My brain can’t come up with an excuse quickly enough, as Celly practically shoves me—okay, she doesn’t shove me, she barely gives me a little push—to sit, then points to the door at the far corner of the room.
“The kitchen’s just through there. I’m sure someone will show you around later, but you come in there if you need anything and I’ll get you sorted out.”
“Thanks, thank you.” I can’t help my awkward tone, not when everyone isstill fucking staring at me.
Celly doesn’t seem to mind, though.
Duffy makes himself right at home in the chair next to mine, Mac one over, and right across from Duffy, Rory takes a seat so there’s no one in front of me.
It’s not just me. The awkward silence could be filled quickly enough if anyone here wanted to, and I’m praying someone will saysomethingsoon as Blake comes in and sits next to Rory, right across from Mac.
Why didn’t he sit in front of me?
As far as I know, no one else is?—
“Good.” Eian’s voice sounds from the entrance, and he surveys us like he’s a general or something. “Celly, we’re ready,” he calls out loudly.
My eyes can’t seem to move away from him.
He looks different in the warm light of the house compared to the clinic. Sharper somehow, more... alive?
He’s wearing two pieces of a gray, pinstriped, three-piece suit—he probably abandoned the jacket somewhere—and a black tie. The way the vest and shirt hug his body, and the way the pants hang perfectly around his hips without a belt, show it’s expertly tailored clothing. It makes him seem more powerful than he already did.
He pulls out the chair at the head of the table, just like I feared, but won’t sit down. His eyes are locked on me aswell, I realize, and I wonder if he’s been cataloging everything about my appearance like I’ve been doing to him.
Movement to my left startles me, and I turn to see a man, guy, kid really, pulling out the chair across from me.
He’s . . . Jesus fucking Christ.
“Colby, this is my son, Bran.”
I’m speechless, and I’m never fucking speechless, which has always been the number one thing to get me into trouble.
“Nice to meet you, Colby.” He smiles at me, and it’s a friendly, almost shy kind of smile, before bending over and kissing the top of Rory’s head. “Hey, Ma.”
Aaand that’s as much as my brain can take.
“The fuck?” I snap quietly.
I turn to see Eian looking at me, then Rory, and oh boy, she is not happy with me. I feel this visceral instinct to run, to hide, and dammit, I thought I’d learned to be comfortable around her, but now I realize that probably will never happen.
“Do you have a problem?” she asks. Her voice makes me feel like I’m about to get eaten alive by a lioness—and everyone knows you should be more afraid of a lioness than of a lion.
“N-n-n-no, no problem,” I hurry to answer. “I just d-didn’t know you a-a-and Eian ha-had a s-s-son.”
Dear God, of all the moments for my stutter to make a thirty-year comeback, why did it have to be this one?
“Can I please tell the story this time?” Bran asks, suddenly very loudly and damn excited. He’s looking at Duffy, though, not at his... parents.
Well, if there were ever a time to feel like a total loser for having a crush on an unattainable guy, this is it.
“Sure, buddy. You’ve heard it enough times. I’m sure you’ll do it justice,” Duffy says right as Celly wheels in a two-story cart full of big plates.
It smells freaking amazing, and since everyone is suddenly very preoccupied with food, that gives me a chance to take a few deep breaths and remind myself that IknowRory won’t hurt me.
Yes, knowing she and Eian are together is a shock, because of course it is, but I can get through this. Ineed to get through this.
“You want mashed or baked potatoes?”
