CHAPTER ONE EMBER #2
“Good! I moved this way a few months ago to help with this nugget while Asher is deployed.” We migrate into the living room. He grabs my drink I had abandoned on the counter to clean up Aria. He opens it without prompting and passes it to me once I’m seated on the gray sectional, Aria in my lap.
“How do you know Asher?” I nervously inquire. I'm such a nosy bitch, but I don’t understand how they could be friends, and this be our first run-in.
“I was hired on for a contract. We met early last year,” he says, watching Aria now, while she hooks her hands in my mouth. “I didn’t realize Atlas was his wife, he only ever calls her ‘Babe or my wife’ around the guys, so I never put it together.”
I let out a small laugh. “Just how Atlas likes it.”
We sit there, making small talk while I distract Aria as her parents work together in the kitchen. Watching Atlas and Asher work around each other, sharing flirty smiles and teasing elbow digs, makes me happy seeing my baby sister so in love.
“So are you going on this deployment then?” I ask, only slightly wondering that this is just a quick drop in before he’s gone for months.
“Nah, my contract is up and I'm thinking about changing things up.” Harley blows out his breath. “My dad passed away a few years ago and left me some money. I’ve been sitting on it, waiting for something to invest in. I’ve actually been thinking about getting into the coffee business.”
That takes me by surprise. Not the coffee investment, but the part about his dad leaving him money was a surprise. His dad was never really great to him, but Harley always loved his dad regardless of how he’d been treated.
“Coffee business?” I ask with a playful questioning tone. “Like making it?”
“Coffee beans,” he says before elaborating.
“I was browsing the marketplace on Facebook and found a listing from a local coffee roastery trying to get out from under their business. I like to research and found myself pretty interested in the process of coffee bean roasting,” Harley relays.
“A few of the local coffee shops were buying from the local roaster, but the owner was diagnosed with cancer a few months back.” His face turns somber, but he continues.
“He tried to keep working, but the chemo was kicking his ass. Even if he lives, he said he’s ready to take his wife on all the trips they’ve always dreamed about. ”
I listen to him, putting the pieces together, and know exactly who he’s talking about.
Mr. Spencer is the sweetest old man. He used to roast the coffee beans daily, but he’d been diagnosed with cancer and production had slowed over time, before stopping altogether.
I feel my heart flutter over Harley’s attempt to help Mr. Spencer get out from under the business so he can focus on his health and spend time with his family.
“Hey Ember, can you come help me?” Atlas calls out, cutting through my thoughts.
As I'm getting up with Aria, Harley reaches out. “Here, I'll take her.” I hesitate and look to Atlas for an okay. She gives a slight nod and a smile, so I pass her over to Harley.
“Hi, sweet girl, is today your first birthday?” He coos at her, making her giggle. BOOM. You heard that? That was my ovaries bursting.
I make my way over to Atlas who’s wearing the smuggest grin. “Look at that, he’s good with kids.” She shoves her hip into me. She’s really utilizing the material she was blessed with to fuck with me today. Twat.
“Yeah, yeah, he can talk to a baby, whipdy doo.” I dramatically roll my eyes. “What do you need help with?”
“Just figured I’d see how things are going. I can’t believe ‘Black’ was Harley fucking Blackwood,” she says, shaking her head with a little laugh.
I shake my head in disbelief before I finish off the last of my Truly. I dunk it into the trash can and go back to setting out the food.
Once we’re done prepping, and everything is ready, we call everyone over to eat. Music plays as everyone follows the food train around the island, filling their plates, and chatting. I feel a sense of calm and happiness as I stand back and watch.
We have a small cake and sing to Aria for her birthday.
She screams at the top of her lungs when we sing to her, so it’s a quick celebration.
After that, everyone disperses around the house to socialize.
Aria makes her way back into Harley’s arms in the living room while Atlas enjoys her plate of food, planted next to Asher.
I venture over to Harley and Aria. She must have dozed off, because he put his finger to his lips, giving me the universal “shhh” sign.
I smile and reach for her, wanting to lay her in her bed before she wakes up.
“I didn’t see you eat yet,” he says softly. “Go get your food and I'll hold her.”
God, that should not be attractive. She isn’t even my baby. “It’s fine, really, I snacked a little.”
“Yeah, and last I counted, you were on your fourth drink.” He laughs. “If you don’t eat, you’re going to end up in the bathroom sooner than you think.”
All I can do is laugh. We dated for like six months when I was fifteen.
How he could possibly know my drinking limit is beyond me.
But he isn’t wrong, so I make my way through the food line.
I fill my plate with the remnants after everyone else filled their own.
I smile and enjoy the buzz of the Trulys.
I feel a buzz in my back pocket and I tense on instinct, not wanting to ruin the vibe I’d allowed myself to have.
Setting my plate down on the counter, I pull out my phone to see who had texted me.
UNKNOWN:
November 23
That’s the whole message, and I know exactly what it means. I let out an exasperated breath. God I fucking hate him. I hate him. I hate him.
I’m lost in thought and don't hear Harley walk over, his eyebrows pulled together in question. “Everything okay?” he asks me as I stand there with my phone in my hand, before quickly shoving it back into my pocket. Fuck.
“Oh yeah, everything is fine.” Without waiting for a response, I grab Aria from his hold. “Here, let me take her, and I'll lay her down.” I take off for Aria’s bedroom, my lips pressed tightly together.