Chapter Twenty-Four #2
I knock on her door, unable to stop myself or hold back any longer.
I miss my girl, and I want to see her now.
She’s still singing whatever song is on the radio when I swing it open.
Dressed in a cami and capris, despite the cold, she dances around the room in fuzzy socks.
Ellie lifts her head from the dog bed, acknowledging my presence before dropping it back down.
As she slides from the counter to me, I notice the apron around her waist as she sings into a spoon that’s still got potatoes on it.
“You’re adorable,” I say, smiling at her as she looks down at her fuzzy-covered feet.
“Yeah, I suppose I can be,” she hums, smiling bashfully. “I know we have a lot to talk about,” she says, her voice dropping, sounding more serious. “But do you think that we could maybe wait until after this dinner is over? I’d really like to enjoy this day and let the rest be tomorrow’s problem.”
I sweep my hand over her cheek, holding it before drawing her closer to me.
“Tomorrow.” I nod. “I missed you.”
Her eyes grow glassy as she looks into mine, and a soft smile forms on her heart-shaped lips. I lean down slowly and press my lips against hers. When she returns the kiss, I deepen it, not willing to let go until she slaps my arm.
“I have to finish these dishes, or else I’ll never be ready in time.
” She looks at the clock to find it’s just past eight thirty.
“I have like five or six hours to cook these, shower, and get pretty before I need to help Ainsley and Rory, so skedaddle. If you’re not helpin’, you’re hurtin’, and Lord knows you’re definitely distractin’. ”
A deep laugh escapes me, rattling my rib cage. “You have been spending way too much time with Ainsley.”
She narrows her eyes at me. “Skedaddle!”
“Fine,” I say, laughter still lingering in my voice. “But I’m taking Ellie with me so she can have some breakfast. I’ll make us something and bring it over so you’re not waiting until later to eat.
She smiles so brightly you’d think I offered her jewels and pearls.
“Thank you!” she beams.
“Ha, I’m not doing this for you.” I grin, leaning in to place a kiss on her cheek. “I’m doing this for me and everyone else.”
Her head tilts in confusion.
“None of us need a hangry Tris running around,” I tease, a grin growing on my face.
“Ass,” she laughs, tugging on my beard before I head next door.
After making sure both my girls have been fed and getting myself ready, I head back next door to check on Tris and see how everything is coming along. Opening her door, I’m just in time to catch her pulling out the holiday ham with a wide smile on her face.
“I did it,” she breathes. Stepping back, she looks at it with wide, almost watery eyes. “I can’t believe I actually did it.”
“It looks amazing.” I pull her into a side hug as we marvel at her holiday ham together.
She jumps and pushes me away, reaching for a spoon and scooping up mashed potatoes for me to try.
“Well?” she asks nervously.
The flavors, garlic, pepper, cheeses, and buttery goodness, explode in my mouth. I go to dip my spoon in for some more, but she snatches it from my hands.
“Eh!” she yells with a laugh. “No double dipping.”
My face drops with a grumble. “Fine! Get me another spoon.”
“I’ll take it you like them?” She bites her lip as she waits for my answer expectantly.
“Babe, those are the best mashed potatoes I’ve ever had.”
Her entire face lights up, pride and happiness shining through, and I can’t help the smile that spreads across my own. Watching her get excited over mashed potatoes is adorable, but seeing how much she values my opinion makes me feel like the real winner here.
“Ahh,” she exclaims, clapping her hands in front of her face like a prayer. “Okay, so this is all done. I told the girls I’d get there around one-thirty, two, to help out, so I have a little under two hours. That’s manageable.”
I love seeing her like this. Getting a glimpse into the way her brain works.
Tris always moved in silence. Every action is perfectly executed, both flawless and effortless, but over this past year, I’ve seen that there are so many parts always moving in her mind, working to get her there.
People used to look at her as this scary entity, but these are the parts of her that I get to see, the ones that make her human, make her all mine.
“You got this. Can I do anything to help?” I ask, hoping to keep myself busy and not make us both very late.
“Well, since I made both our dishes,” she says with a smirk and raise of her brow. “You can bring them to the cafe for us.”
“You got it, boss,” I tease. “What’s everyone else bringing?”
“Let’s see.” She looks up to gather the invisible list in her mind.
“Billy, sweet potato casserole. Mark, Apple Pie. Tom is helping Callie, who is in charge of the desserts, like all of them, including apple pie, because let’s face it, Mark isn’t going to be baking it.
Rory is making green beans and corn. Ainsley is making homemade cornbread, biscuits, and gravy.
