Carter
“No!”
“No!”
“Not this one either.” I huffed, throwing down yet another outfit. I was starting to get to the end of my closet and I had found nothing suitable to wear.
“Princess, it is just my grandma,” Gage said. He was laying down on my bed playing on his phone while I freaked out over what to wear. “You’ve met her before.”
“Yeah, but we weren’t dating then. We are now. I want her to like me!” I reasoned, rifling through the rest of the clothes that were hanging up in my closet.
“She already likes you. You can literally show up in a pair of sweats and I don’t think she would care.”
“Gage! We are going over for dinner. I can’t look like a slob.” He didn’t know why this was so important to me.
Yes, I had already met his grandmother, but Gage and I weren’t dating and that was months ago. I really wanted her to like me and see me as someone that wasn’t going to hurt her grandson. I knew they were both really close, so I wanted her to know I wasn’t going to ruin that or hurt her only grandson.
Because of the way I was raised, I believed that family was an important thing. That was why Gage meeting my parents was such a big deal. I wanted them to accept him and have him see how much they mean to me. Now it was my turn. I wanted to be officially introduced to his grandma as his girlfriend.
It sounded so stupid out loud and when I tried to explain it to Gage, he seemed confused. But to me it was important. Plus, I wanted to ask her if she would like to come over for Thanksgiving in a few weeks. I hadn’t exactly asked Gage if he wanted to come or not, but if he did want to I didn’t want to exclude his grandma. I wasn’t sure if they already had plans or not, but I did promise my mom I would ask if they wanted to join our family for the holiday.
This was a casual dinner at his grandmother’s place, but that didn’t mean I could just show up looking like a hobo, nor could I show up looking too fancy.
“Princess, just wear something warm and you are fine.” I could tell Gage was done with me fussing over my outfit. Seeing the time, I let out a loud sigh. We needed to leave soon, so I better just pick something and get ready. Whatever I chose would just have to do.
“Fine.” I huffed as I grabbed the closest thing to me. With the outfit in hand, I left my bedroom and headed for the bathroom. Might as well change and do my makeup at the same time. Gage was fine in my room.
I threw on a cream-colored sweater that was slightly too big and slid on a pair of light blue skinny jeans. The sweater was thick enough to keep me warm, and casual enough for dinner tonight. I quickly got started on my makeup and kept it light. I was not one for huge amounts of makeup anyway. It didn’t take long for me to finish my makeup and do my hair. I did not want to be late. I silently wished Macey was home to calm me down, but she was busy on a date night with Luke.
Giving myself a little talk in the mirror, I was good to go. I smoothed out my sweater before leaving the bathroom and heading back to my bedroom to get some shoes.
Gage was in the same position as when I left him. His long body was spread across my too-small bed, his feet dangling over the end. His hands were above his face as he held his phone up. The bottom part of his blue sweater rode up just enough for me to take a peek at the strip of skin that was exposed. He was all lean muscle, so of course I couldn’t stop myself from looking him up and down.
Even with him laying down so casually on my bed, dressed in something so simple, he looked hot. So hot that I was glad he was all mine. There was no doubt other girls wanted him for themselves and that he could get any of them just by a look. But it made me feel good that he was all mine and he didn’t seem to be going anywhere…I hope.
“Are you done undressing me with your eyes?” Gage suddenly asked, breaking my concentration.
“I wasn’t staring I was…leering,” I said lamely before turning around to grab some shoes. Behind me Gage just laughed and moved to get off the bed. I peeked over my shoulder at him as he stretched his arms up, his body moving fluidly. He was very graceful, something I envied. I guess being an underground fighter worked in his favor. Sometimes he would sneak up on me, his footsteps quiet like a cat’s.
Slipping on a pair of black Vans, I grabbed my purse and made sure I had everything. I probably didn’t even need it all, but it was out of habit. I was busy looking through my bag when I felt a pair of strong arms wrap themselves around my waist.
“Don’t stress too much about it, Princess. My grandma loves you.” Gage laid his chin on my shoulder. Over these last few weeks, he had been really touchy-feely with me and I loved it. Before, he would hold my hand and kiss me, but now it was like he finally realized I was his. His hold on my hands were tighter, his kisses longer and harder. Even when we were in class, he would find a way to touch me—grabbing my thigh, my hand, placing his arm behind my chair and occasionally tracing his fingers along my neck.
I loved this side of him, and no way in hell was I going to mention it to him. Whenever he wrapped his arms around me, like right now, I felt safe, wanted, needed. It was such a nice feeling to have from someone other than my father.
For years I wondered what it would be like to be wanted and be protected by someone. What it would feel like to have a guy’s arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me back into the confines of his warm body. Lusting after Ethan for so long, I started to think I would never get that. That no one would give me that sort of feeling, besides Ethan. But now that was not the case. It was Gage who made me feel protected, loved, needed. And it was all I could have ever wanted.
“Okay. No freaking out,” I said quietly as I leaned back against him. He was so firm, like a wall of protection. Even though I hadn’t known him that long—only four months—I already trusted him with my life. The day we got jumped outside of the gym helped prove he would do anything for me.
