As much as I hoped Benny would stand up for me against his family if he had to, I knew that was far too much to ask of him. There was one person, though, I knew would stand up for me no matter what. I just had to figure out how to ask Matthew to come.
He was at his desk, just outside my open office door, and focused on his screen. Icouldjust ask him, like a normal person would have, but it somehow made my stomach twist with nerves. I could text him. Or maybe I could just tell him I needed him to take me somewhere and not let him know until we walked into Ginny’s house and he’d figure it out for himself.
I pondered my options until something moving very quickly snapped up my attention instead and I narrowly dodged the object on a path for my head.
A paper airplane, I realized, and suddenly my racing heart was a little ridiculous.
Matthew poked his tongue out at me, then went back to typing. He had noticed me staring at him, then.
My fingers traced the corners and folds of the plane before I decided it could solve my problem.
COME TO FAMILY DINNER WITH ME
I scribbled on the paper, then carefully refolded it. Matthew knew about Ginny’s ultimatum. He’d been encouraging me to take a chance and go, so he’d know what I meant when I threw it back.
As he reached for it, I turned my attention back to my own screen, making very sure that I wouldn’t make eye contact with him after he read it.
When I looked back, minutes later, he’d been waiting. With a wide smile and eyes that were glassy, even from this distance, he nodded, and I rolled my eyes, getting back to work even as I felt my face heat.
I stared at Ginny’s home through the shield of the car window.
It was only a few streets from Benny’s and a very similar style, if not quite as big. He’d told me Rachel and her kids lived here too, since Rachel’s divorce.
I knew from our texts that Benny was already here. They were just waiting for us, and Rikky.
“They’ll love you.” Matthew spoke up from where he’d patiently been waiting since he’d turned the car off.
“What if they don’t?”
“That’s not possible.”
“How do you know?”
“Because anyone who takes the time to really,trulyknow you, will love you.”
I wanted to believe him, but doubt was louder than hope in the face of the unknown. At least whatever happened, I knew I’d have him.
“Ready?”
I inhaled deeply and nodded. Ididn’tfeel ready, but no amount of sitting in this car was going to change that.
Matthew handed me the bottle of wine he’d insisted we bring and got out to get the stupidly large bouquet of flowers from the back seat he’d also insisted upon.
He attempted to hand me those as well. I shook my head.Too much.
Every step closer to the front door made the nausea intensify. And as Matthew knocked firmly, I wouldn’t have been lying if I said I had a stomachache and needed to leave.
Benny opened the door only seconds later, a wide grin on his face as he yanked me into a hug, then kept his arm around me as he offered Matthew a fist bump he reluctantly returned.
“About time, was wonderin’ if you’d gotten los—” Ginny looked up from the food she was preparing as we walked into the kitchen, her eyes locking onto Matthew and the bouquet in his arms. “Well, hello there.”
Matthew stared right back, a slow smile claiming his lips. “Hello there. You must be Benny’s sister.”
Ginny laughed. “Oh, I like you. I’m his ma.” She tucked loose strands of hair behind her ear.
My eyes snapped to Benny, who seemed equally confused about what we were witnessing as Matthew approached Ginny with the flowers.
“These are beautiful,” she gasped as she took them from him.
