Page 405 of His Hungry Wolf

What could I tell him? I had no idea why I was crying. Was it because I finally knew what love felt like and it was all just pretend? Was it because I never wanted what was going on between us to end? Or, was it because I knew I had just ruined everything and now there was no way to take it back.

“I miss my grandmother,” I told him.

After I said it, I wondered if it was true. Before Titus and Quin, she was the only one in my life I could talk to. She was everything to me. Now she was gone. Why hadn’t I stayed in better contact with her? How could I have let all of the trivial things in my life get in the way of what was important?

We watched the sun set in silence and when the last of the light was gone, we packed up our stuff and returned to the ski lift. Neither of us had anything to say on the trip back to the estate. I couldn’t tell if it was because of the kiss or because he was giving me space to grieve.

Parking the truck in the driveway, I told him, “We don’t have to eat dinner with them if you don’t want to.”

“I’m here for you. Whatever you’re up for.”

I considered their response if I requested to eat anywhere other than with them. As awful as they were when I was there, they were twice as bad when I attempted to get away from them. It was like the image of us being the perfect family was more important than whether we enjoyed each other’s company.

“I’m not sure I’m up for the fight,” I told Titus feeling drained.

“Did you want to get dressed up for dinner?” Titus asked me knowing he didn’t bring anything formal for him to change into.

He was telling the truth when he told my mother he didn’t know dinner would be formal dress. He didn’t know because I didn’t tell him. What would have been the point of it? I knew everything in his closet. The nicest things he owned, he had brought. What was the point of making him feel self-conscious if I didn’t have to?

Maybe that was a mistake. Maybe I should have better prepared him. It didn’t matter now because we were here and it was what it was.

“No. I think we’re perfect the way we are.”

“Whatever you wanna do.”

Titus and I left his truck and entered knowing that the others would already be seated for dinner.

“Look who decided to show up,” Chris said ringing the bell to be served.

“Sorry we’re late. I was showing Titus the town.”

“And that somehow excuses you from disrespecting all of our time,” my mother barked.

“Mother, did you and father want to have kids?” I asked casually having wondered for a long time.

My mother groaned.

Titus and I sat and Titus immediately reached for his poured glass of wine.

“I’m serious, mother. Did you want to have us or did you do it because kids would look better on the Christmas card?”

Chris burst into laughter.

“Louis, don’t be gauche,” my father said from the far end of the table.

“That’s not an answer,” I pointed out.

“Lou isn’t wrong,” Chris said delightedly.

“We do not use nicknames at the dinner table,” my mother corrected.

Chris grabbed his wine glass and took a sip, amused.

“Well, Mother? Did you and Father want to have kids?”

“I think what he’s asking is if you had kids for the meme?” Chris joked.

“I said enough, Christopher!” Mother demanded.