***
The car ride to Gage’s grandmother’s place didn’t take long. When we pulled up in the driveway, I started to get nervous. I knew I shouldn’t be and that we had met before, but this time just felt different.
I fidgeted in the seat as Gage unbuckled his seatbelt. I can do this. Don’t freak out, Carter. This is nothing. Taking a deep breath, I unbuckled myself and slid out of the car. The longer I sat there, the more I would try and talk myself out of going inside.
The moment I rounded the front of the car, I grabbed Gage’s hand and laced my fingers through his. He gave me a quick kiss on the top of my head before tugging me toward the front door.
We walked straight in and were met with the wonderful smell of homemade cooking. Being in college really made you miss your mother’s cooking more than you realized. Never take it for granted, I tell you.
“Grandma! We are here!” Gage called out, shutting the door behind us. The place looked just like the last time I was here. It felt exactly like how a grandparents’ place should feel.
“In the kitchen!” Over the last few weeks Gage had been with me all the time, so he couldn’t see his grandma as often as he was probably used to, something I felt terrible about. The moment we entered the kitchen, I couldn’t help but smile. The kitchen table was piled with food, and Rose was busy at the stove stirring something that smelled mouthwatering.
“There’s my boy!” She stopped whatever she was doing and came to pull Gage into a tight hug. I dropped his hand and smiled at the two of them. Seeing them together made me miss my own grandparents. I hadn’t seen them in over four months.
“And, Carter, it is great to see you again.” She beamed at me before also pulling me into a tight hug. I instantly relaxed in her hold and hugged her back. Why I was nervous about seeing her again, I didn’t know.
“What is for dinner, Gram? It smells good,” Gage asked, moving around the kitchen to see what was cooking on the stove.
“I’m making your favorite. Black bean soup with homemade rolls, salad, and your favorite cinnamon roll cake.” My mouth watered.
“I hope you like soup, Carter.”
“Don’t worry, Rose, everything you mentioned sounds amazing.” My stomach chose that moment to growl loudly, making me blush. “Sorry, I haven’t eaten since this morning,” I admitted shyly.
“You are more than welcome to take a roll right now. Dinner should be ready in a few minutes.” Gage reached for the basket of rolls that was sitting on the counter, only to get his hand whacked.
“What was that for?”
“I said Carter can have one. Not you.” I bit back a laugh at the wounded expression on Gage’s face. He looked like a little kid.
“But, Grandma, I’m hungry!” Yup, he was definitely like a little kid.
“She is too thin. We need to fatten her up a bit.”
“Trust me, Grams, she eats a lot.” He put emphasis on the last part.
“Hey! I’m not a pig.”
“You eat like one,” he muttered, once again getting hit on the head by Rose. I stuck my tongue out at him as I grabbed a homemade roll. I made a big deal of taking a bite of it, just to mess with him.
“I hate women.” Gage said before going over to the table and plopping down in a chair. I chuckled and rolled my eyes at him.
I was about to turn to ask Rose something before I felt something rub against my legs. Snickerdoodle the cat was rubbing up against my legs and purring loudly. I smiled down at her before getting down on my knees to rub her fur. Yes, I was one of those people that would immediately find the animal in a house, even if I was at a party. You would find me in a corner playing with the dog instead of socializing.
“You know, right after you left a while ago, she wouldn’t shut up and kept staring out the window.”
“Aww, did you miss me?” I cooed to the pretty kitty. After a few minutes of loving on her and having her rub all over me, I stood up.
“Rose, do you need help with anything?”
“You don’t have to help.” I cut her off.
“I’d be more than happy to.” I moved to her side to see what she needed. After she gave me some instructions on adding some spices into the bowl, I got to work. I was busy with my task, but I heard her whisper something to Gage, which I hoped was a good thing.
For the next little bit, I helped Gage’s grandma make the cinnamon roll cake. I’d never had one before and it sounded amazing. Of course Gage had to keep coming over to dip his finger in the batter. He couldn’t cook, but he sure could eat it.
While I helped out and Gage sat there trying to sneak rolls into his mouth, Rose told me stories about Gage when he was little. I wish I could have seen Gage when he was fifteen years old and in that awkward stage. By the sound of it he wasn’t the cocky, handsome guy he is now.
When we finally sat down to eat, I was starving. Everything looked and smelled so good that I had to refrain from stuffing it all in my mouth. After a glare from his grandmother, Gage let me get my food first before he started to pile his plate high. And he thought I was a pig.
“Sorry about my grandson, Carter. He apparently lost all his manners.”
“I have manners,” Gage said through a mouthful of roll. The both of us rolled our eyes at him.
“So, Carter, Gage tells me you are the daughter to Layla Miller. That must be exciting. She is an amazing author,” Rose said.
“My mom is pretty great.” I smiled thinking of my mom and reminding myself to call her later.
“I have read all of her books. I bet she is excited that they are going to make a movie out of one of them.”
“When she got the call about that, she literally almost made the windows break with her screaming.” I laughed at the memory.
“Speaking of my mom, I wanted to ask you two something.” I guess now was the best time to ask if they wanted to come over for Thanksgiving.
