IT TAKES ABOUT AN HOUR to tell our story, East filling in periodically. Of course it’s edited; mostly we leave out any hint of our relationship being something more than just fellow survivors.
Not that it matters, since East declares I’ll be staying in his room. I keep my eyes on the floor as what I’m sure an epic stare down ensues. Helena dismisses us, with a warning to be down for dinner in half an hour.
East leads me down a hallway away from Henry and Carter’s room and opens the door to a beautiful guest room. The large four-post bed, plush snow white duvet, and bay windows look so inviting I decide to drop my bag where I stand and nosedive onto the pillow-soft bed.
“Come on, she wasn’t that bad. In fact, that was Helena VanHouten being downright hospitable,” East jokes, jostling my foot as he passes me to place his bag on the luggage rack at the end of the bed. Like we’re at the fucking Four Seasons or something.
Turning on my side, I rest my head in my hand and watch him. “If that was her being nice, I’d hate to be around when she’s pissed,” I joke lamely.
“Me too,” East agrees, toeing off his shoes and crawling up from the bottom of the bed to me.
Glancing at the open door, I scoot away from him. “Henry could come in at any moment.”
“What do you think I’m going to do?” he asks, a playful grin on his lips.
“Who knows—” I’m cut off as his lips cover mine in a passionate, if brief, kiss.
Even so, I fall onto my back, breathless and staring dumbly at him. I hate that he has such effortless power over me.
“After dinner tonight, you and I need to have a talk,” he says seriously and my gut clenches in response. “Don’t be worried, I think you’ll like this talk.”
I chew on my lip and nod, still nervous despite his reassurance.
Before long, we’re seated at a large mahogany table, where Helena sits at the head. I’m curious as to where Mr. VanHouten is, but since everyone is acting like him not being here is normal, I don’t ask. God knows I loathe making another faux pas. The family dynamic is so different than my own was I feel like I’m walking on eggshells.
The adults at the table eat in silence while Henry keeps up the innocent chatter of a six-year-old. I smile at him over my soup, completely enamored. I wish I had his confidence.
Dinner goes by surprisingly quickly considering the nerve-fraying tension in the room and Carter immediately excuses himself, kissing Helena on the cheek before heading upstairs. East gets up and lifts Henry into his arms, saying he’s going to give him a bath and get him settled. I widen my eyes and shake my head as slightly as possible, but he smiles apologetically and follows his twin upstairs.
I watch them go before turning to find Helena staring at me intently. Her gaze makes me squirm just as much as her son’s and I realize it’s because they both have the ability to read me perfectly.
“What’s your game here, Ms. McKay?” Helena asks without preamble.
Wiping my mouth, I set my napkin down and settle in for the conversation I knew was going to happen sooner rather than later. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”
Helena scoffs and sits back in her chair, considering me. “Is it money? I know you still have student loans and your father didn’t leave you much after his passing. Added to the job you quit, I’m not sure taking tourists on walks through the woods is something to live off of.”
My heartbeat races at the last claim. “How do you know all that?”
She raises a perfectly plucked brow. “Darling, Carter was stupid enough to use the investigator we have on retainer. It was as simple as a phone call.”
I mimic her expression. “Why would I run away when we arrived at St. Croix and hide away for months with no word to your son if I was only interested in his money?”
“Oldest trick in the book, Ms. McKay, is playing hard to get,” she counters haughtily.
Over the games, I lean forward. “I don’t know what kind of relationships you’ve had in the past or currently, but I am not you. I would never be so shallow and conniving. I’ve been around wealthy people most of my adult life, and it has left me nothing if not disillusioned. I ran away that day because I love your son, but I didn’t want to put any demands on him. His life is complicated enough. Besides, our situation is so—” Cutting myself off, I reach for my wine glass and drain the contents. “Despite what you obviously think, I am not a stupid woman. Think what you like, it has no bearing on me whatsoever.”
“How much?” she asks coolly, not at all affected by my impassioned speech.
“What?” I shake my head, confused.
“How much to make you disappear?” she clarifies evenly.
I stare at her, dumbfounded, before anger erupts and I stand up so fast I knock my chair over. “You have embarrassed yourself, Mrs. VanHouten. I did disappear, but your son found me. Do you know what that tells me? He wants me as much as I want him. I’ve lost too much in my life to give that up. Excuse me.”
