I honk the horn outside Chase’s house. After a couple of minutes, he trudges out, a grimace on his face. “Your new get up is ghetto dude,” he says, climbing into the passenger seat of the U-Haul.
“You’re ghetto,” I fire back at him. “Who shot your dog? You look like hell,” I tell him, and he shoots me a death glare from the passenger side.
“Between you and I, I got some intel about the mission the guys are on, and I don’t know what to do with it,” he says. “But listen, today isn’t about that, so forget it for now, and we’ll revisit later okay?”
I don’t push it because Chase is good about communication when it comes to me and him, and honestly I appreciate him trying to not dampen today for Ember and I.
A few minutes later, we pull down the little street to Ember’s house and see Atlas carting Aria up the stairs.
“Fuck.” Chase looks panicked and puts his head down. “I thought it was just us and a few other dudes?” he says quietly, side eyeing me.
“She's Ember's sister, she’s gonna be everywhere for a bit since Asher is gone,” I tell him, really not understanding his reaction. They’ve been around each other before. Do they not like each other, and I’ve somehow missed it?
Ember runs out and comes to my window, a huge smile plastered across her face, and I swear she’s glowing. “I’m going to move Atlas’s car in front of mine up the road so that you can back in!” She hops up on the foot rails, gives me a quick peck, and then she’s down and dashing off again.
“She’s excited,” Chase says matter of factly.
I watch her through the window. She is so excited. Once we get done loading the U-Haul, Charlee, Theo, and Rawley are meeting us at our new place to help unload. Ember is talking to Charlee and Theo tonight about the money from Dean’s passing. She made herself sick last night, stressing over it.
We back the U-Haul into the driveway, and Atlas and Ember stand on the porch watching us, mumbling back and forth quietly so that we can’t hear what they’re saying. I’m intrigued, but if it's nothing serious or against sister code, Ember will tell me later.
Chase and I walk side by side up the stairs, and we follow the girls into the house. Boxes are everywhere, and the couch is wrapped in Saran Wrap.
“Where do you want us to start, babe?” I ask her.
She shrugs, and tells me to start wherever I want since we’re doing the heavy lifting.
Atlas walks into the kitchen, which is where the last of the things are being packed. The baby gate keeps Miss Aria from escaping out the door while we take boxes back and forth.
I walk over and give her a quick peck on the head, then head down the hall where we start taking boxes to the U-Haul. Chase doesn’t say much, and part of that seems normal since it's early, but whatever has him all twisted up is definitely weighing on him.
“I’m here, you know, if you need to talk,” I tell him as I stack two boxes onto the dolly.
“Soon, just not yet,” he says quietly. “Definitely not today, and not here.”
Weird.
We fall into a chain of taking things out of the house. Boxes and furniture. Andrews is on a mission with Asher, so we don’t have our full crew, but I was able to rally a few others to help us with the move. Ember and Atlas let me know the kitchen is done, but by the time we’ve made it through two of the rooms, we only have the kitchen and living room left.
We get the couch into the U-Haul and begin stacking the boxes around it to stabilize it. It’s about noon now, and Ember ordered pizza from the local Pizzeria.
Ember calls us in, paper plates in tow to get some grub.
“Damn, you look good when you sweat.” Ember looks me up and down, greedy with lust in her eyes.
“Ew chill the fuck out, you have a house full of people, you nasty betch.” Atlas elbows her sister.
I double over, choking on my pizza as Ember shrugs her shoulders. “You used to be just as bad about Asher, so don’t even fucking start with me,” she fires back.
Atlas drops her eyes to her pizza and her cheeks go light pink. I keep eating and almost miss that Chase is watching Atlas. I clear my throat and he meets my eyes and looks back down at his plate. We finish eating and get back to work, eager to get to the new house.
Ember packs up some smaller boxes into her car and closes the trunk. The guys are still steadily bringing boxes out to the truck, when Ember pulls me aside. “Something is going on with Atlas, and I can’t figure out what,” she says, watching me, her hands on her hips.
I use the bottom of my shirt to wipe my forehead. “Yeah I kind of noticed that,” I agree with her. “Once we get moved in, we’ll have her over and you guys can do some kind of girls night and I’ll hibernate in my Man Cave in the garage.”
Ember looks at the door and shrugs her shoulders. “I’m just worried.”
“I know, baby girl, but let’s get moved, and then we can be there for her. Maybe the house is too much for her without Asher. We can set up one of the guest rooms just for her and Aria so she has a comfort space away from home,” I tell her, pulling her into a hug.