“Oh yeah?” I felt Gage move closer to me, and he placed his hand on my thigh, almost like he thought I had bad news. I squeezed his hand and shot him a smile before I continued.
“I was talking to my mom the other day and we both wanted to see if you guys would like to spend Thanksgiving with us? I mean, a lot of my family will be there, but we would really like it if you came over.” I chewed on my bottom lip after I finished. When they didn’t say anything at first, I got nervous.
“If you don’t want to or have other plans, that is totally fine! No pressure to come over.” The two of them shared a look before Rose broke out in a smile.
“We would love to come over. Are you sure your parents don’t mind?”
“Of course not. It was kind of my mom’s idea. We always have this tradition of everyone helping make dinner, then we go out back and play some friendly football before eating. I just don’t want to intrude on your plans, though.”
“We don’t usually celebrate Thanksgiving anyway,” Gage said. “With it only being us, we normally just eat some dinner together. Dylan usually comes over as well.”
“He can definitely come too.” I grinned. I was excited about spending a holiday with my boyfriend. I had never had one around the holidays, so this year was going to be great.
“So…” Rose changed the subject. “Your father is that big CEO guy, right?” I bit my lip trying hard not to laugh at the way she described my dad. Definitely a different way of describing him.
“Yeah, that’s him.”
“Are you going to take over after college?” Rose asked. I finished what I had in my mouth before answering.
“Actually, no. My older brother, Luke, will be the one taking over. I’m not one for math and telling people what to do. My brother wants to take over anyway, so it works out for me.”
“Oh, what are you going into?” she asked curiously.
“I’m majoring in photography and art, and hoping to also minor in education. Art and photography aren’t exactly the most secure jobs out there, so my parents made sure I had something else to fall back on just in case. I can always end up being an art teacher.”
“As long as you love what you do, then that is all that matters. My husband was a plumber and carpenter. It wasn’t the highest paying job out there and he had to work hard, but he loved what he did.” Rose smiled at the mention of her late husband. “He always loved to help people and do things with his hands. He used to say, ‘If you don’t work hard for what you have—'”
“You should have nothing,” Gage finished for her. I grinned over at him. He never really talked about his grandpa too much, but I knew for a fact he owed his grandpa a lot. He made him the man Gage is today.
“He sounds like a great man.”
“He really was.” I could tell Rose was getting a little chocked up on the subject, but she quickly moved on.
“What about your grandparents, Carter? Will they be coming to Thanksgiving?” At the mention of my grandparents, I smiled.
“They will. They are my father’s parents and are amazing. You’ll really like my grandma. She’s one of those ‘I want to make friends with everyone’ kind of people”
“What about your mother’s parents?”
“Grandma!” Gage butted in. “You are getting a bit personal, don’t you think?”
I placed a hand on his arm. “It is okay, Gage. I don’t mind.”
“My mother’s parents were…not nice people. We have never met them, and I don’t want to. I think they may have passed away a few years ago too.” It was years ago that my mother sat Luke and I down and told us about her parents. I think we were eleven and twelve years old when we asked if we had other grandparents. Everyone else in our grades had two sets of them and we didn’t, so we wanted to know why.
After learning that her parents abused my mother, the both of us were glad we never met them and never would. Beside the fact that my father wouldn’t allow us to anyway, we didn’t want to. It did take us a few years to actually comprehend the whole thing, and it may have just made us hate them even more. After being raised with so much love, it was hard to think that someone you thought loved you and gave birth to you would be so cruel. Now, at eighteen, I could really not care less about them. I had one set of grandparents that were amazing, and I didn’t need another one.
“It sounds like they had it coming,” Rose said, shrugging. I grinned and knew she would get along with my mom and grandma for sure.
“The food is amazing, Grandma,” Gage said, cutting in and breaking the serious tension.
“It tastes amazing,” I added. Rose could definitely cook, and the fact it was all homemade just made it better.
“Oh, speaking of food, before I forget, Dylan is supposed to come by. I accidentally mentioned food and the fat-ass immediately hung up.” I couldn’t help but laugh at her words. That was so Dylan. Right on cue, the front door swung open with a bang and a familiar voice yelled out.
“I’m here to eat, bitches!”
***
Two weeks later…
“This day is going to be crazy,” Macey muttered as she finished the touches on her makeup.
“Got that right. Everyone is coming, aren’t they?” I looked over at her.
“Yup. Hope your mom is making enough food.”
“You know my mom. She loves to cook big meals. Plus, we will get roped into helping out too.”
“Damn it, there goes my plan of forcing Luke to stay in his room with me. My mom will definitely make me help out.” Macey groaned. Her idea sounded great, but neither of our mothers would let that happen.
It was currently 10:20 a.m., and my mother told us to be there by eleven at the latest. We wouldn’t eat until three or later, but everyone was expected to come by around noon, which meant we had to come early to help out.
Our house was going to be jampacked with people, that’s for sure. While I was excited about seeing my aunt and uncles and cousins, I was worried about Gage. I didn’t want this to be overwhelming for him or for his grandma.
I quickly finished up my own makeup before leaving to my room to grab my shoes. My mother would kill us if we were late. Luke, Macey, Ethan, and me were going in one car and Dylan, Gage, and Rose would meet us at my parents’ house later.
