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Chapter fifteen

Thank God the Benz has exceptional AC because Arizona is scorching. I’ve gotten used to it after living in Phoenix over the past year, but Lake Havasu City is another beast entirely. It’s one hundred and ten degrees, sweat layering my skin the second I step out in front of the house.

I got a good deal on this place for my parents—it’s a four-bedroom bungalow on the lake. There’s a dock and a private beach where the ceremony will be held. Valerie hated the idea, but she quickly shut up when my mom put her in her place. To say they don’t get along is an understatement.

She’s always been outspoken, my mother. Almost to a fault—case in point:

“Is that my favorite son?!”

The minute Xed steps out of the car, she’s flying toward us off the veranda. She bypasses me entirely and plows into him, nearly knocking him over with her six-foot frame. People always assume I get my height and build from my father, but nope. All this muscle comes from her.

“How’s my boy? Did you eat? You look thin.” She cups his face and kisses both cheeks and Xed coughs out a laugh as I groan in embarrassment.

“Yeah, we had breakfast. Thanks, Mom.”

“And my other baby?” She’s already off toward Taylor’s ugly yellow truck, yanking him out and smothering him in a bear hug while Dad huffs from his chair on the porch.

“Give them a minute to breathe, Barbie. For Christ’s sake.”

I shake my head, amused, as I climb the steps and take in the line of cars parked along the street. “Where is everyone?”

Dad glances up from his book, his white-blond hair sticking to his forehead with sweat. “A few are at the brewery down the road. Val and that friend of yours went swimming.”

“Tyson?” I frown. “Where’s Hannah?”

“She’s—"

“XED!”

As if on cue, my daughter bursts from the house, wearing an inflatable shark tube around her waist, her dark hair a tangled mess. Much like my mother, she ignores me completely and nearly trips down the stairs on her way to Xed.

My chest tightens painfully when he drops to his knees, arms open, and scoops her up. A sob leaves his throat as he buries his face in her shoulder, the sound cutting straight through me.

“Hey, Creature. I missed you.”

“Missed you, Fungus.” Hannah beams, squirming in his arms. “Mommy went swimming without me. Can we go?”

Taylor disentangles himself from my mom and sticks out his bottom lip. “What about me? Where’s my hug?”

Giggling, Hannah grabs both of their hands and starts pulling them toward the dock.

“Hannah, let them get their bags inside first,” I call, but Xed cuts me off sharply.

“It’s fine. I’ll grab my shit later.”

Without a glance back, they follow her down to the lake. I watch their retreating figures, his words from earlier replaying in my head.

She called me Dada until she was two, and then you got weird about it.

But I didn’t. I liked it too much. Letting Xed take on that responsibility felt… unfair. He didn’t ask for this.

Huckslee snorts, rolling his eyes as he grabs his boyfriend’s bag before introducing himself to my parents. Not long after, the rest of the cars start pulling up in front of the house. I’m so lost in my head, trying to shake the image of Xed’s arms around Hannah, that I don’t notice my older sister until she bumps her shoulder into mine.

“Who’s Mister Tall, Dark, and Handsome?” she asks, her voice dripping with mischief as she sizes up Devon, who’s just swung off his Ducati with a stretch, his shirt riding up to reveal tattooed abs.

I scowl. “More like Mister Not Invited.”

Of course, Jenna completely ignores me, all but shoving her hand in his face as she closes the distance.