Thirty-Three #2
Egon laughs. “She doesn’t know about Rake and before you think poorly of me, I just don’t want the confrontation.
I don’t want to hear her opinion because it’s going to hurt and piss me off at the same time.
We never see my parents—I haven’t since the summer between my sophomore and junior year of college.
I talk to them maybe three times a year.
They’re not a part of my life and they’ve always been subtly homophobic.
I’d rather keep this happy, perfect thing private where they can’t touch it. ”
Oren leans into me and nods. “I don’t think my father was homophobic,” he says, likely thinking that’s the connection that Egon was trying to make.
“I know it looks otherwise, but since he first started posting shit, I’ve thought about it a lot.
Dane and Frankie are certainly homophobic and have a lot to say on the matter, but I can’t recall a time my father said much about it.
Not just in my presence, but in conversations I’ve overheard, like when my brothers were going off about it. ”
“He said those things to hurt Adak,” Rake says.
Oren shakes his head. “No. He said those things to try and manipulate me. So I’d come home where he’d have control over me again and in return, he’d leave Adak alone.”
“I see,” Rake says, frowning. “That’s…”
“Fucked up?” Oren suggests.
The amused little smile Rake gives Oren makes me grin. “Yes. Fucked up.”
“Karma took him in the end,” Oren says, shrugging.
My eyes flicker to Egon, who’s been smiling widely at Oren. His gray eyes meet mine and maybe he’s thinking about whatever the friend of a friend was going to do to ‘silence’ Jessup or maybe he’s just happy. But his smile doesn’t change.
I’m not sad that man was murdered.
I hug my sister for a long minute. “You look happy, baby brother,” Laska says.
“You’ve seen me for like thirty seconds.”
She huffs. “And in those thirty seconds, I can see how much happier you are than I’ve seen you in years.”
I hum as I stand back. “I’ll have you know that I’ve had several comments on the interior design of my house. One of which is that the guest bedroom is ‘sexy.’ I promised I’d pass along the compliments.”
Laska raises an eyebrow. “Which is the sexy room?”
“First on the left as you come up the stairs.”
“Huh,” she says. “What did they say about the other bedrooms?”
“He didn’t. He was there late hanging with Oren and crashed in the first room he came to.”
“I’ll have to research what makes a room sexy. Thanks for the note.”
I turn my attention to her husband and hug Prayan. “How’s business?” I ask.
“It’s business,” he answers, shrugging. “How’s hockey?”
“This might sound negative, but I’m glad for the break. It was a rough season.”
“Five injuries!” Laska says. “That’s insane.”
I nod. “Considering hockey is like 50% mental, my team was screwed as soon as Min was hurt. Thankfully, we didn’t have a game after Holly’s injury. I shudder to think what that might have done to them.”
“Shitty,” Laska agrees. “My son here?”
“Which son?”
She narrows her eyes on me. “The son that talks to you much more frequently than he does his mother.”
I laugh. “Rake and Egon got in about noon yesterday. They’re sleeping.”
“Pfft,” Jiya says as he comes into the room. “I doubt they’re sleeping.”
“Ugh,” Laska says, shoving Jiya. “A mother doesn’t want to hear these things!”
Eshaan follows Jiya in and stops at my side, wrapping an arm around me in a sideways hug. “Hey, Uncle. Where’s your new man?”
“You all arrived at the crack ass of dawn. He’s still in bed.”
“Go get him then,” Jiya says. “You haven’t brought a guy around since we were kids!”
“I’m suddenly regretting this decision,” I mutter as I turn back for the room. I pass Egon and Rake’s door as it’s opening.
“Thank god. Go entertain them so they don’t jump on Oren as soon as I bring him out, please.”
Egon grins. “On it, Coach!”
“Good luck,” Rake says, following Egon down the hall.
I find Oren sitting up in bed, staring out the window.
Did I score us the best room in the chalet before everyone else arrived?
Yes, I did. No shame. It’s not even the primary bedroom.
I’ve always appreciated this room more because of the glass walls on two sides.
The views are just superior in my opinion.
Rake and Egon are in the bedroom next to ours. The bunk room will be where Jiya and Eshaan sleep and, of course, the primary suite is for my sister and her husband.
When I climb on the bed, Oren looks at me with his lip between his teeth. I wrap around him and he sighs contentedly, melting into me.
“I enjoy waking up to you best,” he says, “just so you know.”