Glancing in the mirror, I looked over my appearance once more. I didn’t dress up too much considering I would be helping make food, and it was just my family. Family that had seen me in diapers.
Because it was cold outside, I went for a casual warm outfit. A pair of dark blue skinny jeans that hugged my legs and a really cute red and white sweater I forgot I even had. I paired it all with a pair of black, heeled boots. My hair was down in soft waves, and my makeup was very minimal. Knowing that we were probably not coming back until late, I grabbed a coat. In case we ended up staying over, I already had some clothes still left in my old room that I didn’t bring with me here.
Seeing as I was all ready to go, I sent Ethan and Luke a text saying we were ready. I knew Macey wasn’t totally ready—no shocker there—but this would give her that push to hurry her ass up.
It was no surprise that I was ready first, but when I walked out of my room, I was met with Macey coming out of hers. I raised an eyebrow at her timing but didn’t say anything about it. Macey was the type that you had to drag out of her room after waiting two-plus hours for her to get ready. Normally she was the one who made us late for everything.
Glancing at her outfit, I gave a nod of approval. Where I had gone for warmth, Mace had gone for style. Her outfit consisted of a pair of black shorts with black tights, and a grey sweater with a matching thick scarf around her neck. She also wore a pair of black heeled boots. It definitely fit her.
“Isn’t it weird that this year the both of us are going to spend the holidays with our boyfriends? That is a first,” Mace commented as she put her keys in her purse. Normally around this time we were both single; well, of course I was single, but Mace always seemed to dump the guy before the holidays came around. I used to wonder why, but now thinking about it, it may be because of my brother. I hadn’t been sure if she had ever liked him before now, but one couldn’t be sure with her.
“Poor Gage.”
“What do you mean, ‘poor Gage’?” I asked, looking over at her.
“Well, he is going to meet practically everyone in your family. Hell, even mine! The poor guy is not going to know what hit him.” I hadn’t really thought about it until now, and man was she right.
As everyone knew, the men in my family tend to be protective of the girls. They all had to have a say or do something stupid and weird to try and scare someone off. It was more awkward than it was annoying. Although it wasn’t the men I was worried about. No, it was my aunts, especially Aunt Kay, Macey’s mother. She was just like my mom and had to make a big deal out of everything. I knew that the moment she saw Gage she would pull him into a hug and make some inappropriate joke or comment, before questioning him about himself.
I just hoped she would go easy on him, and with his grandma there, I hoped things would go a bit smoother. But knowing my family, nothing would be simple and quiet.
“Anyway, Luke is downstairs. We better go.” I nodded and followed after her, locking the door behind me.
Because it was Thanksgiving, everyone had a four-day weekend. Most took off the entire week so they could go back home and be with family. Since mine only lived a few miles away, it was up to us if we wanted to go home or stay on campus. Macey and I both decided that over the weekend we would stay over at our parents’ houses just to see them.
When we came out of the elevator, we were met by Luke and Ethan standing there. Because it was so cold outside, it was smart of them to wait in here for us. I didn’t bat an eye when Macey launched herself at my brother. I was used to that by now. Instead I made my way to Ethan, who was standing there with his hands in his pockets.
“Hey.” I smiled at him as I came to his side.
“Hey. You look pretty.” My cheeks went pink. I’m pretty sure I would always blush when Ethan complimented me.
“Thanks. You clean up pretty well.” My eyes raked up and down his body. He looked nice in a blue and grey fleece shirt with a plain black t-shirt underneath. He was wearing faded blue jeans and matching blue shoes. As always, his hair was done in the messy up-front style. He looked very nice. But I noticed, as I stared at him, I didn’t get the butterflies in my stomach the way I did when I saw Gage. That gave me a small shock.
“You guys ready?” I asked, clearing my throat and moving away from Ethan. Not even waiting for their replies, I headed for the front doors. It wasn’t that I was mad my feelings for Ethan were going away; it was the fact that I didn’t know it. I didn’t realize how easy it was to get over him and become consumed by Gage instead.
The car ride to my parents’ house was slightly tense at first—well, to me it was—but soon we all got into a flow of conversation. We talked about midterms that were coming too quickly for us, what food Mom was making, and what games we were going to play this year.
Per tradition, we always played football in the backyard, mostly the guys did, and then we would play a board game or something. Last year we played Twister and had four people on the little mat. Let’s just say it wasn’t easy, and in the end, we all ended up in a pile of limbs. Not our smartest idea, I’ll admit.
Another reason we went over early was to decide on what games we should play. Because if you waited until everyone arrived, you would never decide and before you knew it, it was too late to do anything.
When Luke pulled into the driveway, I grinned widely. All of us piled out of the Jeep and headed for the door. This was basically home for all of us. Macey spent a lot of time here, and for Ethan this was his home.
The moment we entered the house, we all groaned. It smelled like Thanksgiving. It was simply one of the best holidays because of the food. Entering the kitchen, we came upon my parents dancing. My dad must have said something because my mom laughed loudly in his arms.
