Chapter 38
The Ceasefire
Caden
We get done with practice and hurry to get cleaned up to go to Harper’s for dinner and cake.
“Are you sure we don’t have a girlfriend?” I ask Jack. “We’re not getting laid and we’re having dinner with her parent.”
Jack slaps me on the back. “Dude, you’re not wrong.”
“I’m working on that.” Luke sits on the bench to tie his shoes.
“Which part?” I ask.
“The laid part.” He makes sure his laces are tight. “But not tonight. It’s her birthday, so tomorrow.”
That sounds ominous. I smile. “I like it when you fight dirty.”
“She’s at least back to normal again. Let’s not push too hard.” Eli shuts his locker and picks up his backpack.
Jack shudders. “I didn’t like the Harper we got when we pushed too hard.”
“It was just an act to get us to back down.” Luke stands. “She found out she doesn’t like the results of that. Harper likes having our attention. All of our attention. So let’s give it to her.”
I chuckle. “I’ve been trying to give her all my attention, but you won’t let me go past kissing.”
Luke meets my eyes. “I have a plan. We’ll be respectable, nice boys so her mom doesn’t see a need to ground Harper anymore.”
“Still not convinced she’s really grounded,” I point out. Ms. Davidson didn’t confirm or deny it, but who grounds a senior for coming home late after school?
Luke slaps me on the shoulder. “Come on.”
We leave the locker room and head to Harper’s house, parking on the street this time. I stop to check Harper’s other tires on her car and there’s no sign of a flat or anything.
When we knock on the door, Harper answers.
“Hey, come on in.” She smiles as if she’s actually happy to see us for once.
We all pile into her house. My immediate want is to corner Harper and kiss the hell out of her, but we have to be respectful young men tonight and not the hell-raisers we actually are.
Her cheeks are pink as her mom clears her throat. Ms. Davidson looks like an older version of Harper with a few differences. She’s still hot for an older woman.
“So,” Harper says, “this is Luke, Jack, Eli, and Caden.”
Wiping her hands on a towel, Ms. Davidson nods at us. She’s still got a suspicious glint in her eyes, but that tracks. After all, we’re a lot for most parents who knew us growing up. Plus, our interest in her daughter isn’t just friendly.
“It’s nice to put names to the faces since you seem to be everywhere now.”
“Mom.” Harper forces a quick smile. “Why don’t we go wait in the living room for dinner to be finished.”
“Can I help you with anything?” Jack steps away from us, farther into the kitchen. “You work with my mom, Dr. Cathy Hill.”
“Of course.” She smiles and gestures to the lettuce and vegetables. “You could start the salad. Your mother is a very talented doctor.”
Harper seems unsure what to do with the rest of us, so she leads us into the living room and sits in the chair, leaving us the couch.
I give her the stink eye and for half a second consider lifting her and putting her on my lap, but I figure that will get everyone mad at me.
Instead, I sit next to Eli on the couch.
“How was practice?” Harper asks. She fidgets with her fingers and glances toward her mom and Jack every few seconds. They talk quietly in the kitchen.
“Good.” Eli smiles and leans back on the couch. “Did you figure out the problem in physics?”
Eli keeps the conversation flowing with class questions. Honestly, I don’t know if Harper has any hobbies or what the girl does for fun. It feels like she just sparked into existence this year, but that’s not the case.
We don’t know much about her except the obvious. She watches zombie movies and shows. Takes art class. And the dance thing Jack found.
Normally I don’t like to get to know girls, but it seems like if we’re keeping Harper for a year, we should probably know more about her.
I glance around the room and my gaze stops on a photo collage of Harper through the years. Pictures from when she was a baby with a big grin and no hair. Pictures of a toddler with pigtails and that same impish grin. A little older Harper with a group of friends at a park.
Before I can get up to see if I recognize anyone, Harper’s mom comes out of the kitchen and clears her throat. “Everything’s ready.”
We all stand. “What should we call you, Ms. Davidson?” The words pop out of my mouth.
“Oh.” Harper’s mom’s face flushes. “You can call me Jennifer.”
The back door opens, and Kenz stumbles in holding a half-dozen balloons and a large present. “Sorry I’m late. Do you know how hard it is to drive with balloons in the back of your car?”
Harper grins and steps forward to take the balloons. “Thanks, Kenz.”
Kenz puts the gift on the entry table and faces all of us. “You guys again. Jeez, H, you sure you don’t have boyfriends?”
Harper laughs awkwardly and grabs Kenz’s arm. “That’s so not funny.”
“It totally is. Maybe not to you, but if this shit were happening to me, you’d be laughing your ass off,” Kenz says, low enough I can hear but I doubt Jennifer can.
“Boyfriend or not, these guys helped Harper out and we’re feeding them.” Jennifer gestures to the table and the island. “Sorry, we don’t normally have a lot of people over for dinners.”
“No worries.” Jack takes one of the bar stools. Eli and I take the others.
Glaring at me, Luke sits at the table with the girls. Serves the fucker right. He acts like Harper is his. He can pretend to be the boyfriend tonight.
Harper
When I sit next to Mom, Kenz sits opposite me instead of beside me. I shoot her an annoyed look as Luke takes the chair next to me. It’s not like I can be sassy or catty to the guys in front of my mother. She already has enough questions about what’s happening in my life.
Giving Luke a pleasant smile, I turn my attention to the guys at the island. This is so weird. I wasn’t even going to tell them it’s my birthday. Now we’re all gathered in my kitchen like we’re besties.
“We’re not formal here. Go ahead and dig in.” Mom pushes the mac and cheese my way.
