Twenty Six
December Sixth
Whitney
She was kidding herself when she said she was going to wait and talk to Orion. She went back to sneaking off at night to see him the last three nights while she got ahold of Orion, when she eventually had to go through Aldous. “Hey.”
The door to her brother's apartment opened up revealing Aldous.
Whitney was holding their grandmother's casserole dish, the only thing worth memorizing from their childhood. Knowing she was coming over, he stepped aside, letting her in.
She smiled. “Where's Orion?”
“He's in his room.”
“Did he know I was coming over?”
Whitney stepped up to his bedroom door and tapped.
Aldous grabbed a few plates from the cupboard. “Yes, I told him this morning.”
“What do you want?”
Bellowed from the inside.
“I want to talk.”
She stepped back, surprised to hear a female voice, rustling came from the inside and the door cracked open enough for his face to peek through. “I brought Grandma's dish, come eat.”
Orion closed the door behind him and dragged his shirt over his head. “What changed now that you want to be friends with me?”
She sat at the table that Aldous had set. “Well, I'm sure you don't care but me and Fade are getting back together. I would like things between us to work out as well.”
She scooped warm spoonfuls of the dish onto their plates.
“I don't care about that guy. I don't know why you're so obsessed with him either. The guy's a dick.”
“I'm not obsessed, we are in a relationship to get married. I would like a relationship with my brother and my fiancé. I just wanna know that you won't antagonize him and that I can have you both in the same room at the same time, and not have to play referee. This is not fair for me, Orion.”
She caught his attention. “What have I ever done to you?”
“Well, let's see for starters, you left us with dad.”
Aldous spoke up sitting between them. “Dude, we were sixteen, she was seventeen, what was she supposed to do? You act like we were children, why can't you get over that? She’s not Mom.”
“You know what?”
Orion’s utensils clanked against his plate. “Why don't you go fuck Brittanya? Since that's all you care about doing anyway.”
“I don't see why you're so mad, you've got a girlfriend.”
Whitney dropped her fork. “You have a girlfriend? Is that who is in there?”
Aldous didn’t let Orion speak. “Yeah, he's had one for a few weeks now. He's doing crazy shit like buying flowers and trying to romance her.”
Orion pitched in. “Her name is Rachel.”
She stared across at him. “Well, do you want me to come fuck up your relationship because I'm mad at you?”
Orion shrugged. “Listen, I can't help that I just want to punch the guy in the face. I did what you said and I didn't fight him.”
“You pushed him to his breaking point and that's what bugs me is you couldn't just let it go. You said something and you watched him tense up, so you said another thing knowing he'd blow his lid. I can't deal with that if things don't get under an agreement now, he's already agreed.”
She exhaled, “Owen, I’m going to step in the middle every time. Even if I get hurt, I will never stop loving any of you. No matter how many times I get hurt. The only person you two are hurting is me.”
He rolled his eyes. “Fine.”
“No Orion, this is how you acted the first time I asked you to do it. You rolled your eyes and said you would do it, and then you antagonized him. I want a full commitment. I want to know if you're actually trying.”
Orion showed his irritation as his fork hit his plate a second time. “He's been living two doors down and I ain't done nothing have I? Not even when he showed up here to give his little apology speech. I'm starting to feel like I’m the bad guy!”
“Well you are. I want you back in my life Orion,”
she exhaled, “All I want is to know, I can have you both in the same room and not have to worry about it escalating and have to worry about old shit coming up. Right now I have to worry about you pushing him and Fade losing his temper and trying to kill you. This is not fair to me.”
He stared at her for a moment without saying anything until he opened his mouth and forced out, “Ronnie, I promise.”
He held his eye contact before looking down to mumble, “He couldn’t kill me if he tried.”
Whitney ignored him. “Thank you.”
She finished her plate. “Now tell me about Rachel.”
“She's tall, blonde and from California.”
“What does she do?”
“She's a nurse.”
“That’s pretty cool. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could get all six of us together?”
He finished his last bite. “It’s never crossed my mind.”
Whitney turned her focus on Aldous. “How are things with you and Brittanya? Are things official yet?”