“Ew, kids in the house!” Luke yelled, covering his eyes. I thought it was sweet that my parents were still crazy about one another. Even after all these years they loved each another, and my father showed it daily. It was just cute.
“Then get out, ’cause I am going to kiss your mom,” my dad said, and before any of us could say anything, he placed a kiss right on my mom’s lips. Luke turned away, fake puking, Ethan laughed, but looked over at me so he wasn’t watching my parents, and Mace and I made faces at one another. Yes, they even did this in public.
“I don’t want food anymore,” Luke muttered.
“Like you don’t do the same thing to Macey,” my father shot back at him after he pulled away from Mom. Macey blushed bright red.
“We are young. We can kiss whenever we want. You guys, on the other hand, are too old.”
“Old?” My father raised his eyebrow at him. Oh, shit. Bye, Luke, it was nice knowing you.
“Did you know forty-five is the new twenty?” Luke squeaked out before he turned and ran out of the room. I laughed along with Ethan as my father pretended to go after his son.
“While your father kills Luke, you three come help me for a minute,” my mother said before any of us could turn and leave. All three of us held back a groan as I moved more into the kitchen to help my mom. Right as we got to the counter, the clicking of nails on the floor echoed around us. Sammy came running toward us with his tongue hanging out.
Once he had given all of us slobbery kisses, Ethan suddenly stood up.
“I think Sam needs to go to the bathroom. I’ll go take him out.” Before my mom could say a word, he turned and ran out of the room, Sam on his heels.
“Lucky bastard,” Macey muttered under her breath. I choked on laughter.
“Honey, you okay?” Mom asked.
“Yeah, all good.” I sent her a smile as I caught my breath. Beside me, Mace laughed under her breath.
“Okay, girls, I need you two to start peeling potatoes.”
“But isn’t that a lot of potatoes?” I asked, coming to stand beside her and placing a kiss on her cheek in greeting.
“Yes, so you better start peeling. Here.” She handed Macey and me a peeler each before going to do something else. The both of us shared a look before we went over to the sink that already had bags in it, ready for the potato skins. We quickly got to work, all the while grumbling about how the boys didn’t have to do anything.
An hour and a few cuts later we were finally finished, and the potatoes were on the stove boiling. I was putting a Band-Aid on Macey, after she finished with mine. After peeling thirty potatoes, our grips loosened and the stupid peelers kept nicking our fingers. Let’s just say neither of us wanted to do that again.
After doing that, Mom still had things for us to do, but thankfully in that moment Aunt Kacey and Uncle Nick came through the front door. Macey quickly went to greet her parents and younger sister, Elizabeth, not once looking back at the kitchen.
Once her parents were done asking her about school, if she was eating right, what she had been doing, was I able to squeeze in and get a hug. Elizabeth pretended she wasn’t happy to see both Macey and me, but I knew she was.
It was as if the door opening brought every guy out of hibernation because here came my dad, Luke, Ethan, and Sammy. Yes, even the dog was hiding out. They all greeted everyone, and I noticed Elizabeth blushed when Ethan gave her a hug. Even a sixteen-year-old with a boyfriend liked Ethan. No surprise there. I had been in her shoes.
“Ethan, where’s your girlfriend?” Aunt Kay asked as we made our way out of the front entry.
“Amy had to go to her parents’, so she couldn’t come over.”
“And, Carter, where is your boyfriend that I have heard so much about?” Instantly all eyes were on me, especially Uncle Nick and Ethan’s. I kind of forgot to mention that Gage was coming over too. Ethan, and I guess Uncle Nick, didn’t like me being with someone, just like my father. You could tell they were best friends for sure.
“He should be here soon actually.” I ignored Ethan’s stare and smiled at my aunt.
“Hon, I am going to show Nick what we added to the backyard,” my dad butted in. That was code for “we will be out back not helping.” All four guys said they would help and trailed out of the room, leaving us girls standing there. Kacey and Mom rolled their eyes but headed to the kitchen. Macey, Elizabeth, and I slowly trailed behind them.
“Car, you have a boyfriend finally?” Elizabeth asked. It was sad that a sixteen-year-old had more of a love life than I did, but not anymore.
“Yeah, he is coming to dinner.” I smiled at the thought of Gage. I wished he was here already, but I knew he had to pick up his grandma.
“Where’s yours?” Macey bumped her sister’s shoulder.
“With his family.” Yup, still sad she had a better love life than the rest of us. When we entered the kitchen, I caught the tail end of Mom and Kay’s conversation.
“Neena and Liam are still coming, right?” Aunt Kay asked.
“Yeah, they are with Mason and Grayson. Ariel, Alex, Zach, and the twins aren’t coming. Apparently, this year they are going to Alex’s family’s house. But they did say they would be here for Christmas,” Mom explained.
Well at least that was five less people to worry about. I hadn’t seen my real aunt and uncle, Ariel, my father’s sister, and Alex in forever. Maybe since my graduation. They were busy with their three kids anyway.
Neena and Liam weren’t really my aunt and uncle, but growing up, it was just easier to call them that, and to call their children my cousins. Our families were so complicated that we didn’t even try to explain it to anyone anymore. As most people knew, Macey was my best friend.
