Chapter Thirty-Two
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
LEENA
T he rest of the afternoon is absolute chaos. Several of Luke’s cousins show up, a few more kids in tow, as well as aunts and uncles, all from Mrs. Campbell’s side of the family. I can hardly keep their names straight, but I still somehow feel at home here.
After our talk, Mr. Campbell takes the liberty of introducing me to several people himself. I feel like he really meant what he said, and is including me as part of their family. Even though I can see the hollow look in his eyes after we told him about Asher, he’s been doing everything he can to make this a day of celebration. Per his request, we agreed not to tell anyone while we are here. He will sit his wife and the girls down tomorrow once the extended family leaves.
My heart already aches for when they find out.
I volunteer to help Mrs. Campbell, Jessica and Chelsea with dinner, and after only a few minutes, it feels like the four of us have been doing this together for years. We laugh together about how absurdly large the meal is, how Mrs. Campbell fusses over it and they tell me stories about how funny Luke was as a kid. Mrs. Campbell seems to have completely forgotten her displeasure with Luke and I living together, but I can’t forget the things she said earlier. The words were so calm, so normal for her, and yet so incredibly insane for anyone who grew up in this century. Sure, I didn’t exactly have a normal upbringing, but the things she said at lunch I’ve only ever seen in Hallmark movies or sitcoms, not in everyday life. I can’t even imagine the pressure that it must put on a child to be raised like that.
And then I think about Luke and Sebastian being together. How will she feel about that? About the three of us?
How will she react when she finds out that I chose not to have children long before I met the guys? How I had the surgery, same as Luke and Sebastian. I didn’t miss the not-so-subtle glances she gave to Luke whenever he played with his niece or nephew, which makes me think she expects us to have them.
What we have together is not traditional , which seems to be the only view that exists in her world. Knowing that gives me a better understanding of the extent of Luke’s general unease, and his reluctance to tell them anything about our life together.
I know now why he hasn’t wanted to come visit them since we’ve all been together. Because he can’t be himself around them, not really. And I know he and Sebastian have been taking things slowly, trying to figure out their feelings for each other, so I don’t blame him for wanting to take that time with just the three of us before throwing his family into the mix.
It touches me deeply, knowing that he was willing to risk going through all of it so that I could meet them.
So, I’m willing to put everything aside and love them, because I love Luke.
—
Dinner has long since passed, and I’m sitting on the couch beside Luke, swirling my glass of wine and pretending to be interested in the conversations going on around me. I watch Sebastian, smiling at how he’s just as much a part of this family as Luke, telling stories and understanding all their inside jokes.
Okay, so I didn’t actually start tuning them out until around ten minutes ago when the conversation turned toward football. And by the look on Jessica’s face, so did she. We smile at each other from across the room, a mutual look of understanding and pain.
“Well, it’s hot in here. I’m going outside,” Jessica says, which is not unusual. The woman is seven months pregnant and has been overheating all night.
“Me too. Leena?” Chelsea asks and I give them a grateful look for saving me from this conversation. I get enough sports talk in my own home, especially when Colton’s there. I wonder for a moment what he’s doing tonight, but quickly push it away. I’ve been thinking about him far too much lately.
The three of us make our way out to the front porch and sit at the round wooden table. I topped off my wine before we came out here and I take another sip, smiling at it, grateful for the liquid comfort after this day.
“Okay, spill it,” Chelsea says, pulling out a pack of cigarettes from her pocket and tapping it on the table in front of her. “And don’t tell my mother I smoke,” she adds through the one that’s now hanging from her mouth.
“Spill what?” I chuckle as she relaxes back into her chair, blowing smoke away from the table and tapping on her own wine glass as she smiles at me. All the kids went to bed an hour ago, so it’s quiet for the first time since I got here.
“Oh, come on. The stories told at the family table are hardly the truth. We want the actual story,” Jessica says. And I chuckle, not sure where to even start with that question, or how much Luke actually wants me telling his sisters. “Like how do you manage to live with both of them?”
“Because she’s fucking both of them,” Chelsea says and I choke on my fucking wine, setting my glass down and covering my mouth with my hand as I continue to do so.
“What the fuck, Chels?!” Jessica says, reaching over to pat me on the back while I try to pull myself together.
Chelsea laughs before speaking again, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare the shit out of you. And don’t worry, I’m sure no one noticed. I’m just a lot more observant than anyone in there, plus they wouldn’t even consider that as being an option. But I know my fucking brother better than he thinks, even if he tries to hide it. And I know Seb too. I’ve never seen that man smile so much in my fucking life. You are, aren’t you?”
I stare at her for a long moment, the silence hanging between us.
“No fucking way,” Jessica breathes out beside me, figuring out the answer by my non-denial. “Are you?”
Damn this wine. It’s throwing me off my game and these women can see right through me.
So I give up.
I pick up my wine and lean back in my chair, smirking as I stare between the two sisters who I already consider my friends.
“I’m not sure if Lu wants everyone to know, so please, don’t say anything… but… yes, I am.” I’m unable to hide my smile at the relief washing over me from being able to tell someone here about us. To be seen and understood by at least two members of Luke’s family. A family that I sort of adore already. Sure, their mother has her opinions, many of which I don’t agree with, but she has been so kind and welcoming, I can hardly judge her entire character based on the way she was raised and what she continues to believe.
