Torrid Affair(18)

Julian carried our bags into the house and gave us a quick tour. Warren offered the boys a beer and walked into the kitchen while we followed Louisa up the stairs to the bedrooms. “Brie, you can leave your stuff here,” she stated and then opened the door to the bedroom across the hall. “Delaney, this is your room.” Instantly, my heart dropped as I realized we would be staying in our boyfriend’s rooms with our boyfriends. Unlike Delaney, who spent every weekend with Nate, I hadn’t had sex with Julian. We hadn't even slept in the same room together.

“Where are the guys sleeping?” I asked nervously, but I already knew the answer.

“Brie!” Delaney’s eyes widened.

“I figured you kids are all in school together. There’s no point in separating you.” Louisa smiled and rubbed her hand on my shoulder. “Why don’t you two freshen up?” Louisa looked over at us. “I’d love your help in the kitchen later.”

“Yes, of course.” Delaney agreed. I could only nod. This was going to be the longest weekend of my life.

Twenty minutes later, Delaney and I were elbow deep in potatoes. She peeled and I diced while Louisa asked us about our families. Delaney, of course, offered every bit of information she could. She started at the very beginning with how her parents met.

“It was so romantic!” Her voice held a joyous tone as she continued. “Daddy always said he knew from day one he would marry her. And when he proposed, he made sure it was a proposal she would never forget.”

For ten minutes Delaney talked, and then it was my turn. My heart raced and sweat began to form on my brow.

“What are your parents doing for Thanksgiving?” Louisa asked.

I diced the potatoes quicker. What was I going to say? My dad was an asshole and I personally thought my mother was naive and stupid. “Um . . . not too much. I don’t come from a big family.” I swallowed the ball of nerves in my throat.

“Do you have any traditions?”

“Is your mother a good cook?”

“Where did you parents meet?”

“Are you an only child?”

My heart raced a mile a minute as I dodged every question. I skipped around and forced myself to be vague.

“I—I think I need some fresh air,” I stuttered. “I think I’m a little light headed from the car ride.” I pinched the bridge of my nose and pulled the kitchen door open. I didn’t wait for Delaney or Louisa to say anything as I rushed out across the deck and then down the few wooden steps. I sat on the last step and buried my face in my knees. Inhaling slowly, I tried to catch my breath.

“Want to take a ride?” Nate’s voice was clear and close.

I snapped my head up. Unshed tears pooled in my eyes.

“Yeah,” I said breathlessly. I needed to get as far away from here as possible.

“Come on.” He reached his hand out for me.

I entwined my fingers with his and rushed to his Jeep before I had a change of heart.

He didn’t say a word until we were a few miles away from the house.

“You okay?”

“I’m better now, thanks.” I looked over at him and studied his profile. He had a lean jaw with high cheekbones. He was only in his early twenties but he looked much older.

“Thanksgiving has a way of making people crazy.”

“You have no idea.” I pulled my gaze from his and looked out the window. “Why were you outside?”

“I love my family, I do, but a few minutes with them is all I need. Warren and Julian usually talk about sports, which I don’t follow, and my mother has a tendency to hover, so most of the time I’m outside working in the garage.”

“Oh.”

“I saw how you ran across the deck and dropped down like you wanted to disappear.”

“That obvious, huh?”

“A little.”

“Your mother is sweet and kind, but it’s hard to speak to her when Delaney has the perfect answer for everything.” I shook my head and dropped my gaze to my lap.

“Don’t you hate how perfect they are?” I heard the humorous tone in his voice and smiled. “My parents, Julian and Delaney. They’re all so perfect and know exactly what to say. I thought Thanksgiving was supposed to have family drama.”

“I know, right? God, why are they so perfect all the time?” I rolled my eyes dramatically. “I guess you and I are the dark and twisted ones.”

“You definitely can say that again.” His tone dropped and I looked over at him. His green eyes were dark like a hidden forest. I lifted one eyebrow, silently as if asking him to elaborate. “You don’t want to know my dark and twisted side.”