Chapter 21 Lane
Catch!”
I grab the hot dog Jarrow sends sailing my way and drop it onto my plate, blowing on my fingers.
Brat by brat, Lois’s family is doing an amazing job of easing my nerves.
We’ve gathered in the yard, the food finally coming off the grill, and my mouth is watering.
If it weren’t for all the Christmas decorations strung up all over the place, it would feel like the start of a summer vacation.
“Lane, second hot dog incoming!”
“Got it!”
“Nice catch.” Mitch is nodding approvingly at me. “Lois told me you’re studying film. Play any sport?”
“Nope.”
“He does have a side hustle, though.” Lois spears her burger with a fork.
I spin around to her, my eyes widening. Don’t tell me she’s about to…
“He writes movies.”
“Really? That’s incredible!” Her mom is gazing at me.
That was close…
“Porn movies.” Lois beams at me.
I gape at her. I’m not ashamed of what I do, but is she for real? This isn’t exactly family-friendly material.
“I had no idea they used screenwriters for those kinds of things.” Mary sounds curious.
“Right? That’s exactly what I said, Mom!”
“Of course they do!” Kesley shouts down from the end of the table.
“And how exactly would you know, young man?” Lois’s mom eyeballs him.
“Ask Dad.”
“Something’s burning.” Mitch sidesteps neatly, turning back to the grill, while Diego peers at me excitedly.
“So does it pay well?”
“Can’t complain.”
“Can you hook me up with an actress?” Jeff tries.
“Jeffrey—”
“I’m kidding, Mom!”
His mom might believe him, but I sure as hell don’t—not after the secret kick he just sent me under the table.
“Like I said, Lois,” her brother says, topping off his glass, “this guy is way cooler than your last one.”
It’s funny how the simplest of sentences can hit so hard.
He just compared me to Kirk as if Lois were my girlfriend, and my eyes slide over to her, a bunch of scenes flying through my mind.
It’s the kind of movie I would never normally shoot.
The Florida sunshine has clearly fried my brain, and now I must be staring at her, because Lois raises an eyebrow.
“Have I got something stuck in my teeth?”
“No, I’m just shocked to see you packing in the calories, for once.”
“Since when do you diet, honey?” her mom asks.
Lois is sending me distress signals—I’m picking them up loud and clear. I cock an eyebrow, keeping my eyes locked on her.
“I think my pizza habit kinda put her off for life.”
Her mom smiles at me warmly. “I can’t thank you enough for taking care of her while she finds a dorm.”
“No problem.”
“I mean, you weren’t exactly down with it at first,” Lois adds.
“Maybe not. But I didn’t kick you to the curb like Kirk did.”
The words come spilling out of me, and when I hear Lois cussing under her breath, I realize what I’ve just done. Seems like she didn’t tell them the full story.
“Thanks, Lane.” She narrows her eyes, throwing her knife and fork down on her plate.
“He did what?” the boys and their dad roar as one.
“That’s not exactly how it happened.”
Lois delivers a swift kick to my shin beneath the table, and I’m pretty sure they all catch it.
“It’s his apartment,” Lois starts. “So, you know—”
“Don’t tell me you’re making excuses for him.” Mitch bristles.
“That’s what she’s been doing from the get-go,” I say, loud enough for them all to hear.
She’s still finding him excuses, and every time she does it, it pisses me off. She’d been making a little progress lately, but I’m starting to realize that she always ends up falling back into the same pattern over and over again.
“He kicked my baby out? After all those years? All those basketball games we went to, cheering him on…” Her dad shakes his head. “I’m going to grab my gun—”
“You don’t have a gun.” Lois rolls her eyes.
“Not yet, I don’t.”
“Dad, please. Don’t get involved.”
“He’s in town, though,” Jarrow adds. “I saw him when I was skating yesterday morning. We need revenge. Let’s get a crew together and take down that son of a—”
“Jarrow!” his mom hisses. She seems to think for a moment. “The word you’re looking for is ‘son of a goddamn gun.’ ”
Jarrow jumps to his feet. “That’s the spirit, Mom!”
Lois pushes back her chair. “Look, I can handle this, okay?”
Silence settles over the table, all eyes on her.
“You guys need to calm the hell down and get into the Christmas spirit! I told you everything you need to know, and you promised you’d leave Kirk alone. I’m not a little girl, I can handle my business, and if any one of you starts sticking your nose in, you’re dead. Capiche?”
She sits back down, smoothing her napkin over her lap. Her voice softens.
“I was with him for four years. I can’t just move on overnight. Plus, none of you know the full story, but trust me—there’s no need to worry. Now pass the veggies, Jeff.”
I stare at her, shell-shocked. It’s wild how she’s latching on to this guy, and she might be able to kid her parents, but she isn’t fooling me. So they spent four magical years together—so what? She should be madder about this whole situation.
