He glares with a side-eye. “I like it much better when you call me Angel.”
I tuck that away for later because we pull up to the house, and I brace for the chaos.
The day is a slow build into a marathon of a holiday season. Lunch is just the immediate family before their large holiday party that evening, into the extravagant gift giving the next morning, and a full day of seeing each side of the family.
I used to love getting lost in the chaos of it because the holidays were nothing like this with my mother. Not even when I was little, and it was just the two of us, and by the time her boyfriend moved in, I learned to make myself scarce when he was going to be home.
Lunch seemed like the illusion of acceptance. No one even brought up Angel and I being together. Walt joked and talked tous the whole time, making it actually feel joyous. Archangel kept side-eyeing me like he couldn’t believe what was happening.
We’re still reeling over it in the lounge when Steph walks in while most everyone else is taking their pre-party nap. Another holiday tradition of the Archangels.
“Can I talk to you?” she says.
“Why?” I ask, not really wanting to hear anything she has to say.
I glance over at Angel. He’s laying with his feet in my lap, and his eyes closed, but he tenses, so I know he’s listening.
“Can we go somewhere else?” Steph glances around like she’s worried someone will overhear us.
I narrow my eyes, looking around too, realizing Mark isn’t in the room. Does she want to say something she doesn’t want him to hear?
“I’m not going anywhere alone with you.” I put my hand on Archangel’s foot, knowing he’s probably as tense as I am about Steph’s bullshit.
“I just want to talk to you in private.”
I shake my head before she even stops speaking. “Fuck no. Mark already thinks your brother and I are in some plot to ruin your life. I’m not giving him more goddamn fodder.”
She lets out a loud exasperated groan like we are such an inconvenience. “Because I told him you two were faking all this to hurt me.”
“Why would it hurt you if you’re in love with him?” I cross my arms.
“Anyone’s ex dating their brother would hurt.”
“It’s been years. Shouldn’t be a problem.” I throw back, not liking that she saw through our scheme, which means I need to triple down.
“Whatever. It doesn’t matter now that I realize it’s real.”
Shock leaves me momentarily speechless.
But Archangel sits up, clearly too surprised to keep quiet. “You finally believe us? Is that because you walked in on us fucking?”
“No. I figured that was faked to sell it.” She laughs evilly.
“So what convinced you then?” he asks.
Steph turns toward her brother. “I see the way you look at him. I used to think it was puppy love or whatever that he didn’t return. But now he looks at you the same way.”
What way does he look at me? I go over what she’s saying that could possibly have convinced her.
“Glad you finally see the truth, but we didn’t need you to tell us about our relationship.” Archangel is bitchy, which is good, because I have way too many questions to formulate a coherent thought right now.
“That’s not what I wanted to talk to you about. God, everything with you is always drama.”
“With me? You’re the one who’s sent your fiancé after us for the last three months.”
“He hasn’t even done anything.” Steph scoffs.
“Excuse me?” I cut in. “He’s threatened your brother more than once.”
