I roll my eyes. “Shut up. You’re the one who got her to agree to come. Don’t be obtuse. We’re a package deal. She knows that.”
He takes a deep breath. “She’s probably freaking out.”
“Oh, she’s definitely freaking the fuck out. Tonight, after dinner, we can get away from the family. We’ll lay all our cards out for her.”
“So your plan is to trap her on an island to tell her you have feelings for her and she has nowhere to run,” Ben says.
“Exactly.”
He rubs between his eyebrows. “What if…what if she has feelings but doesn’t want to publicly be in a relationship with us?” I ask.
It’s no doubt something I’ve considered. Kate has a job that’s important to her. She presents herself in a way that she cares what other people think.
“We could pretend to be one person again,” I say and my brother punches my arm. “Ow, fucker. Fine. But that’s just something we’ll have to talk to her about. I can’t keep doing this.”
“Me either. But what if we lose her?” Ben asks, his face softening and I shake my head.
“Then we’ll have to convince her. We’re Carlsons. When we know someone is the one, we don’t stop till they’re ours. And Kate? She’s ours.”
Ben takes a deep breath, nodding his agreement. “Then let’s get through this weekend. It’s either going to be the best or most awkward family vacation ever.”
“I do actually have to piss, if you don’t mind,” I say, and he rolls his eyes before leaving the bathroom.
While he’s gone, I mentally prepare myself for what Kate has to say about my declaration. She got on the plane, I remind myself. No matter what she says, she got on the fucking plane.
Kate isjittery the entire party van ride to the house, and part of me feels guilty. Then there’s a sick part of me that enjoys seeing her squirm.
Because she’s made me crawl out of my skin more than once over the last six months. She left an impression on me that night at the bar and it’s never gone away. She’s only dug deeper, imprinting herself under my skin and not leaving. I tried to fight it, maybe not hard enough, but I just couldn’t take it anymore.
I couldn’t pretend that I wasn’t obsessed with her, that I didn’t want to take care of her, that I didn’t want her around me all the time. It’s a completely new feeling, and it scared the absolute shit out of me. But watching her slowly disassociate herself from our lives was an even worse thought.
So, for the first time in my life, I’ve been vulnerable with a woman and I’m terrified about how it’s going to turn out.
Granted, I didn’t tell her the exact extent of my feelings, but I’m going to the moment we‘re alone.
So, in true me fashion, I make sure we’re not alone to the very last second, starting with a family dinner prepared by the chef we always use on the island.
We’re walking up to the house, and Kate looks in awe as she takes in the home, though she’s still nervous. Not that I did anything to help on that front.
“Kate, I’m so sorry we didn’t get a chance to speak on the plane. We’re so excited to have you. I hope you don’t have any allergies or foods to avoid?” my mother asks her.
“No, not at all. I’m sure everything will be delicious. Thank you again for inviting me.”
“Of course, it’s just silly that my sons felt the need to stay elsewhere,” she says, giving me a pointed look. I in return just blink at my mother, who rolls her eyes. “You’ll have to tell me how you met my boys. You’re the first girl they’ve ever brought on vacation,” she redirects to Kate.
Kate coughs into her fist.
“Right. Um, I met them at the marina one night when I was out with my friends,” she half lies.
“Oh, we’re just so proud of them. All our sons, really. Do you have family back in Tampa?”
“Mom,” I complain. “Why don’t we sit down for dinner before you grill her with eight hundred questions,” I say, placing a hand on Kate’s back and leading her inside the house toward the dinner table.
She sits between me and Ben at the table and I really should’ve prepared her for how off the rails family dinners can get, but Lincoln beats me to it.
“It’s great to see you again, Kate. So, which one of my brothers captured your full attention to have you join us on family vacation?”
Kate had her glass of water pressed against her lips, but stops, staring at my older dickhead brother, before glancing at Ben and then me.