Jesus. Why do I care so much?
I take a bite of meat and do my best to push all the bullshit out of mind. This is Lois’s problem, not mine, and yeah, we’re friends—but it’s her life.
“Shall we exchange gifts?” Mary tries.
I push back from the table just as Lois does the same, and we race inside, sprinting up the stairs. I pull ahead of her to block her way.
“I’m sorry if I ruined the moment.”
“Don’t worry about it, Lane.” She sighs. “By the time we get back down there, they’ll have moved on to something else. It’ll take more than that to ruin my Christmas.” She smiles. “Are you having fun, or do you still hate me for making you come?”
I pull a shocked face. “Weirdly enough, it’s actually kinda great.”
“I told you my family is cool.”
“I got a little something for your parents, but I don’t have gifts for your secret brothers.”
“I got them some vouchers—let’s just say they’re from both of us. By the way,” she continues, “I found what you rolled up in my panties. Did you have to hide it there, you creep?”
I wiggle my eyebrows at her. I stuffed the small gift into her bag on the day she left without really checking where I was putting it, but I’m not telling her that—I’m getting a kick out of how grossed out she looks.
“Is it something embarrassing?” She looks at me nervously.
“Nope! Relax, you can open it in front of the gang.”
“Just checking.”
When I step back into the yard, Mary is laying a gift out on each chair, and when she smiles at me, my heart drops. I’ve never had a Christmas like this—easy, relaxed. With a family. If only Mike could see me now.
“Come on!”
Lois is hopping from foot to foot behind me, and I head back to my seat, my pulse racing.
“I’m so happy we’re all here together this evening.” Mary gazes at us fondly.
“Thank you for having me,” I say, and I mean it.
Lois taps my leg, slipping a little square box into my lap. The wrapping paper is beautiful. Before she snatches her hand away, I give it a small squeeze.
“What a beautiful scarf!” Mary gasps, shaking the fabric loose. “Thank you, Lane. I just love it!”
I smile back at her and open my own gift, thanking her in turn for the leather bracelet.
Mitch holds up the bottle of scotch I picked out for him. “Great choice, buddy! Us men will need to give it a taste before you head back.”
“Not cool.” Lois pouts.
“I have some French champagne,” her mom whispers to her.
Mitch raises his eyebrows. “Where?”
“Some place you’ll never find.”
“So with the cleaning stuff?” Kesley tosses a ball of crumpled paper at his dad.
“Very good. You definitely got your sense of humor from Aunt Aubrey.”
“That’s low, man.”
I turn my attention back to Lois. She’s opening her last gift—my gift.
“No way.” She holds up the T-shirt, laughing.
It’s blue, with a big “S” in red and yellow right in the middle. I was scared she’d think it was lame, but she looks so happy turning it over in her hands, I think I made the right call. Lewis would be so proud.
“Okay, Lane. You’re up next.”
I tug at the yellow ribbon and carefully peel back the tape.
“You got a wrapping paper fetish, or something?” Jeff quips. “Rip it off, man!”
“Sorry, dude. My friend Lewis is obsessed with the stuff—he hates it when we tear it. Old habit.”
I carry on peeling back the layers, and when I’m done, I fold the paper into fours.
Mary gasps when she sees what her daughter has picked out for me. “Did you two plan this all along?”
“Nope.”
“So can we make Superman jokes now?” Diego begs.
“The answer is still no,” Lois replies.
“Meanie.”
The table bursts out laughing, and I brush my fingers over the fabric. There were a hundred different gifts Lois and I could have picked, and we chose the exact same one.
Mary claps her hands. “We need a photo of this. Come on, you two!”
She whips the Superman T-shirts off us and shepherds us over to the front steps.
“Put them on!”
“Lois, I’m scared,” I whisper.
“Whatever you do, don’t look her in the eye.”
I catch the T-shirt Mary throws my way and strip off before I get my ass whooped.
“Mom, did you just take a photo of Lane with his shirt off?” Lois puts her hands on her hips.
“Just checking the lighting, honey.”
“Lord, give me strength.”
I slip my arms through the armholes, immediately sensing something isn’t right.
Lois starts to laugh. “Shit—you got the wrong one.”
I tug down on the fabric, but try as I might, it still doesn’t cover my belly button.
“Oh my God.” She’s bent double. “You’re wearing mine.”
I close my eyes and shake my head, listening to the peals of laughter all around me.
“That photo will be worth its weight in gold.”
Lois leans into me, with my oversize T-shirt on, and I sling an arm over her shoulders, hooking her neck, pretending to strangle her. She dips her head down to my bare stomach and gives it a playful slap.
“Girl, you are giving Florida vibes.” She snaps her fingers, burying her head in my chest.
“Say cheese,” I mutter between clenched teeth.