“I fucking knew it,” Chelsea says, smiling so wide I can’t help but match her smile.
“Holy. Shit. I have so many questions,” Jessica says, but she’s smiling too. And she’s probably wishing she could have wine tonight instead of the water she’s downing as if that will do the trick.
“What sort of questions? I could tell you where they put it,” Chelsea says to her sister and we both laugh.
“Yeah, but like, do they each have their own night? Or, is it at the same time?” She stares off, her eyes going wide as she slowly starts painting the picture in her mind. That’s when Chelsea and I completely lose our shit laughing. The look on her face as she figures it out is so fucking funny.
Once I’m physically able to form words again, I decide to answer her question. Since, apparently, I’ve lost my goddamn mind.
Luke’s going to murder me for this.
“At the same time, Jes. We all sleep in the same bed,” I finally answer.
“And you’re not married?!” Chelsea gasps in feigned horror and we all laugh again.
“I always knew Luke wasn’t the golden boy Ma and Dad made him out to be, but holy shit. This is…” Jessica shakes her head.
“I know,” I say, unable to hide my smile.
“So do you love them? Or is this just some kinky phase you’re all going through?” Chelsea asks, but by her tone, I don’t think she would mind either way. And that’s how I know how much she truly cares for Luke. Because no matter what the answer is, she still loves him, still accepts me.
I smile wide at that.
“I’m in love with both of them. Truly.” I meet her eyes so she knows I’m serious. She takes a deep breath.
“Well, alright then. Welcome to the fucking family,” she says, holding out her hand. I stare at it, feeling more seen and more loved than I ever thought would be possible from these strangers I just met this morning. I take it, holding it for a moment as we smile at each other. Jessica smiles wide too, looking as if she’s proud to have me here.
“Okay, so how did you actually wind up with the guys?” Jessica asks and I start laughing again.
When I finally collect myself, I tell them everything. Even the parts about who my father is and about me getting shot.
It’s strange, telling this story in its entirety, because I never have. Sure, I’ve told bits and pieces of it to the team, most of it to Colton, but I’ve never told anyone who cared about my relationship with my men as much as they cared about the op. More, in fact.
I, of course, didn’t go into too much detail about the safehouse, only that we were cooped up there together for nearly a week with literally nothing to do, and that’s when we all first got together. I told them funny stories about living with two men, which they laughed and related to, seeing as both of them have been married for longer than I’ve even known the guys. It was nice to know that some of the strictly man things that go on in a household are just as bizarre to them as they are to me. And some of their horror stories make me grateful for how tidy my men actually are, and that neither of them snore.
When the front door opens, Chelsea quickly puts out her cigarette and tosses it down by her feet, dragging the box and lighter off the table and into her lap while Jessica and I both burst out laughing at her sudden panic.
“What the fuck is going on out here?” I hear Sebastian’s deep voice say as he steps out onto the porch. I smile, because hearing him curse for the first time since we got here means he’s comfortable around Luke’s sisters too. He sits down across from me, eying me with a grin that could be considered friendly to anyone who didn’t know we were together. “Chels, give me a cigarette.”
“I don’t–” she starts to say, but he just gives her a look and drops his large arm across the table in front of her and opens his hand. She huffs, then slaps the box and lighter into his palm. “How long have you known?”
“Since you were seventeen,” he mumbles, smiling around the cigarette as he lights it.
“You don’t smoke,” she throws back at him.
“I do tonight,” he grumbles, letting out a breath of smoke, then stares between the three of us. “Did I interrupt something?” His eyes narrow as he studies us.
Shit.
The three of us burst out laughing again, right up until Sebastian casually rests his arms on the table, resting one hand on top of the other, the cigarette between his fingers. Smoke trails up between us in long wisps as he leans forward to stare at me. Really stare at me. I grow quiet, meeting his gaze, my heart racing from the intensity of it.
Fuck. How does this man know me so well?
I try to continue this little stare-down for as long as possible, but I’m so tired. We hardly got any sleep last night, the drive was long, not to mention the rest of the day. I suppose the alcohol doesn’t help either, so it’s not too long before I crumble under his gaze.
“I didn’t just tell them, Chels guessed!” I say quickly, and his death stare glances over at her slowly, before he brings it back to me.
“Oh, sweetheart,” he growls, then leans back in his chair, taking a long pull on his cigarette without ever taking his eyes off of me. “Lu’s going to be fucking pissed.”
“Sweetheart?” Jessica says. “Fuck, Leena. You broke Seb. I think he just used a term of endearment.”
“He does that a lot.” I try not to smile as I take a long sip of my wine.
“Keep it up, sugar,” he says in warning, giving me a pointed look.
I blush, then shut my mouth immediately. But then my eyes find his, and he’s staring at me with this look that’s all love, relief and adoration. I smile, taking in the sight of him in the low light of the porch.
“Holy fuck, you guys! I’m glad they put you in separate rooms, Jesus!” Chelsea says, snatching her cigarettes from the table and lighting another one.
“This isn’t the first time, is it? That’s why Lu’s never brought a girl home before?” Jessica asks and I look at her, surprised she picked up on that. Then I look at Sebastian, curious how he’ll respond.
“No. Not the first time. But Leena’s different. So she’s here,” he says with that calm, lazy smile of his, and my heart melts all over again for this man.
Because when he says different , what I really hear is worth it.