Page 57 of Restless Ink

“First, we all have sweet tooths. Teeth? Whatever. We’re Carrs. It’s in our sweet blood.” Caleb grinned. “Not to be mistaken for sweet breads, which is gross. And, secondly, I work out. A lot. Because I like cake. Cake is my friend.”

Dimitri just shook his head as his siblings discussed their favorite cookies and cakes, listening to them while trying to think of what he was going to say to Thea when he saw her next. He’d needed this time with his family so he could remember who he was and where he’d come from. It reminded him why he taught at the school he did, why he dealt with dress codes, and why he stayed down in the Springs. Because that was the life he’d made, and he wanted Thea to be a part of that life.

Meaning, he needed to speak to her.

And talk to Molly to make sure she knew the boundaries he had to put in place. The ones he should have established to begin with.

“You should go,” Devin whispered while Caleb and Amelia were fighting about something unimportant. That’s how they all dealt with each other: dramatics, loud voices, hard hugs, and support. One more reason Dimitri had come to his brother’s place for the weekend.

“You kicking me out?” Dimitri asked dryly.

“No. Never. You’re always welcome here, and I know I’ll see you again in a couple days for the holidays, but you need to go see Thea. Text her, call her, whatever. But see her. Soon. Before it’s too late because you didn’t say the things you should have.”

Dimitri frowned, staring at his brother. “Why are you talking to me like you have experience with this?”

Devin’s gaze went emotionless, and he shrugged as if he hadn’t a care in the world. “I read. And those Marvel movies have a lot of emotion. I mean, the fight between Captain and Tony broke me.”

Dimitri knew his brother was lying, but he let the other man keep doing so. When the time was right, Devin would spill. They always did.

“Team Captain forever,” Dimitri said, getting up off the couch.

“Team Captain!” the other three said at once then started laughing. They were all a little off their rockers, but they were his family. He wouldn’t have them any other way.

“I’m going to head home and call Thea on the way. It’s an hour drive, so that should give me time to think about what I need to say before I actually make the call.”

Amelia bounced toward him, giving him a hard hug. “Go get your girl. I can’t wait to hang out with her.” She kissed his cheek, and he did the same to the top of her head. She was his baby sister even if she wasn’t such a baby anymore.

“Don’t fuck up,” Caleb said before pounding him on the back and hugging him even harder. He was pretty sure between Caleb and Devin, Dimitri was going to end up with a broken rib or four.

Devin walked him out, helping him with his bag, though Dimitri could have done it on his own.

“Don’t fuck up.”

Dimitri just shook his head. “Caleb already said that.”

“Bears repeating. Bring her to dinner when you can. I know she works long hours, and with this potential expansion you were talking about, it’ll get harder timing-wise, but we want to get to know her. She makes you happy, bro. Don’t lose that.”

Dimitri nodded, his throat a bit tight, and got into his car, waving at his family as he pulled out of the driveway. Thankfully, the roads were clear, and there wasn’t another storm predicted for over a week. They weren’t going to have a white holiday, but they’d have less ice and snow on the roads, something he didn’t mind in the least.

He got on I-25 and headed south toward the Springs, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel as he tried to figure out what he was going to say to Thea other than that he loved her. He could do that,shoulddo that, but it wasn’t time yet. Not when things were so uncertain.

“Maybe telling her would make things certain for her,” he muttered to himself.

He’d tell her, maybe not tonight if he got to see her, but soon. Because he didn’t want to lose her. But then again, he didn’t want to overwhelm her either. It was a lot to deal with, and he already came with so much baggage it wasn’t even funny. He was damn lucky she’d even given him a chance.

He let out a breath and used the keypad on the steering wheel to call Thea. When she answered on the second ring, he blew out such a relieved breath, he figured she heard it.

“Dimitri.”

“I’m heading home from Devin’s now and…can I come over? I miss you so damn much, Thea. I know we need to talk, and we will, but I just need to see you.” He hadn’t known what he was going to say when he called her, but as soon as the words left his lips, he knew they were the right ones.

“I was waiting to call so I didn’t interrupt your time with the family. I need to see you, too, Dimitri. Can you come over? Do you have Captain?”

“Molly had him out for grooming when I went to pick him up, so I missed my weekend.” He was still bitter about that and had a feeling she’d done it on purpose.

“That bitch. And, Jesus, she just had him at the groomer’s. It’s like she’s finding excuses to get him out of the house. Bitch.”

His eyes widened. “Thea?” He’d never heard her talk about Molly that way, even when Molly had started to be more passive-aggressive than usual. The fact that he’d just thought that last sentence spoke volumes about how well Molly had been hiding her true self.