Chapter 24 #2
Steph’s gaze finally lands on my face. She bites her lip in obvious appreciation … and all I can think is, hell yeah. When her eyes drop back to where I’m still holding the squirming pup, she’s blushing even harder than before.
She’s totally digging the dog-dad thing.
I must remember to sneak Con some turkey as a reward for being such a good wingman.
She reaches out before I can warn her, and I tense, knowing the little dog can be unpredictable with strangers and outstretched hands, but to my surprise, his little pink tongue snakes out, giving her a solid lick.
It causes her to chuckle, and she grins up at me, exclaiming about his adorableness while I rejoice internally at smile number twenty-one.
Wingman indeed.
My brother calls Matt’s name from the kitchen doorway, who looks up distractedly from where he’d been checking his phone, giving us a short nod before slipping by his mother to join the group in the other room.
His departure draws my attention back to Alex, who’s remained hovering at his mom’s side, and I realize he’s been watching our exchange warily.
“Nice to see you again, Alex,” I say, offering him the hand not holding Connor.
He tenses at my words, glancing over at Steph. They exchange a look fraught with meaning, though I’m loath to decipher it. I hold my breath, watching, waiting. Finally, he turns back to me, visibly working to loosen his shoulders before accepting my proffered hand and shaking it firmly.
“Nice to see you, too.”
We join the party in the kitchen, where more helloes and hugs are exchanged. Steph slips comfortably between Lucy and Piper on the far side of the room and remains there, chatting with her girlfriends.
I set Connor down to resume his begging and take up my earlier position holding up the wall by the back door.
Jack makes a brief and stilted attempt at conversation, asking me how things are going at Aroma’s and if I’m getting on okay with Bobby, but after that, I’m left alone.
It’s to be expected, but I can’t help but wish Steph hadn’t retreated to her safe corner so quickly, though I don’t miss the looks she continues to cast in my direction when she thinks I’m not looking.
“You still had a great season,” Aidan reassures Matt later during dinner. The pair of them, along with Noah, have been discussing the disappointing end to the Eagles’ football season, the team having failed to make the semi-finals and played their last regular season game a couple of weeks ago.
“I guess.” Matt shrugs.
“No, seriously, you played really well this year.”
“It’s true,” Noah agrees with a nod. “The play you ran in the fourth during that away game against the Titans was perfection.”
Matt’s eyes widen in surprise. “You were there?” he all but gasps.
“Mm-hm,” Aidan nods proudly. “You know I always try to make your games.”
“Yeah, but the home ones.”
Aidan shrugs.
“We were over in Durham County following up on a lead,” Noah explains. “Aidan knew you were going to be playing nearby, so we swung over to the high school afterward and managed to catch the second half.”
“Wow.” The boy’s hero worship for my brother and his partner is evident both in the breathiness of his voice and the pleased, near-awed expression on his face.
The sight causes a twinge in my gut because I wish I had something to bond with Steph’s boys over—wish I could so easily bond with them. Or with my brother, for that matter.
When I glance over at Steph, she’s smiling at her son.
I watch as her gaze shifts to my brother and then Noah, giving them each a nod of appreciation.
Aidan winks at her and turns his attention to Alex, asking him about how his guitar practice has been going.
He eagerly jumps into an account of the new songs he’s been learning and the recent jam session he had with a buddy who plays drums. It’s clear my brother has been filling the male role-model position for Steph’s kids for a while now, and again I feel that twinge of what can only be jealousy low in my belly.
Call me an asshole, but as I listen to Aidan murmur his encouragement to Matt and exclaim over the difficult song he’s mastered, I just—
Ugh.
I’m not sure how much longer I can listen to this love-fest.
“Pass me the salt,” I say abruptly, indicating the shaker that sits directly in front of Aidan’s place setting. The table falls silent, and I immediately regret interrupting the pair so rudely. A quick glance at Steph shows her eyebrows pulling together in a frown.
“Please,” I add with a clearing of my throat.
Aidan grunts, then makes a big show of rolling his eyes at me before essentially shoving the shaker in my direction.
“Asshole,” he mutters under his breath, but we all hear it.
The shaker catches on the tablecloth and topples over, causing salt to spill liberally onto my turkey and mashed potatoes.
Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Lucy brushing stray grains off her clothing as well.
My mother, who’s sitting on my other side, sucks air sharply through her teeth and wrings her hands in her lap.
“What the fuck?” I bite out at the same time Piper hisses Aidan’s name in a warning tone.
“What the fuck is right,” he snaps back at me. “What the fuck are you even doing here, Riley?”
“This is my home.”
“Really? Since when?”
“Since always.”
“Could have fooled me.”
At his sneering words, I finally let the resentment I’ve been fighting for months take root. I’ve wanted so badly to reconnect with my brother, to make things right, but this asshole’s been clinging to his bitterness for too long, and I’m just … done.
I’m done.
What does he even have to be so angry about?
He’s got everything a guy could want. Everything I want.
A girl who loves him, a family who supports him, a job he enjoys, and the respect of the town.
I’m not denying he’s been through some tough times, too, and I know I did him wrong back then, but he happily slid my vacated golden-boy crown onto his head and didn’t look back.
“Look, I know I’ve been gone a long time—”
He snorts.
“—but I’m back now.”
“Yeah, back mooching off Mom.”
“I’m not mooching. I have a job. I chip in for groceries. She won’t let me pay rent—”
He snorts again in disbelief.
“Aidan,” my mom warns.
“Because you’re the precious wayward son!
” he shouts, clenching his fists on the table.
“Her forever golden boy. You played on her emotions for years with promises of coming home, and you never did. You. Never. Did.” He pauses for emphasis, to let that sink in, though there’s no need.
I know what I did and why. So does Mom, and though I know she’s been hurt by my actions, I also know she’s forgiven me.
But my brother hasn’t, and he isn’t finished.
“Don’t you think she’d do anything now to avoid losing you again?
” Piper’s hand drops to his thigh, and I know she’s squeezing it—in support, or as a warning to stop, I’m unsure.
Aidan will not be deterred, though. He leans sharply across the table, causing his wine glass to wobble, which his wife thankfully intercepts.
When he speaks again, his voice is low and dripping with sarcasm.
“The prodigal returns. Let us all bow down now.”
“Aidan,” Mom says, her voice rising in alarm, and a quick glance around the table finds everyone else staring intently at their plates.
“Are you kidding me?” I snap. “You have no idea what I’ve been through. None. Because you haven’t let me explain. Mom has. We’ve talked, and we’re good.”
“Good,” he repeats disdainfully.
“Yeah, good. She doesn’t need you defending her, or judging her decision to forgive me.”
He scoffs, but I continue. “And I’m not the one who holds the golden boy title anymore, that’s you.”
My mom again tries to interrupt, and I know I need to put a stop to this.
This is not the first impression I wanted to make on Steph’s sons, who, upon inspection, are both squirming in their seats.
My brother is seemingly their hero, so I don’t have to guess who’s going to be coming out of this looking like the villain if I don’t do something to de-escalate things.
So I hold up a hand in surrender.
“Look,” I say. “I don’t want to fight with you, Aidan. I’d love the chance to talk, to work through our issues, but … not here. Not now.”
My brother’s eyes flash in surprise, and for a moment, I think he’s going to back down, but alas, he’s far too wound up to hear anything beyond the anger that’s so obviously churning inside him.
He snarls—literally snarls—at me with seventeen years of pent-up anger behind it, opening his mouth to no doubt dish out more snark, but he’s cut off abruptly by the fist Jack slams down on the table.
Glasses and dishes rattle. The effect is almost comical as heads snap up around the room, and Connor lets out a bark.
“Enough,” Jack says through clenched teeth.
Aidan blinks furiously, rubbing at the back of his neck in shame. He casts his eyes around the table, taking in the anxious and uncomfortable faces, swallowing thickly as the reality of what’s just happened sinks in, the private fury he’s just somewhat publicly unleashed.
“Apologize to your mother,” Jack orders, and it truly does brook no argument.
“Sorry, Mom,” I murmur. “And to all of you. That was inappropriate.”
“Sorry,” Aidan parrots.
Mom sighs and nods, patting me on the shoulder before getting to her feet and beginning to collect the now-empty plates, spawning a flurry of activity as others jump up to assist her.
“Who’s ready for dessert?”