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She’d always been a friend.
“You’re my friend,” I said, trying not to fucking cry, but Bow already was. She wiped away her tears, and when I helped her, she laughed.
“I am your friend.” She pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket, and this girl would have one of those. She had another one of her shiny broaches on where a tie might go, her hair up in a little brown bun. She wiped her face. “I’ll always be your friend. You’re my friend too.”
Oh my fucking God.
I blew out a breath to keep away the tears, and it took me a second to realize we had an audience. The boys at the table had all gotten to their feet, and the woman who was with them was behind Bow. She waited patiently, and I’d only seen her on a television screen. She’d been with her husband, son, and the rest of the Legacy families. She’d been at the hospital and come for me too.
Dorian’s mom.
Even if I hadn’t seen her with him on the television, I would have known. Especially when he came to stand beside her. He completely dwarfed her in size, but they had the same eyes, a dark and alluring ebony that sucked you inside them.
And in my case, never let go.
I tried not to pay attention to her son, as he approached with his mother, and besides the eyes, he did have similar features to her. They were subtle and not quite like how Dorian resembled his dad, who I’d also seen through the TV and previously. His softer features came from her, the woman fairer in complexion and with hair nearly as dark as mine and Ares’s. She wore a pair of bib overalls, and sported a messy bun, Converses on her feet. Honestly, if I didn’t know this was his mom, I might have thought she was a young hip aunt or older cousin.
“Mom, this is Sloane,” Dorian introduced, and suddenly, our circle opened. Ares and Bru, who’d stood behind me, came forward and immediately found places at my sides again.
Ares took hold of the right. “My twin,” he said, and I glanced at Bru. He had his hands folded, seemingly unaffected by what Ares said, but I could imagine this was different for him. I mean, it had always been him and me.
Dorian’s mom took inventory of the three of us standing there, her attention bouncing back between Ares and me on the last rotation.
“I can tell,” she stated, her smile quaint, kind. I’d seen glimmers of it within Dorian’s own features, but it was like he fought it more often than not. When he was kind, it was always through action, and he never made a big declaration about it, like when he’d brought my brother’s and my clothes this morning. Dorian’s mom glanced back at Dorian. “Pregnancy test?”
I blinked, having forgotten about the trick I’d played when I’d first arrived. I’d sent Dorian’s mom a pregnancy test to fuck with him.
Dorian’s lips parted, as well as the rest of the room’s. News of the pregnancy test scandal had definitely gotten around the halls of Windsor Prep. Dorian rubbed his neck. “Uh, yeah.”
So, she knew about me and, well, us. Or at least that.
Honestly, I didn’t know what the dark prince and I had anymore. There’d been so many lies, and I could imagine he’d never had to tell his mom we’d been something. Dorian himself had introduced me to Ares’s mom once.
My mom.
My brain was still trying not to reject things, and I swallowed in front of Dorian’s mom. “I’m sorry about that.”
Her smile widened, her head shaking. “You know, it never ceases to amaze me how much my son is like his father.” She adjusted the bag on her arm. “Or I guess like his parents. His dad and I didn’t get along either. At least not at first.”
The pair of us eyed each other long enough I ended up severing the connection. It was just too much.
Mom shouldered her son before facing me. “And don’t apologize, honey. It’s okay. Really.”
I nearly felt things were okay upon standing in front of her. There was something so soft and pleasant about her.
She placed a hand on her chest. “My name’s December, and I guess I’m here because all of us adults decided to listen to our children. At least, well, on this issue.” She glanced at all the kids in the room. “This is a delicate situation, and I’m here on behalf of all our families, I suppose.” Her head tilted. “Your father, Sloane, is my best friend, and he and his wife are two of my dearest.”
Ares gripped his wrist, his attention falling on me. I wasn’t quite sure if I remembered being informed that Dorian’s family and, well, ours had such close ties. I knew they were friends, but all the Legacy families were friends.
I suppose all the kids couldn’t help but be so close to each other then, their parents close.
“I’m here as a neutral party because we all do understand how delicate all of this is. Delicate for you, Sloane, and your brother Bru.” She smiled at him, obviously already having been told about him. “The parents were very quick to take things into our own hands in the beginning of all this and honestly hadn’t thought about how that would affect either of you. I’m sure it’s scary, so I’m here. Like I said, a neutral party.”
The boys had all braced their arms, and Bow had the biggest smile on her face. She rubbed my shoulder, squeezing, and I could have cried.
I can’t believe they did this.
They’d all managed to speak to their parents, and I didn’t realize how much that would make all this easier. Easier for me.