After scooping some onto my plate, I pass it to Luke. His hand brushes mine, but he doesn’t do or say anything inappropriate as he takes the dish. With little talking, everyone fills their plates.
As I put a bite of mac and cheese in my mouth, Mom asks, “So how was everyone’s day?”
Her gaze goes right to Luke. He takes a drink of soda and sets it down. His gaze meets mine before he smiles at my mom. “A regular school day followed by practice. Fall is busy with football and games.”
“What’s your position on the team?” Mom pops a bite into her mouth but manages to look super interested in whatever Luke has to say.
“Quarterback.” Luke leans back in his chair. “We’ve made it to State the last three years. We want to make it four before heading off to college.”
“Are you going to play college football?”
“That’s the dream, isn’t it?” Luke smirks as he takes a bite.
I honestly don’t know what the guys dream about. That isn’t part of our odd dynamic. They try to get into my pants, and I try to avoid them. The future seems like forever away. I’ve made plans for mine, and I assume they have plans for theirs.
“What about the rest of you?” Mom turns to look at the guys sitting at the island. “Is football the long-term goal?”
“I don’t think any of us have aspirations to play professionally, ma’am.” Jack smiles at my mom. “This is really good mac and cheese. My mom only does the kind you microwave.”
“Trust me, most days it’s freezer mac and cheese, but Harper’s birthday is special.” Mom smiles at me and tucks a stray strand of hair behind my ear. “We don’t always get to spend it together, but we always celebrate it.”
I give her a smile back. Some years she’s worked or I had dance. Usually, it’s me and her for dinner, squeezed in whenever we can. Kenz and I do lunch. But now and then our schedules align.
“Thank you for my birthday dinner, Mom.”
The guys all say thank you along with Kenz.
Mom asks me about my day, and I tell her about classes. Kenz adds in about lunch. The guys don’t say much, but they eat a lot.
After the most awkward dinner ever in the history of dinners, Mom lights the candles on the cake.
Kenz and Mom lead the guys in the most surreal version of “Happy Birthday” in my life.
Luke stands close to me as I lean in to blow out the candles.
I don’t know what to wish because I don’t even know what’s going on in my life right now.
Do I wish the guys out of my life or do I wish for a pony?
I mean, neither wish will get me far. Maybe I should just wish to get into college.
Luke brushes his fingers across the back of my hand as I blow out the candles, and my mind goes blank. My heart skips a beat, and the candles are blown out with no wish in sight.
Mom takes the cake back to the island and cuts it. Kenz hands me her present. I unwrap the box and open it to find Kenz’s prom dress from last year.
“I’m not going to wear it again and I know you loved it. I figured you could wear it to homecoming since you probably have at least one date to take you.” Kenz glances around at the guys. What she really means is I don’t have to hide at home and miss out on the dances this year.
“What a fantastic idea.” My mom lifts the dress out of the box. It’s a shimmery silver dress with a pretty sheer overlay. We both tried it on last year and both loved it. Since I wasn’t going to prom and she was, she bought it.
“Thank you, Kenz.” I avoid looking at any of the guys.
We haven’t really discussed social activities outside of the ones where they get me naked, but I’m sure it will come up.
I haven’t even been to a party before. Everything was off limits because of potentially falling prey to one of the horsemen’s notice.
Mom doesn’t say anything as she returns the dress to the box. Taking a breath, I hold out my hand to my mom. “The guys got me this ring. They gave it to me earlier today.”
Her eyes widen as she looks at the ring. Yeah, a ring is a lot for someone you aren’t even dating, but they do want a lot from me.
“That’s gorgeous. Well done, guys.” Mom’s eyes squint a little as she tries to figure out why the four of them would get me one ring, and an expensive looking one.
“Let’s eat cake.” I try to distract her from the fact that if four guys are trying to woo me, why would they all chip in on one gift. Complicate that with Kenz practically calling them my boyfriends, and I’m pretty sure I could give my mother a coronary by saying I have four guys, not just one.
Or maybe she’ll just assume I’m playing the field and dating around instead of settling on one guy. Seems like a reasonable assumption. I’m young and don’t have to have a boyfriend when I could date four guys who are all cool with the situation. Right?
She doesn’t have to know that they want to do other things to me together, and that I want that too.
My brain blows a fuse at that last bit. Shit, is that what I really want? I want all of them?
Luke’s cool gaze meets mine like he knows what I’m thinking. My cheeks heat and I look at the cake. I can sort through my feelings later in private.
We pass out slices, and everyone gets a piece. Kenz talks about our art class and how this year’s project is going to be hella hard. Caden helps my mom with the dishes, and we spend more awkward moments talking about school before it’s time for everyone to go home.
Kenz never got a chance to tell me about Tanner, but I also forgot to ask her about it. I walk the guys out to their cars, and Mom waves and says goodbye to everyone. When we get to their cars, Kenz waves as she drives off.
“Happy birthday.” Jack hugs me. It feels nice and safe and appropriate after tonight’s dinner.
The others murmur happy birthdays as they each give me a hug good night. Luke is the last, and his hug feels like he’s never hugged another person in his life.
“We’re going to have to work on your hug,” I say softly in his ear as he releases me.
“Trying to fix me, princess?” Luke yanks gently on my ponytail.
I shrug. “Who knows, maybe you’re human after all.”
“I wouldn’t go that far.” He releases my hair and gives me a nudge toward my house. “Go inside. We’ll make sure you get in before we leave.”
“I think I can make it across the lawn without getting kidnapped.” I shake my head but walk to the house anyway, waving at the door before going inside to face my mom.