Page 17 of Almost
“Yes, please,” Blake says, moving to grab the wine glasses from the counter herself. “Lia? Do you want one?” Blake laughs before Thalia can respond. “Just kidding, I don’t need to ask. Everyone will need to be drinking tonight.”
“None for me,” Eric interjects, laughing kindly. “Someone has to be able to drive us home.”
“Bash has good whiskey, you’re missing out,” Owen says, and Kiera rubs my arm.
“Please help yourselves to whatever you want. Dinner will be ready in just a minute if you want to find a seat aftergetting a drink?” Kiera suggests, untangling herself from me. “Eric, I do have drinks other than alcohol if you want to come look in the kitchen?”
“That would be perfect, thanks.” He smiles appreciatively at her, and on their way into the kitchen, she gives me a wide smile over her shoulder.
Blake stares me down, pouring more wine in Thalia’s glass, leading her to the table as my stomach twists.
Owen goes for the whiskey cart, shaking his head. “Suck it up, buttercup.”
I drag a hand over my face, following his lead. I’m convinced there’s not enough whiskey to get everyone through this night without a disaster.
I can’t help glancing over my shoulder at Thalia, feeling like I’ve been transported back in time. It doesn’t feel real having her here.
Once we’re all seated at the table, I’m having a hard time not looking in Thalia’s direction. I’m trying not to, but it seems to be useless. At one point I’ve been staring too long I guess because Blake kicks me hard under the table. Thalia was trying to hold in a laugh as Eric whispered something in her ear. I should have looked away, but I couldn’t.
The tension in the room is unimaginable, but I’m holding my tongue. I refuse to ruin tonight for Kiera.
“I hope you all like chicken,” Kiera says, laughing nervously. She uses the tongs to drop some of the salad on her plate before passing it to Blake.
“Chicken’s great.” Thalia smiles, but I hate that I know it doesn’t reach her eyes.
“I love chicken,” Owen adds, causing my attention to be pulled his way. His eyes narrow in warning at me as he takesa sip of his whiskey. I end up doing the same, the burn a welcome feeling as it does down.
“Owen made this new recipe last week where he marinated the chicken before stuffing it with gouda and honey crisp apples before baking it in the oven,” Blake explains and Owen smiles triumphantly, taking the welcome distraction.
“That sounds delicious!” Kiera says, smiling widely. “You’ll have to send me the recipe.”
“Hang on, since when does Owen know how to cook?” Thalia teasingly asks, causing Blake to laugh as Owen frowns.
“Why else do you think I married him?” Blake snorts and Owen rolls his eyes.
“Here I was thinking you married me for my awesome personality and rocking body, but I guess I was imagining the way yo—” Blake slaps a hand over Owen’s mouth to shut him up as Thalia, Eric, and Kiera laugh heartily at the exchange. Kiera gives me a questioning look because normally this interaction is something I’d laugh at. I don’t know how to make my brain work right now, but I know I need to say something.
“How long have you guys been together?” I ask, trying to be polite, but the tone of my voice is anything but. Fuck, I should have said literally anything but that.
Thalia’s vibrant green eyes snap to look at me for the first time since we started eating, and if looks could kill, I’d be dead on the spot. “We were together last year for almost five months. We broke up a few weeks before Mimi’s funeral. We’ve been back together for a couple of weeks.”
At the mention of Mimi’s funeral, I look down at my food, and Kiera, being the goddamn saint she is, rests herhand on top of mine. I’m upset, but not for the reasons she thinks. I’m ashamed of how I acted that day, but will I tell Thalia that I’m sorry?Nope.
Her touch momentarily grounds me and a little of the unexplainable anger I feel starts to cede. I take a deep breath, missing Eric’s response, but I don’t care to hear about how they got back together. I don’t want to hear about it at all.
The conversation switches to a more neutral one as I resume my silence, but my leg won’t stop bouncing under the table with all the energy I have pent up. I ran for a long time today, but it doesn’t seem to have done anything to take the edge off. I thought having Thalia here would make her uncomfortable, but the reality is that it’s makingmeuncomfortable. It feels like yesterday the first time I brought her here.
~
“Bash, what are we doing here?” she asks, looking around the empty house that is larger than my grandparent’s home. I’ve been here more than a handful of times since I put an offer on the house, but I got the keys last night and wanted to surprise Thalia on her weekend trip to come see me.
“This is mine.”
Her jaw drops in disbelief, and Thalia shakes her head. “No, you’re fucking with me.”
“I promise you, love, I’m not,” I say, pulling her close to me by her hips. “Move in with me. I bought this place for us. I mean, I certainly can’t live here alone.”
A radiant smile peels across her beautiful face. “Are you sure? I’d just be here part time on the weekends until I start my online classes next semester.”