17
HUNTLEY
There arestories in the world about people struggling to find dates to weddings, and honestly, the entire concept has baffled me. Is it really so bad going to weddings without a date? Is it worth going with a stranger just to give the impression that you can find a date?
I mean, they’re a damn stranger. That’ll be obvious when the first person talks to the two of you. It just seems stupid.
Then there’s the storyline about meeting the family of your partner for the first time at a wedding. That’s the plot point in my story right now as I sit in the front seat of Oxley’s truck, fingers fumbling in my lap as I stare out the window.
I’m meeting the Van Dorens. All of them. At one time.
On the one hand, this isn’tourwedding, so their attention will hopefully be more on the couple getting married than on me. Our meeting should just be in passing, right?
Glancing down at my leg, I wonder how ‘in passing’ it’ll be. I brought a crutch, just in case I need a break from walking on my leg. I’m hoping I don’t need to use it and that I can hobblearound for the afternoon without it. But that’s going to be a question for anyone who sees me walk.
I was the guy shot in Anaheim a couple months ago. As fun as it is talking about being shot and the recovery, I dread having to repeat it over and over again. Maybe I should wear a sign around my neck with all the anticipated answers and I can point at the relevant one whenever I get asked a question.
My eyes flicker to Oxley, and my heart races for a second. He killed the man who shot me. We haven’t talked about it outside of him telling me that the man is dead and he didn’t end up killing him. His colleague did. It was slow, painful, and the man deserved to die for so many more reasons than just the shooting that day.
Part of me wants to know who the man was, but another, louder part doesn’t want to know. It’s not important. What’s important is that he’s dead and can’t hurt anyone else again.
Oxley’s hand on my leg makes me jump. “Are you nervous?” he asks.
“Very.”
He nods.
“You’re not?”
Oxley glances at me. “Why would I be nervous to see my family?”
“You’re bringing a date that they haven’t met before.”
He smiles, and my heart flutters. His grip on my leg tightens a little before resting there softly. “I’m not concerned. This is my brother’s day.”
At least he agrees that everyone’s attention will be on the couple getting married.
“It’s your younger brother?”
“My youngest,” he says. “The brother younger than Kairo. They’re nonbinary, so they prefer they/them if you can remember that, though Noaz isn’t particularly bothered by any gender pronoun. They embody all of them and have been known to use different pronouns when referring to themselves on any given day.”
“They/them,” I repeat. “Cool. And the person they’re marrying?”
Oxley shakes his head. “I know his name is Briar, and he’s my youngest nephew’s husband’s best friend. That’s all I know.”
“Oh, that’s really cool.”
“It is. They moved back to the Estate a couple of weeks ago, and I guess all of Loren’s husband’s best friends accompanied them. So it’s my brother Jalon and his six sons—Myro, Voss, Imry, Avory, Ellory, and Loren—and Loren’s husband’s friends. His husband’s name is Oakley. I’ve met a couple of friends, but… I only remember Briar right now.”
“He has all boys.”
“Yes. And he also has only brothers. It’s funny that we don’t have any straight couples right now in the last two generations here. Wait… I remember another friend. Jessica. She’s with Myro. Okay, so one straight couple.”
“That is funny. I like it.”
Oxley slows down, and we turn onto a dark paved road lined with tall, mature trees that make a canopy over the road. I only determine it’s a driveway when we drive under an arch that readsVan Doren.
I stare straight ahead as we approach. It’s a tunnel of trees with sunlight peeking through the cracks. The first thing I see is a bitof light stone. Then water. As we get closer, I realize it’s a fountain. When we break free of the trees, we’re following a more intimate driveway lined with tall, green shrubs that leads to a massive house beyond the fountain.
