Chapter 31 #2
Ben was good at that. The snapping, the seething.
Angry suited him even if it wasn't a healthy way to live.
And I didn't have to look up from my earthy meditation spot to know he wasn't the one kneeling beside me and rubbing my back.
His words were too far away for that. If I had to put money down on his location, I'd bet he was busy edging into Sam's space and shooting glares hot enough to cut steel.
"I'm Sam Walsh and this is my brother's house," he replied. "Who might you be?"
"Let's not do this," I said, finally pushing up from the grass.
I was right about Ben glowering at Sam. A-plus effort on that front.
I was right about Rob keeping a hand on my shoulder too.
And I was right about the entire Walsh family plus a few new faces watching this delightful exchange. "Let's go unpack some boxes instead."
"Are you the one who took the dog?" Ben asked, jabbing a finger in Sam's direction.
"No, sir, I am not. I was on the dog rescue squad," Sam replied, hands up in surrender. "I'm not—I'm not any of them. I'm tangentially involved at best."
"What the fuck does that mean?" Ben snapped.
That earned him a snort from me as I settled on my knees and scanned the yard. "I told you not to ask." I couldn't place the new faces in the group. Six of them, five women and one man. They looked slightly younger and somewhat confused. That was fair. "You really shouldn't have asked."
"Well, I did," Ben replied, pointing an impatient frown at me. "I don't know what's up here but I don't like it."
I stared at him but I knew the Walshes were closing in around us. They never missed the rowdy stuff and this definitely qualified as rowdy stuff. "Let's just forget this. Okay?"
Ben tossed his hands up. "Whatever you want," he replied as he took an exaggerated step back from Sam.
Lauren's husband Matt approached, a hammer in one hand and roll of painter's tape in the other.
"Do you want me to throw him out?" he asked, pointing the handle end of the hammer at Sam.
"I will. He's shirking his responsibilities and picking fights in my front yard.
Maybe that's acceptable in Fort Point but this is suburbia. We don't put up with that shit here."
"No worries. It was an accident," I said, laughing. "Please don't kick him to the curb on my account."
"Then I'll do it," Shannon called. "Make yourself useful and go get some lunch for everyone, Sam." She marched toward us, a mobile phone pressed to her ear. "Whatever it is you broke, you can fix with food."
"I don't believe I broke anything," Sam replied. "But rather than debate that with an audience of this size, I'll pick up lunch. Maybe then I'll get something I can actually eat."
"Stop it with your sob stories," Shannon said.
"I would argue they are less sob stories and more real accounts of me foraging for food on a regular basis," he said.
"You haven't foraged a day in your life," Matt added.
"What are we talking about? Foraging? Like, for mushrooms?" Patrick asked.
"I've been known to forage a mushroom or two in my day," Riley said.
"Not that kind of mushroom," Andy said to him.
"And that's enough of the Walsh Family Theater for today," Lauren announced.
"Matthew, my dear, please stop using that hammer as a pointer.
I know you can manage your tools and all but we don't need any additional accidents.
" She glanced between me and Sam. "Sam, you're in charge of catering.
If you can find me some of those little clementine oranges, I'd appreciate it.
I'm pretty sure the Whole Foods near MIT had some last week.
It's a bit of a trek, but…" Her voice trailed off as she rubbed her belly. "Like I said, I'd appreciate it."
"I'll see what I can do." He hooked a glance at me over his shoulder, offering a tight smile before breaking away from the group. He waved at Ben as he passed him en route to the sidewalk but Ben only scowled back.
Lauren continued, "Andy, I need you to take Patrick and Riley inside.
I need them to work on plotting out locations for bedroom furniture before it arrives and we have mass chaos.
" She pointed toward the house as Andy narrowed her eyes, clearly confused by the request. If I had to guess, I'd say Lauren was putting hands to work and tearing eyeballs off me.
She was an angel. "Shannon, my mom is going to be here any minute and I need you to figure out the baby's room before she does. Go. Make it happen. Run like the wind."
Rob kept his hand moving along my spine, each sweep loosening the tension coiled there.
God, I was tired. I was tired of trying so damn hard.
Tired of being one step to the left, one minute too late.
And I was tired of constantly stepping into that joyous indifference and pretending everything was all right. Everything was always all right.
"What do you need right now?" Rob said, his words low enough to stay between us.
I shook my head and let myself lean against him. "This."
"Yeah?" His lips brushed the shell of my ear. "Are you sure you don't want to fake a sprained ankle? I'll get you out of here. You won't have to deal with him anymore."
Exhaling slowly, I let my eyelids fall. One of the many problems with concurrently dating two men was losing track of the information I'd shared with each of them.