I chuckled. “Sorry. My sister decided to show up at the ass crack of dawn and I didn’t want her clunking around in an effort to wake up the whole house.”
“They’re all here, huh?” he asks, voice quiet.
“They are, and excited to meet you.”
“Well… let’s go then.”
Oren chucks the covers off and I find he’s already dressed.
In clothes that are from his house and not that he’s acquired since leaving it.
I stop him, pulling him to my chest. “Question.” He looks up.
“Are you wearing this because you’re comfortable in it?
To hide? You’re out of clean clothes otherwise? ”
His smile widens. “Yes.” He tilts his head. “And no. They’re not as comfortable as I thought they were.”
Kissing him, I pull him to the closet and dig around until I find another pair of leggings and one of my shirts that he loves to wear.
They’re not the sexy ass leggings. They’re sports leggings.
To keep your junk out of the way and not bouncing around while you run and shit.
Believe it or not, it can be distracting for everyone around.
His eyes meet mine again. “Since when do you wear leggings?”
I smirk and kiss him again. “You don’t know everything about me, sweetheart.”
He laughs and pulls the shirt he’s wearing over his head and shoves the old pants down. At least he’s still wearing the new underwear he likes best. I watch as he pulls my clothing on and then looks at me. I recognize that expression.
“You look perfect,” I assure him, pulling him against me. “Promise.”
Oren sighs. “It’s not like you’d tell me anything different.” He walks to the door and then waits for me.
“I’d tell you if I thought it was inappropriate or… No, you know what? You’re allowed to wear anything you want. However, I wouldn’t let you wear this to a black-tie event. Keep that in mind.”
I love his laughter. Linking our hands together, I press a soft kiss to his forehead again and then draw him out of the room.
It happens just as I thought it would. My sister immediately hugs him, telling Oren how happy she is that he’s here.
Jiya and Eshaan are actually very quiet and sweet to him.
While Prayan is always the epitome of politeness.
And Egon takes the attention away from Oren when it’s apparent that he’s far too flustered with everyone looking at him.
We sit for breakfast. Apparently, my sister ordered a feast when she arrived because it’s spread thick across the table. Conversation is quiet and pleasant. They try to include Oren, while also allowing him to just observe.
After a moment in which the conversation dies down, my sister sets her silverware on the table and looks at Rake and Egon. “When are you going to give me grandbabies?”
I raise my brows because, damn. I didn’t see that one coming!
By the way Egon’s eyes go wide, he didn’t either.
Rake, being Rake, doesn’t seem concerned with the question as he swallows the bite he’d been chewing, his expression as neutral as usual.
“We’ve been trying to conceive, Mum. Sorry to say it hasn’t happened yet.
” He pats Egon’s stomach. “But we’ll keep trying. ”
Jiya spits his drink across the table as Prayan and Eshaan burst out laughing. Oren chokes on his food, so I’m patting his back, watching Egon look at Rake with horror.
“Rakesh!” Egon hisses.
And Rake? Like nothing happened. Staring at his mother with a very bemused expression.
Once it all quiets down, Rake sits back and wraps his arm casually around Egon’s shoulders. Egon clears his throat, his cheeks pink. “We haven’t talked about kids.”
“We have a kid. He weighs thirty-eight pounds and is the size of a toddler,” Rake says.
Egon looks at Oren. “Cat. His name is Puck.”
Oren nods.
My sister turns her attention on me and Oren. I’m rather happily surprised when Oren says, “We have talked about kids. One, maybe.” His voice is quiet but sure. I truly try not to grin like a loon, but it can’t be helped.
“On that note,” Egon says, getting to his feet. He nods toward the door, looking at Oren. “Let’s go in the hot tub before they start planning our futures for us.”
Oren smiles and gets to his feet. Then he pauses and looks at me, panic in his eyes. The only swimsuit he brought was that skimpy little thing.
“Check my bag,” I tell him and his shoulders relax as he leaves the room.
“You didn’t tell him to bring his trunks?” Laska asks.
“Honestly, mother,” Eshaan says. “I’m sure the trunks he brought he doesn’t want to be wearing in front of all of us.”
“Ah,” Laska says. “Been a while since I was young.”
“You can still wear the skimpy bikini, dearest,” Prayan says. “I won’t complain at all.”
“UGH!” Jiya and Eshaan say together as they push their chairs back.
“I’m not listening to this,” Jiya says.
When the kids have left the room, Laska grins at me. “Perfect. Now seriously, you’re talking about a baby?”
Maybe I should join them.