“No.”
Aldous grabbed his plate and stacked Whitney’s over his. “Not yet.”
December Ninth
Whitney stood at her front door with Fade behind her. “I haven’t told anyone we’re back together yet, so this should be a fun surprise.”
Her red lips tilted into a grin, and he kissed her gently.
“Okay.”
The door beeped open, and they stepped inside. Brittanya sat on the couch with Aldous and her mouth fell open when she saw Fade behind Whitney.
“Are you—does this mean you’re back together?”
Whitney beamed. “Yes.”
Brittanya jumped up and threw her arms around her. “I can’t believe it! I’m so happy for you.”
She stepped back, grinning at Fade. “Welcome back.”
Fade shut the door behind them. “Thanks. We kept things quiet while we sorted some stuff out.”
“That makes sense,”
Brittanya teased. “Whitney’s been so happy these last few days, I should’ve known.”
“Well, surprise,”
Whitney said, smirking.
Fade followed her down the hallway into her room. It had only been seven weeks, but it felt like longer since she’d gutted him in these four walls. On the bed, the unopened gift from him waited.
“I haven’t opened it yet,”
she said softly.
“Go ahead.”
She reached into the bag, pulling out a soft, silky, deep blue dress.
“Fade… it’s beautiful.”
“June made it. I had it custom-made for our second anniversary. I wanted to take you to Saffron. It’s a little late now, but I can still take you there.”
She smiled. “Thank you.”
“That’s not all that’s in there.”
Curious, she reached back into the bag and pulled out his leather belt. She laughed, her eyes bright.
“I was hoping to use that on your birthday,”
he teased. “I ended up buying another one because, well… you stopped talking to me, and I really needed it.”
“I’m sorry, baby.”
She wrapped her arms around his waist. “Don’t ever make me end things again.”
His body melted into hers. “I’ll do everything in my power to make sure it never happens again. I promise you, Whitney.”
Brittanya’s laughter echoed from the living room, reminding Whitney of something. “Oh, did you know Brittanya and Aldous are a thing?”
Fade grinned. “Yeah, I kinda figured when I saw her on his doorstep one night. I just didn’t know if she was with him or Orion.”
Whitney’s jaw dropped. “Did everyone know except me?”
“Does it matter?”
Fade shrugged.
“I guess not.”
She kissed him softly, then tugged him toward the bed. Her eyes flicked up to his, and she bit her lip. “Spend the night.”
“Say no more.”
December Twenty-Third
Whitney
Whitney and Brittanya splurged and rented a fake Christmas tree this year. Whitney was missing the holiday spirit from her childhood and was trying to bring some of it back now that her brothers were here. After their mom left, a tree was rarely put up at Christmas time, and those rare moments of celebration often dissolved into fights or their dad being drunk by lunchtime. This year, she was hopeful for at least one holiday without arguing, without tension.
She’d invited everyone she cared about to join her for Christmas dinner: Fade, June and Wolfie, Brittanya and Aldous, Orion and Rachel, Max, Shianne, and their baby girl, Elodie. Fade had helped her buy enough food to make the right amount for each recipe, and June had come by earlier to help decorate. The rented folding table was set up, the tree twinkled with lights, and the living room was transformed with full-blown Christmas spirit. June had even brought some homemade pies.
Fade stepped into the living room, his hair still damp from his shower. “Whoa,”
he said, taking in the room. “It looks great in here.”
He headed for Whitney in the kitchen, his hands finding their familiar place at her waist. He rubbed his palms across her torso, drawing her back against him. “Smells good, too,”
he murmured, his lips brushing her neck.
Whitney smiled despite herself but didn’t let him slow her down. “Thank you but I still need to shower and get ready. I’m almost done. The ham’s finishing in the oven.”
She slipped out of his arms to drop a spoon in the sink, then quickly washed it, she was trying to stay ahead of the dishes as she went.
“Can I help with anything?”
Fade asked, leaning against the back door, watching her.
She thought for a moment. “I think it’s pretty much done. If you could keep an eye on the ham while I shower, that would help.”