I fling my napkin onto the table and march upstairs and down our hallway to find East hurrying towards me with a look of concern. Not giving him a chance to ask me what’s wrong, I walk straight into him and kiss him.
“I’m ready to have that talk,” I whisper against his lips when I finally break away.
He smiles blindingly and takes my hand, leading us back to our room. East demands that we wait until we’re ready for bed. I strip down and dress in my pajamas quickly, refusing to sleep in only my underwear like normal in his mother’s house. Who knows if she’ll send someone in to kidnap me and dump me into the Atlantic in the middle of the night?
Crawling under the sheets and blanket, I sigh, settling in. Helena may be many things, but that woman knows how to pick a bed. I could lie here forever.
East hurries in behind me, pulling me into his arms and settling his chin on my shoulder so every part of him is flush against me. It’s so familiar to how we slept on the island that I have to blink away tears. I’ve missed this most.
We lie there quietly before I confess what happened earlier. “Your mother offered me money to disappear.”
East stiffens behind me and it so quiet for such a long time that I startle when he finally speaks. “How much am I worth to her?”
“You mean what’s your bride price?” I joke, trying to lighten the mood slightly. I don’t want him and his mother to fight, but I refuse to lie to him about this, even a lie of omission.
“Are you going to marry me then?” he teases, laughing when I freeze against him. “I’m kidding, baby. We won’t get married until you’re ready”
I wheeze a breath and turn towards him to see if he’s still teasing, wheezing again when I see how serious he looks. “You want to marry me?”
He shifts closer and places a kiss against my forehead. “One day.”
“We’re not even dating, East!” I exclaim.
He shrugs indifferently. “Seems a bit superfluous at this point. I mean, I’ve spent over a month with you and only you. You either love or hate a person after that.”
“You love me?” I squeak, nearly simultaneously filled with the need to squeal in happiness and puke everywhere.
Nuzzling his nose against mine, he says simply, “I love you.”
“What if I took the money?!” I cry, tears of happiness filling my eyes.
“Then I would suggest we use it for the wedding as a big fuck you to my mother, because there is no way you’re disappearing out of my life again. Once was enough.”
I gulp, absurdly pleased, but—“What about Henry?”
“That fact that you ask is enough to tell me that you’ll do anything to make sure my son is loved and cared for. He’s already half in love with you.”
“But where will we live?” I ask, head spinning.
“Can you do me a favor before you overthink things?” He smiles, kissing me again.
“What?” I gasp, hysterical happiness coloring my voice.
“Can you tell me you love me?” He smiles.
Laughing quietly, I kiss him again. “I love you too.”
The next morning, I woke up after the first full night’s sleep in ages. Whether it was because we spent hours making love or just having him beside me, I slept soundly. I’m grateful for it, regardless of how needy it makes me.
Turning over, I nudge East’s arm off my waist, waking him up. I settle my hands under my cheek and watch as he stretches before blinking his eyes open to find me staring at him like a total weirdo. Instead of drawing away, East smiles and scoots closer so we’re sharing the same pillow.
“I can’t tell you how much I’ve missed waking up with you next to me.” He tucks some of my hair behind my ear.
“You don’t have to.”
Suddenly the door is flung open and I’m sending a prayer to the Gods that I had the foresight to make us throw on pajamas after we made love the last time.
Henry comes flying into the room, a piece of bacon gripped tight in his hand, and throws himself at us.
“Morning! Breakfast is ready, are you coming?” Henry bites his bacon, spraying bits everywhere. Blinkingly, I glance from him to East, uncertain how to proceed. This is the first time Henry is seeing us together like this, as more than friends. Kids aren’t stupid; he must have an inkling as to what this means.
East is smiling at the picture we make. Us under the covers, Henry lying between us, it’s all very familial, cozy like we do this every morning.
“Hey, uh, Hen?” I hesitate, waiting for East to step in, but he’s apparently done with the heavy lifting in this relationship for the time being. Getting me to admit out loud to loving him took a lot out of him.
“Yeah?” He sprays food at my face mid-chew.
Scrunching my face, I say, “Chew with your mouth closed, you’re not a cow.” I bite my lip…how to proceed with a six-year-old? ”Are you ok with your dad and I being together?”
He rips another piece off and blinks owlish at me, slight confusion on his face. He looks to his father for help, but finding none there, he turns back. “Sure. You can have sleepovers and we can go to the movies. You can be my best friend and take me to he museum.”
“You’re ok if I’m in your life more permanently?”
