I tried to smile.“Brody...”
“I want to stay,” he said simply, placing his large, calloused hand on my shoulder.“So I will.”
Something in my chest eased, not all the way, but enough to breathe.
The kitchen lights were warm, the kind that made everything look softer than it felt.Chase had already found a cutting board and a knife.
“You really only have cheese, crackers, and… is this leftover Chinese?”he asked, holding up a takeout container with two fingers.
“It’s perfectly fine,” I said, leaning against the counter.“It’s only a few days old.”
He gave me a look that said, 'You're kidding, right?'and tossed it in the trash.
Brody was leaning on the opposite counter, watching Chase raid my fridge like it was some kind of spectator sport.“She’s got wine,” he offered, pulling a bottle from the rack.“And… three kinds of tea.”
Chase set a small pile of cheese and crackers on the counter between us.“Eat.You look like you’ve been running on fumes.”
Brody poured three glasses of wine and passed the glasses around.
“You really don’t have to stay,” I told him again, though my voice lacked conviction.
Brody shook his head.“You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”
Chase cut in before I could respond.“And even if you could, I’m not going anywhere either.So deal with it.”
There was no edge in his voice, just quiet certainty.
"So Adam is back and opening a pub?"I asked, trying to direct the conversation anywhere but the reason why these two were standing in my kitchen..
Brody smiled, "Ya, he decided he wanted to do his own thing, he is going to work with mom and dad with what they grow and do a farm-to-table, pub environment, but fresh, cool food."
I smiled back at him, "That is amazing, I can't wait to check it out.It is so crazy that you three all came back around the same time."
"He said to invite you to his opening night," Chase added."And when you come home, the whole gang will be back together."
I didn't know if I agreed with that.Being five years younger than Clara, six years younger than Brody and Chase...Adam was what...like ten years older than me...they had been the gang and I had been the shadow, the tag along.
For a while, we stood there, the three of us, eating crackers and cheese like it was a midnight feast.The air felt lighter somehow, Brody slipping in little one-liners that made Chase roll his eyes, me laughing despite myself.
When I finally sat down on the couch, they followed, Chase taking the armchair, Brody the far end of the couch.I curled up in the corner with my wine, feeling something I hadn’t felt in days.
Safe.
Chapter 18
Thanksgiving at my parents’ house was loud in the way only a Morgan holiday could be, voices overlapping, dishes clinking, laughter spilling over itself.The Palmers were back, and Adam was with them for the first time in… God, years.
I was carrying a tray of glasses into the dining room when Adam caught sight of me.His grin spread slow and easy, the kind of smile he’d probably practiced in the mirror at sixteen.
“When did you grow up?”he asked, his eyes doing a quick sweep before landing back on mine.“Last time I saw you, shit...You didn't look like this.”
I rolled my eyes.“Good to see you too, Adam.”
I placed the tray down on the table, and Adam wrapped me in a hug.He pulled back from me slightly, giving me another once-over, and gave a low whistle."How did little Morgan grow up to be fucking hot?We gotta lock her away somewhere."
"Language."Judy chirped, while from across the room I heard a low sound, half a cough, half a growl.Chase was leaning back in his chair, arms crossed, and Brody’s jaw was tight enough to crack a tooth.Adam noticed too.The smirk stayed, but he stepped away.
The rest of the day went by without a hitch, turkey, pie, the quiet undercurrent of family watching over family.It was only when we were stacking dessert plates in the kitchen that Clara pulled me aside.