“I’d rather keep an eye on you while you shower,”
he teased, that familiar, coy edge in his voice.
She shot him a look. “Didn’t you get enough last night?”
“Nope,”
he said easily. “I’m making up for lost opportunities.”
Despite the stress simmering just under her skin, she softened. Whitney padded over and draped her arms around his shoulders. “I love you,”
she whispered. Her lips pressed to his, still soft and warm from the shower, and for a second, the tension slipped away.
Fade
He pulled the ham out of the oven after checking the internal temperature and was assigned the task of greeting anyone who arrived. He left Whitney alone so she could finish getting ready, mostly because he knew if he stayed too close, he’d only distract her, and they’d end up far behind schedule for reasons that were entirely his fault.
So instead, he sat quietly on the couch, flipping through TV channels. His therapist’s advice ran on repeat in his mind: Breathe. Step away. Don’t react. Leave the area. He was determined not to repeat his mistakes. He thought about how much he loved Whitney, how certain he’d been that he’d leave the island if she wouldn’t take him back. He knew what mattered now. If having her meant swallowing his pride and letting her brother antagonize him, even beat the shit out of him.
The sound of a low thunk at the door pulled him from his thoughts. It sounded a little like a dog’s tail, and he stood, already expecting Wolfgang and Juniper. When he opened the door, he was proven right.
“Hey,”
he greeted them with a warm smile.
“Hi!”
June cheered as Zeppelin darted inside, tail thumping wildly. Wolfgang nodded a greeting, and as they led the dog into the backyard, Fade heard the sound of another car door closing.
He waited, holding the door open. Max guided Shianne up the path, their baby cradled in her arms.
“Hey, guys,”
Fade called, waving.
“Hello.”
Max grinned as he stepped inside, and behind him, Shianne smiled, though exhaustion weighed heavily in her expression.“Hi,”
she wheezed, adjusting the baby on her arm.
“I’m going to check on Whitney,”
Fade told them, closing the door behind them and heading down the hall.
When he turned the knob to her room, the door opened easily.
Whitney sat on the edge of the bed, strapping on a sleek black heel. Her dress clung to her in all the right places. Simple, elegant, and undeniably sexy.
“I’m almost ready,”
she said, looking up at him with a small smile. “I just need to get these shoes on.”
“Let me help.”
He knelt in front of her and carefully weaved the strap through the buckle, securing it. When he reached for the second shoe, his eyes flicked upward and he caught a glimpse of blue silk hugging her thighs. The lingerie. His throat went dry, and when his gaze met hers again, he couldn’t help the slow, wicked grin that spread across his face. But he forced his attention back to the shoe, tightening the strap before finally standing and offering his hand to help her up.
“Thank you,”
Whitney said softly, brushing her hands over the hem of her dress.
He kissed her then, unable to help himself. It started soft, but the moment she responded, his lips parted hers, his tongue sliding against hers in a slow, teasing rhythm. They might’ve stayed that way longer if not for the sound of fumbling and laughter from the front entryway.
“I’ll go see who’s here,”
Fade murmured, forcing himself to pull back.
By the time he reached the living room, Brittanya was there, smiling warmly as she let herself and Aldous inside, along with Orion and a woman Fade assumed must be Rachel.
“Hi, Fade,”
Brittanya greeted, her eyes bright. She glanced toward the hallway and grinned when she saw Whitney. “You look stunning and the place looks great.”
“Thank you,”
Whitney said, some of her tension easing as Brittanya wrapped her in a warm hug.
As they pulled apart, Brittanya practically bounced with excitement. “Guess what? We’re official!”
“That’s awesome,”
Fade said, though his focus was already shifting.
Orion and Aldous stood side by side, and even without context, it was getting easier to tell them apart, mostly by which woman was hanging off of them. Still, Fade kept his breathing slow and steady. He kept his eyes on Whitney. He had promised not to react, and he wasn’t about to break that promise now.
But from the corner of his eye, he caught Rachel watching him. Staring, really. He forced a tight smile and nodded once but his eyes snapped right back to the woman he loved.