“You already are in my life,” he says so patiently I feel totally idiotic.
Realizing this is the best it’s going to get, I let it go. If he has questions later, we’ll tackle them then. “Ok. We’ll be down in a few. We need to get dressed first.”
Henry nods, climbs off the bed, and takes off down the hallway, yelling for Carter.
“That went well?” I fling the covers off and sit up, still looking towards the empty doorway.
East leans up, kissing my shoulder before heading towards his bag. “How did you think it was going to go? He’s six.”
“Yeah, but I don’t want him to resent me coming here or thinking I’m replacing his mom.”
“Have to have a mom to replace. That woman has done nothing for him but birth him. She’s never been in the picture, Taylor.”
“So what? She gives birth, tries to get you to marry her, and leaves when you don’t?” I ask; it seems a little implausible. This isn’t a daytime soap.
“She only left after my parents paid her off and made her sign an NDA with explicit instruction to never contact us again or payment would be voided.”
“Seems familiar,” I say sarcastically, thinking of his mother.
East shoots me a look as he shrugs on his shirt. “I will be having a word with her before we leave.”
I hold up my hands. “As long as you keep me out of it.”
I slip on a sweater dress, my dad’s old army green utility jacket, and some boots before heading down, leaving East behind me.
Carter meets me at the top of the stairs and takes my bag. “I heard you had a run-in with the wicked witch.” He waves a hand for me to go first.
Rolling my eyes, I ask, “How did you already hear that? And you call you mother that?”
“My spidey sense told me something was up last night. That, and my mother interrogated me about you after dinner.”
“Good Lord. Is this what I get to look forward to?” I hit the bottom of the stairs and wait for Carter to pull up next to me.
“She’s protective.”
“Protective, my ass. She’s a—”
“I’m a what, Ms. McKay?” Helena interrupts, and my eyes widen with panic at Carter before turning to her.
“A mother. Of course you’re protective.” I smile innocently.
“Hmm.” She raises a brow and looks me up and down before turning on her heel and heading back into the dining room. “Don’t dawdle, Ms. McKay. Breakfast has already gone cold as you laze abed.”
I snort and glare at the laughing Carter. “Laze abed? It’s eight in the morning. Jesus!”
I stomp into the dining room and take the seat next to Henry, farthest away from Helena. So what if I’m using a six-year-old as a buffer? Henry excels at buffering.
I take a couple pieces of toast and spread the jam housed in a crystal bowl on them. Crystal bowls at breakfast. Dad would have scoffed at the ostentatiousness.
I take my first bite when the so-called wicked witch speaks again. “Though you are not at all what I would have imagined for my eldest and are clearly very rough around the edges, Carter speaks highly of you and he’s much too impatient to bother with lying.”
“Thank you, Mother.” Carter grins as he enters sans suitcases and takes the seat opposite of me.
“My point is that Carter and my private investigator give me the impression that you are a good, honest, and hardworking woman. Henry seems to like you and Easton obviously cares.”
I stare at her openmouthed, is this supposed to be a compliment to my character? She mentioned a private investigator!
“Close your mouth, dear. Open mouths are invitations for something to come in,” Helena says smartly and I blink. Was that vulgar or is my mind just always in the gutter?
“Glad she has your approval, Mother,” East says as he comes into the room, kissing Henry’s head before giving me the same treatment and sitting next to his brother.
Carter bends his head down. “Don’t forget me, East.”
East rolls his eyes and knocks his knuckles against his twin’s head instead. “Hurry up and eat; car pulls out in twenty minutes. We have to get on the road before the party tonight.”
“Your father and I will be heading up around dinnertime, darling.” Helena grimaces at the mention of her husband. What the hell kind of relationship do those two have?
“Fine, but before we go, you and I need to have a chat,” he says with finality.
Helena nods as if she’s expecting this and Carter waggles his eyebrows across from me. Idiot. I finish my toast quickly and gulp down my coffee. Not nearly enough to hold me over, but I plan on making East stop at Dunkin’ Donuts.
I notice Henry’s done eating and latch onto the excuse. “I’m going to make sure Henry is all packed and ready to go. Helena, it was…well, I can’t say a pleasure, but it was interesting. I suppose I’ll see you tonight.” She lifts her tea cup in acknowledgment and I practically yank Henry up from his chair. “Come on, Hen!”
I grab his hand the moment he’s out of his chair and speed walk out of the room.