“Okay! All hands on deck! I need someone to mash potatoes, and someone to make to help finish the stuffing,” my mom said. When my mother was cooking, you didn’t get in the way and you did what was asked of you. So immediately we all choose our stations and got to work.
While we cooked, we all talked. It was nice to talk with my family and just have fun. The boys stayed outside or in the living room watching football, while we cooked and gossiped. Usual Thanksgiving ritual in most families, I think.
Aunt Kacey had to ask all about Gage and what was going on between us. She did mention my crush on Ethan briefly, but I quickly got her off that topic. While my aunt could be pushy and too nosey sometimes, I knew she meant well.
It was almost noon when the doorbell rang, making my heart jump. I was hoping it was Gage, so I set my towel down and ran to the living room. I didn’t reach the door in time, because Luke got there first. When the door opened, a wide grin spread across my face.
Gage stood there looking as handsome as ever, and his grandma Rose was next to him. Both were holding what looked like pies.
“Gage,” Luke greeted with a clap to the shoulder as he let them in. “You must be his older sister.” Luke, always the ladies’ man, even the older ones.
“Luke, seriously.” I pushed him away, not wanting to scare Rose away.
“Hi, Rose, I am so happy you made it.” I beamed as Luke walked away laughing.
“Thank you for inviting us. Sorry if we are late,” she said, glancing around. She probably heard all the voices and thought they were late.
“Not at all. Everyone’s not here yet.” I reached for the pie in her hands. Looking down, I saw it was a beautiful apple pie. “This looks delicious. Thank you.”
“No problem. I don’t like to show up without something.”
“My mom will really appreciate that. Let me go introduce you to my family.” I turned around, but I didn’t make it far. An arm wrapped itself around my waist and dragged me backwards.
“You didn’t greet me,” a low voice said. It sent shivers down my spine.
“You aren’t as important as your grandmother, and she has pie.” I untangled myself from his grasp. As much as I wanted to stay there, I had to introduce Rose to my parents.
“I do too. I think that deserves a kiss.” Gage wiggled his eyebrows at me as I glanced at him. Deciding to tease him for a moment, I moved toward him. Even though I was in heels, I had to lean up a bit to reach his face. My head moved closer to his, but instead of meeting his lips, I turned at the last second and kissed his cheek.
“There you go,” I whispered as I pulled away. Seeing the look on his face was priceless. He looked shocked and confused. Grinning, I pivoted on my heel and led Rose toward the kitchen. Gage slowly trailed behind us.
“Mom,” I called out as we entered. All conversation seemed to stop as we entered the room. Not wanting it to be awkward, I started talking.
“Mom, this is Rose Harper, Gage’s grandmother. Rose, this is my mother, Layla Miller.”
“It is so nice to finally meet you!” my mother immediately gushed, rushing forward to hug Rose. While my mom introduced Rose to everyone in the kitchen, I set the pie on the counter and went to grab the one from Gage. I sent him a sly smile as I took it from his hands.
“Hello Gage,” Mom said, coming over to pull Gage into a hug also. Did I mention that my family were huggers?
“Thank you for inviting my grandmother and me, Mrs. Miller.”
“Call me Layla, sweetheart. Thank you for coming and for the pies.”
As my mom showed Rose around and as they started talking, I moved over to Gage. Macey and Elizabeth backed slowly out of the room before turning and walking away, using Rose as a distraction to get out of helping even more. Not wanting my mom to get Gage and I to help, I grabbed his hand and quickly pulled him out of the kitchen.
“You do not want to stay in there,” I explained.
“Why not?”
“My mom will make you cook until your hands bleed. Trust me.” I held out my own Band-Aid-covered hand as proof.
“I better thank you for not letting me get sucked into the trap,” Gage said as he pulled me to a stop in the hallway. I was just pulling him somewhere, anywhere, not wanting to go to the living room where everyone was just yet.
His hands came up to cup my face before his head lowered and he lips met mine. Even though I’d seen him last night, I’d missed him. I missed his lips and the way he smelled. Yes, I had come to the conclusion I was addicted to Gage Harper, but it could be worse though. I could be addicted to drugs or something.
“I missed you.” I breathed out as I came up for air. My eyes met his and he grinned.
“I missed you too.” He placed another peck on my lips. I leaned into his body for more, but the sound of voices getting louder made me stop. As much as I wanted to continue our little make-out session, we were at my parents’ and if anyone caught us, we would be in deep shit.
“Let’s go before my dad or brother comes to find us.” With his hand in mine, I led him to the living room. While we walked, I looked him over and nodded in approval at what he was wearing. He looked good in a gray sweater and black slacks. His hair was styled perfectly as always, and I itched to run my fingers through it.
“Hey wait! Where’s Dylan?” I asked, suddenly realizing he wasn’t here yet.
“He ended up having to do something with his family. He wasn’t too specific about it,” Gage said, but I knew he was leaving something out. Instead of pressing, I nodded.
Before we stepped into the living room, I squeezed Gage’s hand.
“Don’t worry about any of them. They are all bark but no bite.” I know he wanted to ask what I meant, but instead of saying anything else, I pulled him into the room.
