbearably long. Ethan keeps the mood light, joking about how much sushi he plans to order and playfully suggesting they start a tally for how many times his sister would give him shit for being 'the favorite'. Cole shakes his head, but I catch the slight smirk tugging at his lips. He really does adore Ethan's antics, even if he pretends to be the long-suffering husband from time to time.
When we arrive at the sushi place, the private dining room is already bustling with laughter and conversation. I'm introduced to Monte and Lorcan, Ethan's dads, along with their girlfriend, Annie.
Suzie, Ethan's sister, and her two partners at the other corner clues me in to the fact that this family really isn't very normal at all when it comes to the relationships they choose to keep. If I'd known this was what was waiting for me, I would have been a lot less nervous about meeting Ethan's side of the family.
Cole's side, though, still has my stomach churning. Obviously I'd met them before when I was dating Callum, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't more than a little worried about what they'd think of me dating their older, more successful son. Thoughts of Callum's digs at me surface again as I step closer to greet everyone, but I make a concentrated effort to push them down.
"Here we go," I whisper.
Ethan winks at me. "Deep breath, sweetheart. We've got this."
As we approach Cole's parents, his mom—Mary—looks up. Her polite smile falters for just a moment before returning, but I catch it. My stomach drops.
"Wendy," she says, her tone perfectly... cordial. "It's been a while."
"Yes, it has. Thank you for meeting with us tonight," I say, forcing a smile and praying my voice doesn't shake.
The awkwardness is palpable, but before it can stretch too far, Suzie—bless her heavily pregnant soul—waves me over.
"Wendy! Come sit next to me. You've got to help me convince these two," she gestures at Pete and Dexter, "that I'm not going to name the baby after their favorite action hero."
"Hey!" Pete protests, "Rambo is a strong name!" He earns a groan from both Dexter and Suzie.
Relieved to have an escape, I slide into the seat next to Suzie. She immediately leans in, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Don't worry about good ol' Deb," she whispers to me. "She'll get over it. Just give her time."
"Time and a boatload of sake," Annie chimes in from across the table, raising her glass. "I swear that woman has had a stick up her ass since the day I met her and she realized Monte, Lo and I all live in sin as a throuple." Annie gives an exaggerated fake shiver and I can't stop the giggle that slips out. "It only got worse when she found out about Suzie and her two lover boys. But she's bound to get used to it... you know... any decade now. Especially seeing as her golden boy has fallen too."
I laugh, the tension in my shoulders easing a bit. Putting it like that, I can't really blame Deborah for being a bit uptight. We weren't in a conventional relationship after all, and for all I know, the reason she's being standoffish has got nothing to do with my past relationship with Callum.
Soon, the three of us are chatting like old friends, and I love it. I've never really had close friendships, as I've always been too busy just keeping my head above water. But now I'm sitting here, in a fancy sushi place, watching a new friend brag with her latest sonogram photo.
"I swear, this kid's going to be a gymnast," she says, shaking her head fondly after a particularly crazy bit of acrobatics being performed inside her.
"I don't know," Annie teases. "With Pete and Dexter as dads, I'm thinking an actuary with a penchant for wild weekends in the wilderness."
We all laugh, and I find myself pulling out my phone, eager to share some of my life with them too. "Well, I don't have a baby, but I do have a brand-new kitten," I say, swiping to a photo of Scraps tangled in a blanket. "This is Scraps. She's... a handful. But she's cute, cuddly and all mine."
"Oh my gosh, look at those little paws!" Suzie coos.
"Adorable," Annie agrees.
By the end of the night, my cheeks hurt from all the laughing, and the initial awkwardness with Deborah softens into something closer to mutual acceptance. She isn't overly warm, but she isn't cold or standoffish toward me either, and that feels like a huge win.
We say our goodbyes and head back to Cole and Ethan's place—where Scraps and I have been staying pretty much every night since my first sleepover.
I sink into the couch with a huge sigh. "Well, that wasn't nearly as terrifying as I thought it would be."
"I told you," Ethan says, his voice has a sing-song quality to it. "Now, will you stop being a little brat and listen to us from time to time?"
That draws a chuckle from me, and when he plops down on the couch next to me, I drop my feet into his lap. "Only if you promise me unending foot rubs."
He catches the hint, and quickly tugs the high-heels off my feet before gently rubbing at the soles.
"We'll make you a deal, sweetheart," Ethan says to me, drawing my focus to him.
"Yeah?" I ask when he doesn't carry on immediately.
"You can have as many foot rubs as you want, if you move in with us."
My stomach drops, but this time in the best possible way.
"You're kidding," I mutter before looking toward Cole who's staring down at me fondly.
“I'm not kidding," Ethan responds, tugging on my foot to draw my attention back to him. "Now that you've charmed my family I have no choice but to woo you, impregnate you and keep you chained to us forever. Or they'd disown me."
Cole chuckles at his husband's antics but he doesn't do or say anything else.
Shaking my head at them, I try to get a handle on my emotions. There's a lot happening inside me. Hope being the most prevalent. But I won't be me if I don't put up at least a bit of a fight.
"You both are impossible." I nudge his hand with my feet, encouraging him to continue with his foot rub.
"And you love it," Ethan responds.
"Actually," I say, a fond smile on my face. "I kind of love you . Both of you."
At my words, Ethan drops my feet completely, and lunges across the sofa, picking me up and tugging me toward him so I'm straddling his lap.
"Say that again, sweetheart."
"I said I love you."
Ethan growls before digging his hands into my hair and pulling my mouth to his for a kiss. Before long, Cole joins us and takes his turn kissing me hard.
"I guess that means you love me too," I finally mutter when they let me up for air.
"You're damn right we do," Cole mutters. "Now be a good girl, and get on your knees so your Daddy can fuck your mouth."
What kind of good girl would I be if I didn't follow Daddy's orders?