It was never more evident than right now as Rob knew all about my history with Sam.
Ben knew the rough sketch but Rob knew the details and he knew who Sam was—and wasn't—to me.
He knew and he stayed right here with me.
He knew this weird, tenuous, strained but polite but also distant situation called for a calm response. That goddamn indifference. He understood how swagger only widened the chasm. He knew I needed this to be better but that I couldn't do the fixing. I couldn't be the one apologizing this time.
And he knew I needed someone to stand with me rather than someone to stand for me.
"How did you know?" I asked. "How did you know I needed this?"
He chuckled in a quiet way that vibrated through his chest and straight into me. "I didn't know so much as to repay the favor."
I turned my head to glance over my shoulder at him. "Which favor is that?"
"You had my back at the engagement party."
I frowned, shook my head. "I didn't do anything. I was there with you but I didn't do anything."
He wrapped his arm around my waist. "And I'm not doing anything but being here.
" His lips landed on my temple, stayed there long enough to chase away some of my lingering embarrassment.
Some of it. "What about that ankle? Should we get it checked out?
I know a beer garden not too far from here with brews perfect for treating imaginary injuries. "
"Maybe later," I said, patting his hand. "It wasn't terrible, with Sam. I think we patched a few things up. There was that awful moment where I tackled him but it was nice of him to own that one."
"It's about time," Rob said under his breath.
I glanced up to find Lauren smiling down at us. "Sorry about all this," I said to her. "I didn't come here with the intention of instigating anything."
She waved her hand. "Don't mention it. Some people exercise, the Walshes yell at each other." To Rob, she said, "I'm Lauren Walsh and you're supremely tolerant of both this day and those shenanigans you just witnessed."
"Not at all. I'm Rob Russo," he replied. "I heard there were boxes to unpack and things to assemble, and I'm happy to do it."
She laughed, shaking her head. "And we are thankful for every hand on deck today," she said, shooting a glance across the yard at Ben. "If you don't mind, I have a perfect project for Mr. Brock. Can I steal him?"
"Take him," Rob replied quickly. "Keep him. He's all yours."
"You're just adorable, aren't you?" Lauren murmured. "Stay there for a bit, Gigi. You've been running around fixing trees and plants and god knows what else before Sam went all…you know, Samish. I hope everything is all right on that front. I hope you're all right."
"I am," I said, and I meant it. I was all right without the resentment and contempt and burned bridges. Without the indifference. I was better. "I might have space in my schedule to take on a few of Sam's properties."
"Make him work for it, girl." She glanced to the group of twentysomethings congregated near the front door and then eyed Ben again. He was having a conversation with Matt that seemed largely composed of hand gestures. "It's truly the perfect project. If I can convince him of it."
The magical intuition of Lauren Walsh was not to be underestimated. The woman noticed things to which the rest of us were blind. And in this moment, I was certain she saw me and Rob and Ben and all the things we didn't say out loud. She saw and she knew, and now she had a plan.
"I've never doubted you before," I replied. "I'm not about to start now."
With a nod, Lauren stalked toward the group near the door. She peeled off a man and woman and led them toward Ben and Matt. She was quick to gather the men but Ben wasn't going without a spirited discussion as always.
He pointed at me, asking, "Are you good? I can stay. I'll do whatever you want, Gigi."
"Oh, sweetie," Lauren cooed. "You have such a good heart, worrying after her like that. She'll join us in a few minutes."
Ben blinked at Lauren, his irritation melting by the second. "Okay." He nodded, glanced back at me. His lips tipped up in a smile. So unlike him. It lasted all of ten seconds before his gaze stumbled onto Rob and he went full glower. "I'm watching you, Russo."
"As always," Rob replied.
Lauren allowed none of this, quickly directing him into the garage with the rest of her crew, leaving me and Rob alone on the grass. He ran his hand over my knee, thumbing away the streak of green.
"I'm not sure what's happened here," he said. "But I feel like it's a lot."
For the second time today, tears filled my eyes.
This wasn't about finally crossing a threshold with Sam or letting go of all my grudges—because yeah, they were grudges.
It wasn't about the Walshes rallying around me.
It wasn't Lauren taking Ben into her care. It was none of this but also all of it.
That climb, it never ended. Not really. There was no singular point of getting it or being all the way there. But there was a big difference between taking the first step and having the summit in sight.
And I could see it now. I didn't know everything and I was certain I'd get lost again but the air was thinner up here and my bags were lighter and now I knew there was more ahead of me than behind.
I nodded, brushed away a tear. "I feel like it's everything."