Chapter 14
fourteen
Tate
Your family’s the best.” I pull the lever of the passenger seat and recline it fully.
We are on our way back to campus after a quick forty-eight-hour trip down to Fletcher’s house for Thanksgiving. Honestly, holidays with his family feel more comfortable than holidays with my own. It’s crazy to be around a family that cares the way his family does.
“They surely think so.” He laughs, turning on his signal and getting onto the highway.
“And I can’t believe Chase is going to be a dad. I feel like it was just yesterday that he and Stella were watching us so your moms could have a date night when he was visiting from college.”
“I know. I honestly think I’m surprised it didn’t happen sooner.” Fletcher glances over at me, and then his eyes find the road again. “They’ve been together for so long that it seems crazy that it’s just now happening.”
“You think he’s going to propose?”
“I don’t know. I don’t think they care about it that much. Stella likes to say something about Russelling it?”
“Oh, like Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell? I guess that makes sense. Stella was never one to talk about getting married or anything like that. She always talked about wanting to be a mom, though.”
“I can’t believe it. I know I’m already an uncle, but this one just seems so exciting.” He pauses, tapping the steering wheel. “Does that make me a bad person?”
“Not at all.” I shake my head, pulling the lever to sit up. “You’re closer with Chase than you are with Lauren. Plus, she wasn’t here when she had her kids. They live in Florida. Sarah was nearly a year old when you met her for the first time, and Jace, you didn’t meet for like two years.”
“That’s true. Like, I can meet Chase and Stella’s baby the day they’re born, you know?”
Fletcher looks like a kid in a candy store. I never thought I’d hear him this excited over one of his siblings having a baby. Everyone in his family freaked out when Chase and Stella let it slip during dinner. Still, there was a light in Fletcher’s eyes that not everyone had.
“They said I get to be the Godfather.” His smile fills his whole face.
“I don’t know why they would choose anyone else.” I rest a hand on his shoulder.
“Thanks, T.”
“Of course.”
“And sorry about the forced sleepover. Hopefully, Kassidy didn’t talk your ear off too much.”
“Shut up, Fletch. You know I love Kass. I love your whole family, but she’s always been like a little sister to me. I think she attached herself to me because you guys were the only kids in the house, aside from fosters, until she was seven.”
Kassidy now has more siblings who are close to her age, but back then, she was used to getting close to someone only to have them go back home to their biological parents.
She didn’t mind; none of them did. They still see some of the kids their moms fostered, but I think it was nice for her to have a constant that wasn’t an annoying brother.
“Shit. It’s weird to think about all of them not being around. That I haven’t seen them grow up from day one because it feels like I did.”
“Yeah, Christian and Willow were adopted right after their seventh birthday, after living with you guys for nearly two years. But I feel like I remember the day they were born.”
“Even though none of us knew them when they were born?”
“Exactly.” I chuckle. “No, the sleepover was great. It’s nice to have little sisters. The world just looks so different through their eyes.”
“So, they didn’t bother you too much then?”
“Not even a little.”
I don’t bother to tell him that after the younger three girls went to bed, the older three girls talked my ear off about Fletcher and me.
Kassidy asked me when I was finally going to make a move because her brother was obviously interested, and she could tell that I was too.
I didn’t even know what to say. I just told her that we’re best friends and that will never change.
Then Iris said Stella and Chase were once best friends and told everyone it would never happen… and look at them now.
She got me there.
But I think Stella and Chase are the lucky ones. Not everyone falls in love with their best friend and has it all work out.
After I told them that there was a chance that if Fletcher and I ever went there and it didn’t work out, that everything could change between us. Which could lead to me not spending holidays with them or visiting as often; the girls fell silent.
I didn’t say it to be mean; I was just being honest.
I would hope that Fletcher and I could stay friends if things didn’t go according to plan, but I also know I’d never risk it.
“You okay?” His voice softens. “Kind of zoned out on me.”
“Tired.” I sigh, pulling my legs onto the chair. “I have a friend who plays hockey and needed us to leave his parents' house at six in the morning to get back to campus.”
“You could’ve stayed,” he argues. “You know Stella and Chase would’ve given you a ride back to campus on Sunday.”
“It’s out of the way.”
“You just wanted to keep me company on the ride back.” He pokes my shoulder. “It’s okay, Tate, you can admit it.”
“You’re so stupid.” I curl up, turning my body toward the window.
“You love it.” He teases, and luckily, I’m not looking at him because I fear my cheeks would’ve given me away.
I do love it.
It’s hard not to love someone like Fletcher.
Sure, he can be an absolute idiot sometimes and completely oblivious, but he has the purest heart I’ve ever seen.
“Eh, not really.” I lie. “Wake me up when we get there, okay?”
“You know the passenger is supposed to stay awake during road trips. You know, give directions, feed me snacks, keep me awake—”
“I would never feed you snacks. That’s weird.”
“It’s caring.”
“Fuck off.”
He just laughs.
And I listen to it until I fall asleep.