Chief is in charge of beverages. Blake is making Dulce de Leche Cheesecake.
Emma is making a salad and roasted veggies.
And finally, Caiden is making the turkey while Della is in charge of the cranberry sauce. ”
“Wow,” I say, my stomach already preparing to make room for everything she’s listed, when something dawns on me. “Wait, Della is in charge of the cranberry sauce? Doesn’t that come in a can?”
Tris stifles a laugh. “Yeah, well, apparently Della isn’t allowed to cook.” She puts her hands up. “I didn’t ask, but that’s fine, we’ve got plenty.”
I nod in agreement. “It’s going to be awesome. Everyone will love it.”
“Yeah, unlike my parents’ soirée,” she mutters, and instantly my jaw clenches, though she doesn’t notice. “Between the dull conversation and the pompous attitudes, I can’t believe I ever enjoyed those things.”
On one hand, I’m glad she felt out of place there if only because I’m not sure she ever actually liked that version of herself, but on the other hand.
.. I’m still mad she went. I look away, trying to hide it, trying to control the waves of disappointment as they crash over me.
She’s better than that. Better than her father, I know it, but by going, she basically co-signed everything he’s done.
.. allegedly. I roll my eyes, our whole argument opening up at the front of my mind.
“Right, I’m gonna’ go,” I say briskly, unable to hide my contempt.
“You’re still angry I went,” she surmises. “I told you I was, Levi.”
“Yup,” is all I say, worried that if I say any more than this, the whole night will be ruined before it begins. “I’m going to bring these to the cafe now. I’ll be back later to pick you and Ellie up.”
“Fine,” she replies quickly, her face neutral, like she’s put on a mask to hide from me whatever emotions she’s feeling underneath, before turning around and walking away.
The bedroom door closes behind her, and I’m still standing at the kitchen counter when the shower starts running.
The heaviness settles back into my chest as I pack the truck with the food.
Ellie peeks through the curtains of my duplex window, and I lift a hand in a small wave before climbing into the truck and driving to the cafe.
“Alright, enough of this big guy, broody, bullshit,” Rory blurts out after I’ve barely said ten words since getting here.
I’ve been in my head, unable to shake it off.
“Seriously, you’re not ruining this for her,” Rory adds, her pink curls bouncing wildly as she shakes her head.
“I’m not trying to,” I growl out. “I just can’t believe she still doesn’t get why going to that stupid dinner was fucked up.
I mean, we all know that there’s got to be some truth in those charges,” I grind out, raising my voice and causing everyone here to stop what they’re doing.
“Even if half of his charges are true, he’s the reason people are dead. ”
Rory and Ainsley look at each other with a pointed look before throwing it to Callie. She sighs, and before she even looks over her shoulder at Tom, he’s already walking toward her.
“Sunshine,” he warns. “Don’t.”
“Rory’s right,” she says, ignoring Tom. “You’re being an idiot.”
“And how do you figure that?” I cross my arms, convinced there’s nothing she can say that will make me change my mind.
“Callie,” Tom warns again, his voice dropping lower.
I look around the room, and it finally clicks that there’s something they all know and aren’t telling me.
“Someone want to fill me in?”
“If she hadn’t gone to that ‘stupid party,’” Rory says with air quotes, “then she would have never been able to figure out how to take her father down for his crimes.”
“Rory!” Tom blurts, throwing his arms up. “Why do I bother?” he asks.
“What the hell are you guys talking about?” I ask, eyes narrowed on every one of them, ending with Tom.
“Don’t look at me, we all promised Tris she could be the one to tell you, but now that they’ve started, I know better than to get in their way.”
“Don’t look at me,” Ainsley echoes, stepping toward Tom with her hands raised, leaving the two with the most gumption in the room to tell me themselves.
I look between Rory and Callie, waiting as I clench my fists at my sides.
“Well?” My patience grows thin, and Callie rolls her eyes.
“After a bit of spying at the party, Tris followed her gut, and with these two’s help.” She points to Ainsley and Rory. “She found evidence that proves, well, everything.”
My head drops, and my mouth opens in shock. “What?”
“There’s a lot more to it, but she came to Tom and me, and with the help of our lawyer, she spoke with the U.S. Attorney’s Office yesterday.” Callie picks up a toy that Sunny has thrown on the floor, but doesn’t continue.
“Well, what happened? What did they say?” I ask frantically, trying to wrap my head around it.
“You should probably ask her that.” Ainsley tilts her head, brows raised.