I was halfway through the latest John Green novel when Delaney came barging in.
“Pack your bags!” she demanded.
“Shh!” I waved my hand at her to keep it down. She marched over to my bed and grabbed the book from me. “Hey! Rude much?”
“Didn’t you hear me? Pack your bags! We’re going away for Thanksgiving weekend.” She began to dance as though there was music playing.
“I tell you every year.” I sat up and reached for my book, but Del was quicker and tossed it onto her bed. “Thank you for the invitation, but I’m not spending Thanksgiving at your Nana’s in Savannah.”
“Good, because neither am I.” She jumped on my bed. “We’re spending it with the Wrights, right here in Jacksonville.”
Julian hadn’t mentioned anything to me. “Nope.” I shook my head.
“Yep. Check your phone. Nate just texted me that his mother invited us both to join them.”
I didn’t want to meet his mother. Thanksgiving was a time when family came together and the craziness came out. I avoided family time. I avoided my family all the time. “Del, I can’t.”
“Please, Brie.” She held both hands in a silent prayer under her chin.
“You don’t need me to go with you.”
“Yes, I do.” Her shoulders slouched. “Nate said he is only going home if Julian goes, and Julian will only go if you do.”
“Why don’t you take Nate to meet your parents instead?” I pushed off my bed and brought my cold tea to the microwave, blasting it for a minute.
“So he can see how crazy my Aunt Sara is and how Nana drinks more hooch than any other southerner? No, thanks!”
“Please, Brie.” She pouted at me. “I’m really in love with Nate and I want to make this work. I want his mother to love me so she can see me as a great daughter-in-law.”
I shook my head slowly. I’d planned on ordering Boston Market, binge watching crappy TV, and sleeping through Thanksgiving. I exhaled as I weighed my options. “Can I think about it?”
Her eyes widened and a full smile overtook her features. She knew she had me convinced. “Yes!”
Wednesday after class, Delaney and I waited for Nate and Julian to arrive at our dorm. I’d packed a small overnight bag while Delaney’s bag looked as though she was planning to stay for a month. She complained she needed options. I needed this weekend to be over already. Spending the weekend with Julian’s mother and her husband seemed pure torture. I even debated going back home to my parents’ house.
I sat on top of my carry-on sized luggage and waited for Nate’s Jeep to arrive. The radio from his car blasted as he and Julian pulled up. He stopped the car and Julian jumped out and rushed to me.
“Hey, beautiful.” He leaned down and captured my lips with his.
“Hi,” I whispered.
In my peripheral vision, I noticed that Delaney had jumped into Nate’s arms and the realization that I would be spending all weekend with them sank in. What the hell did I get myself into?
I let Julian grab my suitcase and toss it into the trunk, and I climbed into the back of the car. Nate’s scent smacked me in the face and burned my throat. It was too consuming, too powerful. His cologne lingered in the air. It was manly yet sweet. It was captivating to say the least.
Julian hopped in the back seat with me while Nate and Delaney climbed in the front. Del sat on her side and looked back at Julian and me as she discussed in full the apple pie recipe she had printed out. I, on the other hand, rested my head against the seat and noticed that Nate’s eyes were on me. When I couldn’t pull my gaze away from the mirror, I decided it would be best if I closed my eyes and tried to sleep. Before we were even on the highway, I’d drifted off.
Louisa, Julian’s mother, was sweet, greeting us with open arms. She was petite in stature and looked a lot like Julian with hazel eyes and ash blonde hair.
“My boys.” She extended her arms as we walked up the sidewalk to the house.
Her home was a small Colonial with white siding, navy blue shutters and a matching blue door. Her husband, Warren, stood next to her with a beer in his hand. I knew from Delaney that Warren was Nate and Julian’s stepfather.
“Mom.” Julian hugged his mother. She pulled away from his embrace and held her arms on his shoulders to look at him. Her eyes twinkled with pride and adoration. “This is Brielle. Brie, this is my mother, Louisa.”
“Hi,” I murmured with my eyes lowered.
Louisa released Julian’s shoulders and threw her arms around me. “Look at how beautiful you are!” Her hands rubbed up my back quickly before she let go and looked over at Nate and Delaney. “Both of you ladies are absolutely gorgeous!” She hugged Delaney. “You must be Delaney.”