I finally found my voice. “Extreme, even for me? Wow. I’m not here for any other reason than being with Cash, West, and Hayes. No matter what you all think of me, not everything is about you.”
Hayes wrapped his arm around my waist and splayed his hand across my stomach in a move that soothed some of the jagged edges I was feeling. “Cass has every right to be here with us.”
“Little bitches. Little bitches?” Cash growled. “You’re here crying over a girl caring about you in the past and we’re the little bitches?”
I gripped his arm tighter and shook my head when he looked at me. I lowered my voice and held his gaze. “This isn’t one of the moments I’d find your fists hot.”
“Oh, my god. She’s got her hooks in deep. This is crazy! She came here to use you to get back at me!” Savannah stomped herbooted foot and I was thrilled that I hadn’t shown up in boots, looking like a generic version of her.
“That’s enough, Savannah.” Hayes’ voice was hard as he gently passed me to West. “You don’t know a fraction of what you think you know about this.”
“I know-”
Sam cleared his throat from behind Ryder and clapped his hands when we all went quiet and looked at him. “I need everyone at the dining room table. Without shouting at each other like this is some sort of white trash reunion, please.”
Since I already felt like my brain had been thrown into a blender I just shrugged. “Why not?”
He grinned at me and moved closer. “There’s my favorite girl.”
My filter gave out completely. “Get fucked.”
His eyes flashed as he looked at me and then over my head at West. “She’s still mouthy. Didn’t you tell her I said to be on her best behavior?”
I didn’t like the way he was looking at the guys, like there was a hidden threat in his words. I felt like there was an anvil hanging over my head and I hated it.
West held me tighter. “Didn’t I tell you that Cassidy would tell you to go fuck yourself?”
Savannah groaned. “Cassidy? Really?”
“Everyone just go to the table and sit the fuck down!” Sam’s painfully loud shout at least got us moving towards the dining room. It did nothing to kill the tension, though. There was no way things weren’t going to just get uglier.
Sam pointed us each in the direction of a seat and then stood at the head of the table. Seconds of silence passed before the sound of heels came closer, along with a high-pitched, forced cheerful voice. With the flair of a reigning princess Kelly Dunn strolled into the room in a sleek white dress and two men surrounding her with cameras.
“Oh, my gosh, guys! It’s time for me to meet the family!! Look at them!” She slashed an angry finger at the cameraman in front of her. “Show them the table, Mike!”
The camera turned on us at the table and we all just sort of froze. Sam forced a laugh. “Hey, everyone! These are my children and their partners. I couldn’t be happier to be introducing them to my new wife.”
Kelly gasped but it was clearly fake. “Daddy! You weren’t supposed to tell everyone yet! You ruined the surprise!”
I looked at West sitting next to me and mouthed the word ‘daddy’ at him. He shuddered and shook his head before leaning over to me. “I’m no longer interested in you calling me that. I may not even want children anymore… Wait. Did he say wife?”
“Fine! Since he ruined the surprise, I’ll just tell everyone at the same time!” She was still talking into a camera and I was worried we were watching a mental break. “We got married! I’m sorry I kept it from you guys! You know you’re all my besties and I would normally never keep a secret from you but we wanted to tell you guys and my new stepkids together! Can you believe it? I’m a stepmom! A hot stepmom!”
“Who the fuck is she talking to?” Cash scowled at the cameramen and then at Sam. “You married a child? And she calls you daddy? That’s a new fucked up corner of the family bingo card, don’t you think?”
“Sammy…” Kelly shot a nasty look at Cash and then brightened her smile like it’d never happened. “We have one more announcement, too! We’re pregnant!”
“What kind of fresh hell is this?” Savannah sent a pointed look at me and then at Kelly. “There are snakes in the grass all over the place!”
“Don’t call your new stepmother a snake, Savannah!” Sam’s smile was quickly turning strained. “She’s teasing. You’re teasing, aren’t you? Honey, we’re live.”
Hayes snorted. “You two clowns decided to live stream telling your children that you haven’t mastered safe sex at your old, old age, Sam? Brilliant. Truly.”
65
***Cass***
“Daddy! Make them be nice! This is so embarrassing!” Kelly screeched at Sam and then snarled at her cameramen. “Cut it off! Cut it the fuck off! I need a mineral water and a foot rub. Fuck this family bullshit. We got what we needed, Sammy.”
