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The cream walls and dark blue bookshelves give it a blended look of both masculine and rustic that matches with the rest of the house. There’s a projector hidden in the ceiling that shoots out anything we want to watch on the massive screen in the center of the room, and there is a fireplace in the corner and oversized couches with enough room for a family of seven plus guests.
In essence, it’s the best room to hang out in when you’re a teenager and have a bunch of friends over, or when you’re an adult and the whole family is home at the same time.
When Ruby and I walk in after saying goodbye to the last few people, all eyes turn to look at us, including the curious gazes of the two sisters who have yet to meet her.
I picked Briar up from her house this morning since she had a last-minute issue with her asshole fiancé and their car, and then the two of us picked up Busy from the airport.
Next I suffered an hour-long car ride home with the two of them peppering me with incessant and overly nosy questions about ‘the girl from the plane.’
Apparently, my siblings have been texting in a little group chat without me, and their primary topic of conversation has been Ruby, though none of them will tell me what it is they’re actually saying about her.
My assumption so far is that the conversation is leaning positive since the questions my sisters were asking me sounded oddly like they were approving of something serious blooming between us.
For anyone who knows Briar and Busy, the two of them actually agreeing on anything is almost impossible.
“So this is her.”
Briar’s words aren’t said loudly, but they sure do fill the room when she says them.
Thankfully, I can see that my sister has her normally prickly guard down when she approaches the two of us, extending her hand with a smile on her face.
“I’m Briar.”
Ruby gives my sister a warm smile in return.
“It’s so great to meet you,” she says. “And damn do I love your name. It’s almost as beautiful as you are.”
Briar actually blushes, something that rarely happens, though she tries to hide it by turning around and returning to the massive beanbag chair she was flopped in when we entered the room.
Sinking back into it, she thanks Ruby then asks the question I specifically told them they’re not allowed to ask.
My sisters are nothing if not nosy.
“So…what’s going on between you and my brother?”
Ruby bites her lip and lets out an awkward laugh, her eyes flitting up to mine as if to ask for direction on what to say.
“Stop snooping,” I say, deflecting so as not to put Ruby on the spot. “Or would you like me to turn the tables so we can talk about Chad?”
Briar’s eyes narrow and she crosses her arms.
It might have been a low blow to bring up the chode, but the last thing I need is for my sister to poke her nose into my relationship with Ruby—if I can call it that—especially when I don’t have any answers, either.
“When are we doing the family photo?”
My sister Busy lies lengthwise along one sofa, stretching out and taking up a ton of space in a way only she can seem to get away with as the youngest.
“Right now!” my mother says, her voice overflowing with excitement as she bustles into the room with my father in her wake.
He comes to my side and plops a hand on my shoulder, giving it a squeeze before walking over to lean against the back of the couch.
“But we haven’t even picked out our outfits!” Bellamy’s widened eyes and absolute shock are par for the course. “Why didn’t you warn us earlier?”
Bishop snorts. “She’s been talking about this picture for weeks, Bells. Literal weeks. It’s not our fault you didn’t listen when she told us we’d be doing it the day Briar and Busy got to town.”
My sister huffs and crosses her arms but doesn’t say anything else.
“This year, I’ve decided we’re finally doing the lake shot.”
