“You would destroy him, Grandma,” he teases, “but I’ll ask.”
“He is cute,” Bones murmurs, and my eyes swing to Skylar, who appears heartbroken at his side. He covers his chest as he dramatically falls back.
“You think he was cute? Cuter than me?” he whines. Bones simply sighs and carries on eating. “Angel, answer me. Don’t make me ruin that pretty face of his.”
“You just called him pretty,” Evan points out helpfully.
“Shut up, Evan,” Skylar warns. “Angel!”
“Don’t tell my boy to shut up,” Alek snaps.
“Is it always like this?” Noah’s dad asks, and I nod.
“Pretty much. Usually, Skylar ends up fighting someone or threatening things until Bones makes him stop.” I shrug.
“I see,” Mr. Fletcher replies. “I think I should have brought popcorn.”
I smile, and we all watch as Bones ignores a whining Skylar until he gets up to go after the doctor. “Sit down,” Bones orders without sparing him a look. Instantly, Sky sits, and Bones pats his arm without looking. “Good boy.”
“I’m a good boy,” he says dreamily as he nudges Alek. “Hear that?”
“Don’t make me hit you,” Alek warns, but it does nothing to stop Sky’s dreamy smile, all while Bones continues eating.
“Your friends are cute.” Conan grins at my side.
We all turn around when we hear shouting. “Darling?—”
“Don’t you darling me!” a cultured voice snaps, and I spy a man in a suit in the hallway, where he whirls around in anger. His gray hair catches the light, and I swear I see the prettiest face I’ve ever seen before a huge guy drops to his knees in front of him.
“Zia,” he whines. “Please, you don’t need to hunt him down. I can deal with it myself. It was just a little punch between friends?—”
“I’m going to gut him for touching what is mine, and if you try to stop me again, you can sleep outside all week,” the gray-haired man warns before spinning on a high heel and marching away.
The man on his knees scrambles up and chases after him, calling the entire time.
Our room is silent as we watch.
“I guess I’m not the only one in the doghouse,” Noah teases, making me grin before I swallow it and glare at him. “Love you,” he says.
“Yeah, you better,” I warn as I focus on our family.
It seems nobody plans on leaving, and Noah’s room is filled with flowers and balloons. Skylar bought him a giant bear with the words, “Don’t die,” on the front. The room is overflowing with love, and it’s clear Noah is feeling it, as well as guilt. It softens me toward him, so when he escapes to the bathroom a few hours later, I follow him in, leaning my back against the door. His head is in his hands as he leans into the sink.
“I feel like the worst person ever. All these people are here for me despite me not telling them the truth.”
“Loving someone means being there even when they don’t make it easy,” I say as I move toward him and wrap my arms around his waist, resting my head against the middle of his back. He releases a shuddering breath, his hands covering mine.
“Just don’t do it again or I’ll hold you with Sky while Alek beats some sense into you,” I mumble. He chuckles, the vibrations moving me before he turns and tugs me between his legs, pressing his forehead to mine as he holds me.
“I love you,” he whispers before his lips find mine in a hard, claiming kiss that has me panting when I pull away.
“No fair,” I mutter. “I’m still mad at you. You can’t kiss me like that.”
“No?” His eyes seem to burn with something as his lips tilt up in a wicked smile.
“Whatever you’re thinking, don’t,” I warn.
“I was thinking . . . how about I make you feel better and start working on my apology?”