Seated all around the living room were my dad, Uncle Nick, Ethan, Luke, Macey, and Elizabeth on the far side of the room. Even Sammy was lying down in the middle of the carpet chewing on a toy.
My father was the first to notice us and got up to greet Gage. At least my father didn’t mind him or he just didn’t show it—for that I was glad. After my dad gave Gage a firm handshake, Uncle Nick came forward. He was just like my second dad.
“So this is Gage, huh?” He looked him up and down. I rolled my eyes.
“Uncle Nick, cut it out. You aren’t scary, and we both know you know who Gage is.” I sent my father a look. Guys are worse than girls at gossiping, I tell you.
“You couldn’t let me scare the poor kid, could you?”
“Nope.” Shaking his head, he greeted Gage before sitting back down. Gage gave Ethan a small nod before we took a seat on the only open part of the couch. The guys were watching a football game.
For a split second it was completely silent before Uncle Nick started talking. Things then started to flow. The conversations in the room flowed easily and stayed on simple topics. Gage talked to both my dad and Nick about football and other things, which I was glad for. Everyone seemed to be getting along.
It wasn’t long before my other aunt and uncle, Neena and Liam, showed up with their two sons, Mason and Grayson. When everyone greeted them, I was surprised at how grown up they both looked. Mason was now seventeen, and definitely took after this father with blonde hair and blue eyes. Even though Grayson was only ten, he was totally a heartbreaker. They could almost pass as twins, though.
Not long after introductions were made, Luke yelled out about playing a game. This was where the real fun began. The food was cooking, so Mom could take a break for a bit as well. Since it was only one now, we had plenty of time to play a few games.
After a few arguments, everyone decided to play Heads Up first. For the game, everyone would have to wear a headband that could connect a card to on the front. Because there were so many of us, we split into teams instead of couples, hoping it would go faster. One person would draw a card with a certain category, and that person would try to get the person on their left to guess what they were doing. They had to either act, sing, or describe whatever it was. While it didn’t sound too hard, it actually was, but it was also hilarious.
Imagine seeing grown men, aka my father and Nick, trying to act out stripping and who certain people were. Throughout the game everyone was laughing and having fun, exactly what I wanted.
Not going to lie, though, that when we split into groups and when Ethan joined Gage and my team, there were some tense moments. Both guys sized each other up, and whenever Ethan got too close to me, Gage would pull me to his side. While I did like it, I was getting slightly fed up with their actions.
Ethan was clearly provoking Gage by touching me, making me laugh, or doing something Gage didn’t like. By the end of the game I was ready to rip both boys’ heads off. When my mom, dad, and Nick and Kacey’s team won, we decided on another game, and I was thankful for that. I needed to get away from both testosterone-filled men.
When we decided on Pictionary, I made sure Ethan was on another team so we wouldn’t have a problem. As the game went on, Gage started to relax a bit and things turned out a little bit better. No awkward tension or silence. Everyone was getting along, and Gage and Rose fit right in with my crazy family.
Hours passed as we played games, laughed, told stories, and ate dinner. Because there were so many of us “kids,” we got separated into another table while the “adults” sat elsewhere. Both Ethan and Gage got along fine; they actually barely talked. We just talked about whatever throughout the meal.
Dinner passed by quickly and by the end of it, I was beyond stuffed. I regretted the decision to wear jeans because they had no give whatsoever. My mom made plenty of food, and there were still plenty of leftovers, and everyone got up at least three times to get more.
We all decided that we should do something before having dessert. I, for one, was grateful because I didn’t think I could eat any more. Everyone worked their way out back for some fresh air. I was hoping my food would digest a bit so I could eat some of the yummy-looking apple pie Gage’s grandma made.
“How about we play some football?” Ethan suggested, twirling the football in his hands.
“Do we have an even number, though?” I asked, counting all of us.
“I’m not playing,” Aunt Kay, Neena, Rose, and Mom said.
“Okay, that makes it five on five. Perfect,” Uncle Liam said, rubbing his hands together. “Let’s split up.”
Things quickly went into motion and I got a little lost. The next thing I knew, I was on a team with my dad, Ashton, Uncle Liam, Ethan, and Mason. On the other team was Luke, Uncle Nick, Macey, Grayson, and Gage.
“So, rules. Two-hand touch, and no tackling since there are girls present,” Uncle Nick rattled off. “Touchdowns are six points, and two points for extra. Don’t play too rough.” When he said the last part, he looked at Luke, Ethan, and Gage. It was Ethan and Gage I was worried about more than anything. Right now, Gage was glaring at Ethan who was standing close to me.
For the next thirty minutes we played football. The score went higher and higher as we went, each team pretty evenly matched. Thank God Ethan and Luke weren’t on the same team. It turned out, though, that Gage was good at football; actually, he was really good. He was one of the ones that always got a touchdown.
We only had a few minutes left on our so-called “timer”—Mom—before the game would end. I was put on guarding Gage, even though he was double my size. I had been put on Macey before just because we were the same height and girls, but this time I requested to guard Gage. Maybe I could distract him so we could win.
