It feels like I’ve gone back in time sitting at the same table as all my siblings, my aunt and uncle, and the Price family.
“What do you meangrown to love? I thought you lovedeverything about me?” my uncle asks, and Mom scoffs, tearing off a piece of her bread.
“Who could love everything about you? You’re stinky, arrogant, and you grew that stupid squirrel back on your face. Blake, why are you still with my brother?”
Aunt Blake laughs before squeezing his hand. “Not a clue, but I don’t know what I would do without him.”
“Uncle Owen, I don’t see anything wrong with it,” Mirabelle inserts, and Henry sputters, choking on his water.
“Only because you have conversations with yourself in the mirror every day,” he says, and the room roars with laughter.
I smile, turning my head to take a bite of the pasta on my plate when my attention snags on where Kaitlyn’s sitting diagonally from me. The peachy tank top she’s wearing makes her tan pop, and she reminds me of a mermaid with the way her hair falls over her shoulders in waves. Her smile is wide as she looks at her brother and my sister, and for a moment, I’m jealous of them.
I’ve kept to myself most of the night, to take everything in and hear what the rest of my family is up to. I’ve noticed Chris eyeing me, and I’m almost positive it’s because of how much time Kaitlyn and I have been spending together.
Kaitlyn looks my way, and her smile shifts into a more intimate one. She’s been around more since her and Hunter made up, which was painfully obvious when Javi and I showed up based on their disheveled appearances. Still, if she’s happy, then I’m happy for her.
I just wish it wasn’t with my brother, who I can absolutely feel staring at me right now. I break eye contact with Kaitlyn to give Hunter a polite smile.
While he’s made friends with Javi, we’re more distant than ever. Despite that, I still love him, even if I don’t like him at the moment.
“So, Bailey, what are your plans now that you’re back?”Chris asks, directing his question at me. The air in the room immediately shifts, and I can appreciate him cutting through the bullshit. It’s something I’ve always respected about him.
“Chris,” Mom warns, and it’s nice to know some things never change. She’s always been the only person who’ll openly argue with him.
“It’s okay,” I say, understanding this is a test all on its own. Still, I’m grateful she tried to protect me. It means more than she’ll ever know. “I’m still trying to figure out what comes next for me, but right now my main focus is on getting Javi better.”
He softens at the mention of Javi, his gaze traveling to where he sits next to me, coloring in the dinosaur coloring book with the crayons Mirabelle surprised him with.
“Penelope, can you pass me the bread?” Mirabelle interjects, distracting the attention away from me.
“You’re going to eat more bread?” JJ asks, and Marley turns to face him, pinching his arm.
“You literally have no room to talk. I have to keep a whole separate cupboard full of snacks for you after my roommate almost killed you for eating all of her food.”
“JJ, are you calling me fat?” Mirabelle asks, and his eyes grow wide.Oh, he really didn’t think that through.
His hands go up in self-defense, and it’s clear he’s panicking. “Not what I said. I was just asking if you were going to eat more bread because you already ate—Marley, stop pinching me, I’m shutting up.” He gives an exasperated look at his girlfriend, who is only trying to save him from himself.
“Then stop saying stupid shit!” she groans, shaking her head at him.Oh man, JJ is completely whipped by this girl.
Mirabelle is still distracted by the fact JJ implied she was fat. It’s really not her fault, though. She’s havingtwins. “Am I really getting fat?” she asks, her hands falling to rest on her growing stomach.
“JJ, je vais te blesser,”?1 Henry threatens, shooting a pointed glare at JJ. “You’re not fat,mon cœur. You’re pregnant.”
Javi tugs on my shirt, pulling my attention away from the drama before I laugh at JJ. “Why’s Mira sad?”
I laugh quietly, dropping my voice to a whisper. “JJ said something that hurt her feelings.”
“Why?”
Oh man. Thewhyquestion has been making an appearance a lot lately, and I don’t always have an answer for him. I’ve learned if I act like I know what I’m talking about, he doesn’t question it, but I can’t very well tell him Henry just threatened to hurt JJ.
Before I can catch him, Javi’s out of his seat and darting toward Mirabelle before throwing his arms around her. I miss the first part, but I catch the last half. “—sometimes people say bad things they don’t mean. Bailey always protects me from bad people, so now I know how to protect you.”
Goddamn, I love him. He can’t keep a secret to save his life, but he sure knows how to tug at your heartstrings.
Mirabelle sniffles before crying as she hugs him. “I’m okay, buddy. JJ isn’t a bad person. He was just being insensitive.” She smiles at me as more tears stream down her face, and I’m a little afraid. I don’t want to say the wrong thing and end up next on Henry’s shit list. “I’m sorry, I cry all the time now. Stupid pregnancy hormones.”
