Elijah
“Yeah, I’ll bring her,” I told Aunt Meg for the third time. “She should be here soon and then we’ll run over.”
“You’ve been telling me you were gonna bring her over so I could meet her for the last three weeks.” I could almost imagine her placing her hand on her cocked hip and that narrowed-eye look she gave when she was displeased. “Yet, here I am still waiting.”
“You’ll meet her today.”
“Does she know this?”
“Nope,” I said, the grin obvious in my voice. “It’ll be a fun surprise.” I looked up when I heard the sound of tires against the hot asphalt. “And here she is.”
“Great, now get moving.” Meg didn’t even wait for me to say anything further, just ended the call.
I hurried off the porch toward Catherine, though I preferred calling her Blake. We’d get there, though. I’d snuck it in a time or two but wasn’t sure she’d caught it. She was a little preoccupied at the time. I chuckled at the thought of her head thrown back, her back arched, and her eyes squeezed tight as I whispered her name.
“What are you smiling about?” she asked with her own matching smile.
“Happy to see you.” I leaned in and kissed her softly. “Looking forward to our weekend together.”
“Me too,” she whispered just as I pulled back.
“Also, my aunt is waiting to meet you.”
“What?”
I shrugged as I dragged our bags to my car. I ignored her concerned and questioning expression and tossed them into the back seat. Her bag, the one she’d borrowed from me, was stuffed to the brim. “What the hell did you pack? We’ll only be gone for a couple days.”
“I didn’t want to under pack and be unprepared.”
I opened the passenger door and guided her inside. “You most definitely are not under packed.”
Ignoring her glare, I made sure she was safely tucked inside. Hell, I even buckled her seatbelt before kissing the tip of her nose and closing the door before she had the chance to say more.
Of course, she waited until I was inside, buckled, and backing out of the driveway to start panicking.
“Why do they want to meet me? What if she thinks you can do better? Hell, you can do better.”
“Enough.” I hated when she did that shit. Putting herself down without actually calling out any faults. To me she had no faults; they were all characteristics and quirks which I fucking loved. They all made up the girl who challenged me and triggered all sorts of shit inside me that I was still trying to sift through.
“I’m just saying that it makes me nervous,” she mumbled, which only made me feel like an ass for interrupting her ramble.
“Aunt Meg, she loves everyone. I don’t think the woman has a mean bone in her body. She’s going to adore you just as much as I do.”
I looked over and saw her grinning. Though she attempted to hide the joy she felt from me saying I adored her, I saw it clearly.
Five minutes later we were pulling into my aunt and uncle’s driveway and I couldn’t help but chuckle when I saw Meg sitting on the porch. An eager look on her face, she stood and moved down the front stairs.
Catherine and I climbed out of the car at the same time and began moving toward the house.
“Gee, woman, slow down,” I tell Aunt Meg as I leaned in to hug her. I said it loud enough for Cat to hear as well. It was a way to break the ice. “You’re gonna have her running away thinking you’re some type of stalker or a lonely old lady looking for a friend.”
“Oh you stop it,” she said, swatting at my chest. “I’m just excited to meet the Catherine I’ve heard so much about. Or is it Blake?”
I caught the surprise on Cat’s face as she looked to me quickly before returning her attention back to my aunt. I didn’t butt in; I allowed her to take the reins on this one.
“My name is Blake Catherine.” She seemed nervous as my aunt stepped closer to her. “I’ve just always gone by Catherine or Cat. More my mother’s doing than anything because my father’s name was Blake and they didn’t get along much when he was alive.”
“Elijah told me about your father. I’m sorry to hear of him passing.”
“Thank you.”
In true Meg fashion she embraced Cat. I couldn’t help but smile proudly at her compassionate reaction to my girl. She gently rubbed Cat’s back as she said how happy she was to finally meet the beautiful girl she’d heard so much about. That seemed to surprise Cat and she looked over at me curiously.
“We’ll let Eli get the camping gear while you and I go have us some girl talk.” Meg dragged Cat off and I stood there watching as they disappeared inside the house.
***
“He’s always been our little bulldozer.” I stood just inside the front door, quietly listening to the conversation between my aunt and Catherine. “He used to stand right there in that open doorway, bent at the waist and holding one of the couch cushions under his arm as he took off for the living room. I don’t know how many times he tackled the recliner, or heck there was one time he tackled his uncle just as he entered the door from work.”
I could hear Catherine laughing as my aunt relived my younger years.
“Then he hit high school and the coaches flocked to him, he was their key to a winning year. Miles was ecstatic but I was terrified. He may have been a big boy but the idea of him out on that field where anything could’ve happened terrified me. He may carry himself like the Hulk,” I rolled my eyes at how she referred to me, “but he is still breakable.”
“My gentle giant,” Catherine said. I had no fucking idea why but it warmed me to hear her call me that, especially when she referred to me as her gentle giant.
I began to move toward the kitchen when I decided I’d heard enough.
“Okay, ladies, you can stop talking about my delicate body.” I playfully flexed my muscles as I walked by and opened the refrigerator, grabbing the grape Gatorade Meg always had ready for me, and turned around to face them. “Good to see the two of you getting along so well.”
“Of course you knew that I’d love her.” Meg smiled brightly. “We already have an appointment for nails and facials with Francine next week right after I cut and highlight this beautiful girl’s hair.”
My aunt and her friend Francine owned a salon. They had since before I could remember.
“Cut and highlight?” I arched a brow, wondering what “cut” actually meant. I knew I was panicking just a bit but I loved Cat’s hair. It was just long enough to grip, wrap around my wrist, and tug on when she was bent over before me and we were—
“Just a trim,” Catherine interrupted my thoughts. “And a few lighter streaks throughout.”
I didn’t miss the smirk on Cat’s lips like she read my thoughts from only moments ago.
If my aunt had things her way, Catherine and I would have stayed all day, but the guys were getting antsy. They continued to call and text, telling me they were leaving in twenty with or without us.
With an exchange of hugs, we climbed into my car and headed back to the frat house. Catherine seemed happier, relieved even, and the idea of her spending time with my aunt didn’t terrify me a bit. I actually loved the idea of her being around my family. It made everything between us feel so fucking real.
It was real.