He shakes his head as I get up, and he hammers in the last board. He's been working on this for half the day, while I scoured the woods for my brothers. When I found them, they didn't come back willingly.
I had to threaten to tell Uncle Bill what they'd done before they'd even drag their feet back.
They'd already bought the supplies to fix the porch, and left a note for Benson to finish the job.
Passive aggressive isn't their usual style.
"Well, I can't stay for dinner tonight, so they'll have you all to themselves," Benson says distractedly, packing his tools up.
My lips purse. Maybe I've grown clingy, because we haven't spent a second apart in two weeks, and now I don't want him to be away from me all night.
"What's going on tonight?"
He steps back to look at his handiwork before answering almost absently. "My family gets in tonight. They'll be here for a week, so I'll have to slip over and visit you when I can until they're gone."
He says it so matter-of-factly, as though this isn't a major shot to the gut. Like he didn't just make me feel like a dirty secret.
"Oh," I say, trying not to sound as deflated as I feel.
I still don't know how wealthy his family is, but I estimate it's very wealthy, based on the tidbits of information he's shared over the past two weeks. It didn't bother me or even concern me, until now.
I never stopped to realize that a girl from Tomahawk, who wears combat boots with shorts, and braids her hair when she's too lazy to brush it, and usually goes without makeup, would be an embarrassing woman to introduce to someone's prestigious family.
I get it. I do.
Sort of.
It still stings though.
"Right," I say when silence fills the air.
"Anyway, I need to get back and get cleaned up before the yearly week from hell begins," he says, turning to face me with a tight smile.
I try to act like everything is cool, not like I'm embarrassed or suddenly feeling like I'm worth a little less to him.
He kisses me chastely, and I stare after him as he walks away.
At least now I realize why we drove both boats over here, instead of just taking one. He didn't want to leave me without my boat for the week.
How thoughtful.
Do I want to stab something? Maybe a little.
Do I want to shoot my new porch he just fixed to be petulant? Maybe a lot.
Instead, I turn and walk into the house, refusing to dwell on it, grab the spare keys to Killian's Jeep, and walk over to borrow it.
I also understand why Benson fixed my bed now, even though I didn't have any plans of sleeping on it for the foreseeable future.
It's not like I expected to spend every waking moment together. Okay, so maybe I did. Which is ridiculous, really. I, who never wanted a serious relationship, is upset about not being good enough to meet the family.
"I bet his family sure as hell wouldn't be pressuring me for marriage," I mutter to myself. "They'd probably sanitize their hands after touching me."
Miffed, degraded, and feeling inadequate, I drive to the store to buy stuff to cook for my brothers.
At least they're not ashamed of me.
I'm shopping for all of five minutes when I run into Janice Holland, the town's busiest busybody. Benson was with me the last time I had to face her down.
"Oh! You look so pitiful, Lilah! Where's Benson?"
I force a smile. "He's at his house. He has his family over today, and I'm picking up some supplies to cook dinner for my brothers."
Her eyes ooze with mock sympathy, and I frown, wondering why in the hell she's feigning a sympathetic look at all. "Oh, it's okay, sweet girl. There are plenty more fish in the sea, and we all know you're a tigress on the prowl when you want to be."
I open my mouth to speak, when she continues.
"It's just that it's clear Benson's family is made out of a lot of money. I'm sure you understand why this had to be," she prattles on, twisting that invisible knife in my gut a little deeper.
I'm about to cunt punch her.
"Janice, you don't-"
"And don't you dare worry about people talking about it. Trust me. It'll pass," she adds patronizingly.
She pats my shoulder, and I say, "But we're not-"
"Shhh," she coos, putting her finger to my lips.
Does she want this tigress to bite that damn thing off? Because that's seconds away from happening. You don't touch a Vincent. This should be a widely known, well-documented fact.
"Don't worry, dear. Don't worry. This, too, shall pass," she essentially purrs.
She scurries off, practically riding that shopping cart toward the front, and I roll my eyes.
Stupid town.
Stupid people.
Stupid Benson.
Chapter 16
Wild Ones Tip #487
Wild Ones don't always think things through, and we like to act before you can speak.
To hell with the words and stuff.
LILAH
"Die! Die, motherfucker!" Killian laughs at the TV as he shoots Hale's avatar over and over.
"That's cheating!" Hale accuses.
I'm vaguely aware of them both as I peer through the window with my trusty binoculars, trying to get a glimpse of Benson's elusive family who are arriving now.
They're having to park around the side, since his driveway is too small for too many cars. For once, I knew the exact day-and time frame-they were coming, which has upped my stalker game.
Does he have a sister too? Because I get a brief glimpse of a woman who is too young to be his mother.
Why haven't I heard about a sister?!
Or maybe it's his brother's new girlfriend or something.
I hate that he doesn't want me there with him. I could help keep him distracted from the brother drama he's stuck in. I'd be an awesome distraction, as a matter of fact.
They disappear before I can be truly sure of anything, and I go back to the table to stab my fork at the cobbler. Or what's left of it, anyway. I forgot how much my brothers can eat.
"Is Benson coming over later?" Killian asks, his attention mostly focused on the TV.
"Just us tonight," I grumble.
"I need a new challenge. Hale is too easy to kill."
"Fuck you," Hale growls, just as the screen fills with blood and Killian cheers for himself.
Killian stands, and his phone rings on his hip. He flips it open-yes, he has a flip phone-and answers it.
"Hello?"
I start cleaning up the plates from dinner, and half-heartedly listen in.
"No. I don't think so … well, actually, that would make sense."
I glance over to see Killian's lips tense as his eyes darken. What's wrong?
"Thanks for telling me, Aunt Penny. Hale and I can handle this from here."
He hangs up and stalks toward me. Hale is right on his heels like he knows he's needed. Who's going to die?
"Did Benson break up with you?" Killian demands, and Hale's eyes narrow to slits.
"Is that why you've been so quiet and looking through the binoculars over there?" Hale adds immediately, his tone lethal.
"No … we didn't break up," I say carefully, knowing I'm navigating a landmine field right now.
"Then why do you look so crestfallen?" Hale asks seriously.
"Crestfallen? Did you actually just use the word crestfallen appropriately?" I ask, trying to distract him with something shiny.
"Answer the question," Killian growls.
I roll my eyes.
"His family is in town," I say with a shrug, trying to act like I'm not the least bit bothered by it.
"So?" they both ask at the same time.
"So, you know how he is. He doesn't let anyone meet his family."
Again I offer a one-shoulder shrug, and go back to washing the dishes like I enjoy it, as though I'm completely unaffected by the fact I'm too embarrassing to have around a fancy family.
"In other words, he has his family over, and they're too good for him to introduce you to them?" Killian snarls.
Okay, so my brother is a little more perceptive than I give him credit for being.
"That's not what this is," I grumble, not even sounding convincing to my own ears.
"Right. Excuse us," Hale says, and they spin on a heel and leave.
That's never a good thing.
Ever.
I quickly dry off my hands and tug on my boots, then grab my BB gun just in case, making it outside in time to see them walking toward the dock.
Killian has a bat over his shoulder. Hale has a shovel over his.
I pale.
"What the hell are you doing?" I bark, running after them as they get on the boat.
"Breaking something. Don't worry. We don't intend to kill him," Killian answers flippantly.
"Then what's the shovel for?" I yell as I run faster, trying to catch up before they take off.
"In case things get out of hand," Hale says with a smirk. "Shit happens."
I lunge just in time, landing in the boat as Killian gasses it away from the dock, and I start struggling with Hale, trying to take the shovel away.