“Hi, Ma.” I kiss her cheek, then set one of the suitcases down to shake Mr. Archangel’s hand. “Thanks for having me again, sir.”
He takes my hand and pulls me into a hug. “Glad to have you as part of the family, finally. Even if it’s not the way any of us expected.” His words catch me off guard, and I’m at a loss for words.
Is he happy about this?
“Let’s get everyone inside and settled. Let the staff carry those bags.” Mrs. Archangel pats me on the arm.
Reluctantly, I let the waiting man take my bag. I should be used to all this. I did live here, but it’s still so foreign to me.
“Why don’t all of you freshen up for dinner?” She goes on, leading us up the grand staircase, while the staff takes our bags to the back. Every meal is a formal event at his house. No one is wearing a t-shirt to dinner, especially around the holidays.
“Are we going upstairs?” Angel asks, seemingly confused.
“Yes, of course. Our guests will be in the nicest rooms, Wilder.”
Archangel winces as she uses his name but brushes it off. “In my entire life, you’ve never let us share a room with someone we’re dating.”
“It’s hardly the same. Your sister is engaged, and this seems pretty serious.” She glances over her shoulder between us but doesn’t wait for confirmation. “I’ve had all the rooms redone specifically so you’ll all be comfortable.”
“What?” I mouth at Archangel.
He shrugs as she opens the door.
“The bathrooms were dated, and frankly, all those posters you had all over aged so poorly.” She shudders, stepping intothe newly remodeled room. It’s nothing like it used to be. It’s emotionless and well-decorated. The windows are open for once. Archangel always had them closed. They give a nice view of the lake.
“What did you do with all my stuff?” He’s not quiet, dejected, but he’s at least bothered.
“Calm down. It’s in storage in the basement if you want anything.” She leaves us to it, closing the door behind her to show Steph and Mark her newly renovated room.
I walk over to the bed. It’s a queen and bend over to flip up the skirt. “The trundle is gone.”
I brace for his freakout.
He scans the room. There’s a little loveseat, but not one either of us can stretch out on, and barely enough room on the floor. “I’ll sleep in the tub or something.”
“And fuck up your back before our game this weekend?!”
He must have lost his damn mind. I won’t accept any other explanation.
“It won’t be that bad.”
I cross my arms and cock my head, not letting up.
“We won’t both fit in that bed. You’re too tall for it as it is.”
“We can make it work.” I stick out my lower lip.
“You really want me taking up a significant portion of the bed? We’ll both sleep better if I sleep somewhere else.” He’s making sound points, but I hate the idea.
“What if someone walks in in the middle of the night? How will you sleeping in the bathtub look?” I walk into the ensuite, flip on the light, and start laughing.
Archangel is on my heels. “What are you laughing at?”
There’s no tub. His mom must have ripped it out with the remodel.
“I’m going to enjoy jacking off in that shower.” I wink and stroll out of the bathroom to flop down on the bed. “How long do we have before dinner?”
“I can’t believe you’re wearing your outside clothes on the bed and you want me to share it with you.” Archangel checks his watch. “An hour or so.”
