“And wait till you see what’s coming next.”
I shook my head as Memphis began unloading dish after dish of food. Some were in crockery dishes while others looked like dessert items. He gave the dishes to the older kids who began filing into the house with them.
“I tried to explain to him that we usually just each bring one dish to share at family dinner, but he couldn’t decide what to bring.”
“Was there even room for Tink in the car?” I said with a laugh.
“There was, but only because she sat on my lap the whole time. And you haven’t seen what he’s got in the trunk yet.”
The trunk was loaded with cases of beer that several of the guys stepped forward to help Memphis unload. The last thing Memphis grabbed before he closed the trunk was a bottle of wine. I watched the direction of his gaze as he searched the handful of people that were still outside and saw him stop on Dom. I tensed as he approached the serious-looking man.
“Relax,” Tristan murmured against my ear. “Pops and Memphis made nice a while ago.”
“A while ago? I thought you said he left after I did.”
“He did. But he came back about a week ago, stormed into our apartment, told me he loved me and that we were going to get you back and that we were going to spend the rest of our lives together. He had me pinned up against the wall and my jeans unbuttoned before I could even tell him I wasn’t alone.”
“No,” I said in disbelief as I watched Memphis approach Dom. I could see the color in Memphis’s cheeks as he held out the bottle of wine.
“Yep, Pops was taking a look at that leaky pipe in the bathroom.”
I began laughing at that and barely noticed Memphis and Dom shaking hands.
“You should have seen him,” Tristan murmured. “Our mantrying to listen to Pops talking about the family dinner schedule while holding one of the decorative pillows from the couch on his lap.”
I didn’t think I could laugh any harder, but I was wrong.
Tristan cuddled me closer when I quieted and then softly said, “He and I decided we should talk to someone – a professional. Eli gave us the number for your therapist and we had our first session with her together this week. We’re hoping that maybe when you’re ready, we can meet with her together.”
I nodded since it took me a minute to get past the lump in my throat long enough to say, “I’d like that.”
Tristan’s lips skimmed my neck. “He has some things to tell you about his work. He’s nervous that it will change things-”
“It won’t,” I said as I shook my head. “It won’t,” I repeated and then I turned in Tristan’s arms and kissed him hard.
He kissed me back and it wasn’t until a good minute later that I heard someone clearing their throat behind me. I blushed and laughed as Dom shook his head at us. “We’ll hold dinner for half an hour, and that’s it.”
I had no idea what he was talking about, but before I could ask, he disappeared inside the house, leaving only me, Tristan and Memphis outside. At Memphis’s approach, Tristan released me and stepped around to my side. He held on to my hand, but that was the only contact that he maintained.
I sobered at the seriousness in Memphis’s gaze.
“What I did was unforgiveable,” Memphis said quietly.
“Memphis, you couldn’t have known about Drake-”
“I’m not talking about him, although you’re right…I had no control over what happened. But I could have and should have handled things differently afterwards. I knew you were hurting, but I couldn’t get past my own guilt to give you what you needed. I’m just glad that someone in our familywasstrong enough.” Memphis took Tristan’s free hand in his and lifted it to his lips.
“I don’t want us to keep punishing ourselves for what happened that night or afterwards, okay?” I said softly.
Memphis nodded. “Okay.”
“But Memphis, about the videos…”
“The videos are gone, Brennan. Deleted. I didn’t watch them. Ronan deleted them from my phone and Drake’s. No one else saw them.”
I felt my stomach flip wildly. “But it doesn’t change the fact that he-”
“Don’t,” Memphis whispered and then he was pressing against me. “Don’t for a second think that it matters to me…that I see you any differently. All I see is the same strong, proud, loving, brave, beautiful young man who accosted me in that bathroom.”
