Asher strides over and grabs for Aria, scrunching his nose and cooing at her. The group of men stroll over slowly. One of them, whom I don't recognize, is speaking low enough I can’t make out what he’s saying. Harley answers with a quick side eye to him and a silent nod.
“Thanks, Ember. Have you seen Atlas, already?” Asher asks in a low voice.
It takes me a second to answer, trying to will myself to make words come out of my mouth. “Y-y-yeah, she was upset, but I told her it would be okay and we could do sleepovers and Twilight anytime she needed, and it seemed to cheer her up a little.” He gives me a tight, warm smile. “She’s pulling herself together now.”
“This is Ember, Atlas’s older sister.” Asher gestures to me with his head. All eyes land on me, and I feel my cheeks warm. I give a light smile and a head nod.Please, let Atlas come and save me.Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen soon enough to get me out of this current hell on earth situation.
“So Ember is…” Harley starts to speak, gaze darting between Asher and me, eyebrows pulled together with confusion. His voice is deep and smooth, and so different from the voice I was so familiar with at fifteen. Immediately, his deep voice sends flutters to my core.
“My sister-in-law,” Asher utters with a slight lift to his brow. “I'm sorry, do you know each other?”
Just as I'm about to respond, Atlas comes out the back door. “Ember, where did you set…”Thank fucking god.Atlas stops when she sees the group of men, her eyes stopping on Harley and widening. “Oh, fuck.” Her eyes connect with mine, noting the forced grin on my face that translates to “What the fuck is going on?”in sister language.
Asher stands there, holding Aria, looking utterly confused about what’s happening. “So youdoknow each other, then?”
This time I’m quick to answer, and I grab Atlas’s wrist to make a run for it inside. “A really long time ago,” I practically yell. “We used to hang out in the halls back in high school.” I give her the hardlet’s get the hell out of herelook. “Atlas, what did you need?”
Atlas just laughs and grabs Aria from Asher. “I just needed the potholders. Come on baby, let’s let daddy finish those burgers and get Auntie Em a drink.”
I look back over my shoulder before going inside and see Harley giving me a grin that I'll have to dissect later. That grin still makes a girl weak in her knees and sends flutters low in her belly. Speeding up into the kitchen, I wrench open the fridge and reach for the Trulys.
“Atlas, what in the actual fuck? How the hell do they know each other?” I pop the top of the can, waiting in disbelief for her to answer.
“I have no idea.” Atlas sets Aria into her high chair, dumping a few melty puffs onto her tray. “I have only ever seen the other three hanging around.”
I chug half of the can before setting it down. I feel nauseous. Harley Blackwood was my first boyfriend at fifteen years old. He used to be a little chubby around the face, long wavy hair, brown eyes and smoothwords to charm. Those brown eyes. They used to light up every time he saw me coming out of the classroom. He would walk me to my locker hand in hand, so that I could get my books for my next class. The issue, and main reason for our breakup, was because he was my brother's best friend. Nothing bad ever really happened between us. We were just young and broke up. He was my first boyfriend though, and losing him broke my young teenage heart.
Shortly after that I methim.
“Time has certainly done the man well.” Atlas grins while she takes the macaroni out of the oven. “No more chubby face full of acne.”
Chugging the last of my drink, and mumbling in agreement, I slam it down on the counter, palms flat to brace myself. After collecting myself, I spin around to throw the can in the trash. In that moment, I see that the group has ventured back in. Harley leans against the fridge, much closer than I realized. His grin has taken permanent residence on his face.Cocky bastard.
I do my best to ignore his presence as I reach in the fridge for another drink. I mentally scold myself, knowing I haven’t eaten anything yet and that I need to tread lightly, or my night might end with me hanging out with the porcelain throne instead of enjoying the party. Just before I crack the second one open, Aria begins fussing in her high chair. A welcomed distraction, granting some distance from Harley, and I head across the kitchen to grab her and clean her up.
To my dismay, Harley follows, grabbing the baby wipes that are sitting on the counter, and popping it open to pass a few to me. I take them and give him a small smile to be kind. I wipe off Aria’s hands that have become a sticky mess from the puffs. Once she’s clean, Harley slides the tray off the high chair and I unbuckle her and pick her up. I attempt to ignore the ease we have working together in such an alreadysimple task. We only exchange glances and tight smiles. My nerves are shot and my body is on fire.
“I can see a little of you in her,” Harley says softly, playing with her little curls. She has the same color hair, and our family genes are strong, but she looks just like Atlas.
I smile big while I squeeze her tightly against me. “No way, she's her mama's twin,” I say, trying to dismiss the feeling that is blooming inside me. I scrunch my nose and snuggle into her, tickling her neck. “She’s the prettiest girl in the whole world.”
“She is, and so is her Auntie Ember.” Hearing my name on his lips sends heat to my core.Bitch chill, he is just being kind and making conversation, don’t think too much into it.
“So, how have you been?” he says, tickling Aria’s toes, giving her a smile, and glancing up at me.Jesus, those brown eyes with the tiny gold flecks.
“Good! I moved this way a few months ago to help with this nugget while Asher is deployed.” We migrate into the living room. He grabs my drink I had abandoned on the counter to clean up Aria. He opens it without prompting and passes it to me once I’m seated on the gray sectional, Aria in my lap.
“How do you know Asher?” I nervously inquire. I'm such a nosy bitch, but I don’t understand how they could be friends, and this be our first run-in.
“I was hired on for a contract. We met early last year,” he says, watching Aria now, while she hooks her hands in my mouth. “I didn’t realize Atlas was his wife, he only ever calls her ‘Babe or my wife’ around the guys, so I never put it together.”
I let out a small laugh. “Just how Atlas likes it.”
We sit there, making small talk while I distract Aria as her parents work together in the kitchen. Watching Atlas and Asher work aroundeach other, sharing flirty smiles and teasing elbow digs, makes me happy seeing my baby sister so in love.
“So are you going on this deployment then?” I ask, only slightly wondering that this is just a quick drop in before he’s gone for months.
“Nah, my contract is up and I'm thinking about changing things up.” Harley blows out his breath. “My dad passed away a few years ago and left me some money. I’ve been sitting on it, waiting for something to invest in. I’ve actually been thinking about getting into the coffee business.”
