“I’ve got dinner in the slow cooker at home, Cass. You coming?” Mary asks as Cassi heads to her car.
“No, Alec texted me. Wants to grab dinner. I’ll see you guys tonight.”
“Drive safe, sweetheart,” Henry says.
She smiles and nods as she opens her door, stepping inside before casting me a look.
“Thanks…for the boat. It was fun.”
I don’t have any words, none that are appropriate or eloquent or make any relative goddamn sense. So, instead of answering, I give her a terse nod. She returns it with a tight lipped smile before she’s sliding into the drivers seat and taking off a few moments later to god knows where. With Alec.
I’m not sure what it is about the guy that makes me want to punch him in the fucking mouth. Maybe it’s just the fact that he seems like the type of guy who has never had it, and is long overdue. Something is off about him. He’s too…friendly, convenient. Or maybe I just fucking hate the idea that the little shit has had his cock inside Cassi.
That would be crazy, though, right? Crazy to be psycho jealous over an ex-boyfriend to a girl that isn’t even my girlfriend. She’s my girlfriend’s sister. Admittedly, one that I’ve slept with, but still. I have no claim over her, and she should have no power over me. My head is clearly fucked up and I need to just go lie down or have a drink or do fucking something to shake off this weird mood that has suddenly taken over me.
“I swear, it’s like she’s back in high school all over again,” Mary laughs lightly as Henry holds the door open for her.
She slides into her seat as I sit in the back and tilt my head.
“What do you mean?”
Mary turns in her seat to face me with a smile.
“When Cassi and Alec were together they were inseparable. We’d almost never see her. Mornings and nights, that’s about it.”
Henry nods his agreement as he fires up the car.
I frown at that. “Didn’t that bother you?”
Mary shrugs. “She was in love. She always told us where she was and who she was with and Alec is a good kid from a good family.”
She pauses for a moment, wincing with a shake of her head. “I can’t believe his parents are gone. The poor thing has nobody. No one.”
A feeling I’m uncomfortably familiar with, and Mary seems to sense it too. Her eyes widen slightly, and she reaches her hand out to me in apology.
“Nico, I’m so sorry. I know you lost your parents and?—”
“It’s okay, Mary. I get what you’re saying, and you’re not wrong. It’s hard to grow up without a family, no matter how old we are.”
She nods sympathetically before patting my knee.
“Well, you’ve got one now.”
I smile at her words in thanks and nod as she turns around. I really like them, more than I anticipated. I knew that Carly was the spoiled one of her family, but I didn’t realize everyone besides her would be so…kind, welcoming, warm.
Too many thoughts are buzzing through my mind, far too many for my comfortability so doing my best, I shove them all to the side and focus on the city lights zooming beside us as we head to the Fischer family home.
Once we get back to the house, Mary finishes prepping dinner and Carly shows up just in time. When she leans in to kiss my cheek, for once in the last week or so, I don’t pull away. Forcing myself to lean into her affection is good, it’s what I need or at the very least what I should do. The whole point we came out to Seattle was to meet her family. Because we have been together for so long and if our relationship would ever go any further, introductions were absolutely the next step. Somewhere along the way that idea got distorted, it happened between the breakup at the airport and having the most incredible night with her sister if I had to guess.
I know, I know. I’m a real fucking class act.
“Did you have a good time with Hannah and the girls?” Mary asks Carly as she begins setting the table.
Surprisingly, Carly lends a hand, taking the plates from her and setting them at the dining room table.
“Yeah, we went to that new spa that opened in town. We drank way too much champagne, laughed way too hard. It was perfect,” she says with a smile as her eyes move to mine.
There is a sparkle in them. One I haven’t seen in a long fucking time. Maybe it’s just because she’s buzzed, maybe it’s because she was able to get grounded at her roots. Or maybe it’s a one off, honestly, you never know with this girl.