When Luke said “Hike” and Gage started running toward me, I had no clue what to do. He was bigger and faster than me, which did not help. It was two-hand touch, but these last few minutes, everyone had been a bit rougher. I watched as the ball flew right into his hands. Being slightly competitive, I decided I had only one option: attack Gage.
With my plan in mind, I ran at him. He noticed me as I came up behind him. He was so close to the touchdown point that I jumped out and onto his back. Normally I wouldn’t have been able to even move Gage, but my momentum took us both by surprise and we went down.
Our bodies tumbled to the ground and Gage took most of it for me. I landed on his hard back with a grunt. His muscular body was not fun to fall on, I tell you. Both of us groaned as we lay there. When the pain finally ebbed, I heard my mom yelling that the time was up. Which meant my team won, and because of me!
Pushing off of Gage, I stood up and yelled out. I didn’t think we would win, honestly. Behind me, Gage stood up and dusted himself off as Ethan came toward me and picked me up.
He twirled me around in his arms and I threw my head back laughing. It was nothing to be excited about, but it just meant more that I was the reason we won. Ethan placed a kiss on my cheek as my feet touched the ground. Smiling at him, I turned and hugged my other teammates. Moving around, I saw Gage standing a few feet from me, his hands balled into fists and his jaw clenched. Confused, I went over to him.
“Hey, are you okay?” I touched his arm. Everyone behind me was heading inside to get some dessert.
“I’m fine.” He didn’t sound fine.
“I’m sorry for jumping on you and making you fall,” I said, but I was still smiling. “I totally kicked your ass again.” I giggled. When Gage didn’t smile, I became a little concerned.
“Gage, is something wrong?” I peered up at him. His eyes were hard and the muscle in his jaw was clenched tight.
“Are you still in love with him?” he bit out suddenly.
“What?” I asked, taken aback and confused by what he meant. Still in love with who? Gage looked around before he grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the side of the house, away from anyone that could see or hear us.
“Are you still in love with Ethan?” he ground out the moment we were away from anyone.
“Gage, what are you talking about?” The sudden topic threw me off. Did Gage think I was going to cheat on him with Ethan or something? Did he think something was going on between us?
“All day Ethan has been very close to you and sending you looks.”
“Gage, that doesn’t mean anything! Ethan is just trying to rile you up.” I reached out for him but he jerked back. His reaction hurt me. Did he really believe I still liked Ethan?
“Answer me, Carter.” His tone was dark and for some reason it pissed me off.
“No, I am not going to answer you, Gage! It sounds like you are accusing me of cheating or something!” I yelled back at him.
“Well if you are still in love with him, then you are basically cheating!”
“Who said I was still in love with him, Gage?” I glared at him. He was literally accusing me of something he had no idea about.
“The look on your face is enough for me to know.” Gage’s expression was dark. He stood a few feet from me, his hands clenched into fists.
I didn’t know what was happening here. One second, we were having fun playing football and hanging out with my family, and the next we were yelling at one another. Whatever Gage was thinking about Ethan and I was wrong.
I was not going to lie; before today, I thought I did have feelings for Ethan still, but after seeing him this morning, I didn’t get that heart-stopping butterflies-in-my-stomach feeling that I used to. I would probably always feel something for Ethan just because he was my first love and he was so close to me, but it was nothing compared to what I used to feel.
The worst part about it all, though, was that we were at my parents’ house. This was our first fight and it had to be here. I was more than hurt Gage thought so little of me. That I would immediately jump back into Ethan’s arms, and with him around. And I was hurt that he didn’t know how I felt about him. Did he not pick up on any of the clues this last month or so that we had been together? I wanted to tell him how I felt, but I was too angry to do so.
“What brought this up?” I asked, staring at him.
“It is clear you are meant to be together. Everyone thinks so,” he finally said after a few minutes of tense silence.
“Since when do you care about what people think?”
“When it is about my girlfriend’s long-time feelings for some asshole that doesn’t give two shits about her! And never will either!” His words cut right into me. I stumbled back, as if I’d been hit, and stared wide-eyed at him.
Never did I think Gage would be the one to say that to me. I had thought those words many times to myself, but hearing them out loud and from him made it all worse. Gage looked so angry at me, it actually hurt.
I knew Ethan would never like me the way I wanted. I knew my crush was stupid, but having it thrown in my face wasn’t right. Everyone had something they weren’t proud of or regretted. It wasn’t like Gage was so innocent either.
My mouth opened and closed. Tears pricked at the back of my eyes, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to stop them once they started. Gage didn’t react, and just stood there clenching his jaw, his brown eyes hard.
“Gage! Carter!” I heard my mom suddenly yell. At my mother’s voice Gage closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them, he still looked the same. Without saying a word to me, he turned to walk off.
“Gage.” I reached for him, but he jerked away from me. My heart clenched at that.
“Don’t,” he growled. I choked as my tears came back. Not even bothering to look at me again, he stalked off back to the house.
I stood there with my mind reeling. What just happened? How did this day turn from great to terrible? I needed to go back inside before someone came out and saw me like this. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself and wiped my eyes. I had to act like nothing was wrong.
Once I was okay enough to go inside, I moved out from around the house and headed inside.