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***
I sigh while brushing on the melted butter, spiced with thyme, salt, and pepper. I’m wearing my Thanksgiving best: a bright red sweater with black leggings and cute turkey slippers. Unfortunately, Seth laughed at them and Hunter hardly said anything about them. Oh, well. Their loss. I bought them for myself.
Hunter grunts next to me, scowling down at the potatoes while he peels them. He’s hardly said a word to me all morning. It’s like night and day compared to yesterday. He looks agitated. He won’t stop pushing his hair away from his face. His feet fidget back and forth, and he keeps checking the time on the microwave clock.
“You okay?” I ask, forcing a smile.
Hunter flinches. He fumbles with the peeler and it drops onto the counter. “Huh?” he murmurs, wide-eyed and confused. He must have been lost in thought. “Sorry?”
I giggle and nudge his shoulder. “You look handsome,” I say while nodding to his blue button-down, which brings out the hue in his eyes. Why bother asking him if he’s all right? It might make him more agitated. It’s better to compliment him. Or so I think.
Hunter shakes his head and swipes the peeler from the counter, returning his attention back to his potatoes. He doesn’t bother acknowledging me, and I can’t help but wonder if I’ve done something wrong. Okay, I shouldn’t have been snooping. That was my bad, but I was worried. I’m still worried. Why can’t he just have it out with me and we can fight, then move on? Isn’t that what Thanksgiving is all about? Fighting, forgiving each other, and then saying how thankful we are for one another? At least, that’s how it’s always been in my family.
“Good morning!” I hear Alex call, making a smile spread across my face.
I place my brush on the counter and watch as he and Lucas saunter into the kitchen, wearing their pajama bottoms around their hips and displaying their abs. Lucas stretches while Alex wipes the sleep from his eyes.
“I see we’re already busy with the cooking,” says Lucas before placing a kiss on my cheek. “Anything I can help with?”
I shrug. “You can help Hunter with the potatoes.”
Alex chuckles while smiling close to me, placing a kiss on the top of my head. “How many potatoes we making?”
“A lot,” Hunter mutters.
“You smell good,” Alex murmurs, his gaze heated and running down the length of me. His mouth widens into a large smile as he notices my turkey slippers. “Those are amazing!” he shouts while pointing at them. “Where did you get those?”
I giggle and shrug, flinging my hair over my shoulder. “A lady never tells.”
Alex gasps and pokes my shoulder. “Tell me you bought me a pair.”
“Sadly, I did not,” I say with a curt shake of my head.
Alex sticks out his bottom lip, making me erupt in a fit of giggles.
“Please, tell me the food is ready,” Seth says with a groan as he enters the kitchen. He rubs his wet hair with a towel. His face is flushed from the hot water, but he looks and smells clean. “That shower is amazing, by the way. Way better than what we have back home.”
Lucas scoffs. “I think any shower is better than what we have.”
“I can second that,” I add.
My gaze slides to Hunter, noticing the way he’s peeling the potatoes, how harsh he is with the poor vegetables. He’s scowling. I have no clue what he’s angry about. It doesn’t make any sense. We’re finally here together after so long and he’s not even enjoying it. Did we do something wrong?
“Dibs on the shower,” Lucas says, running down the hall toward the bathroom before Alex can say anything.
Seth chuckles and shakes his head while Alex groans.
“I guess I’ll shower later,” Alex says sadly.
“Is there anything else we might need?” Seth asks. “Alex and I can go while you guys hold down the fort. I don’t think I will be of any use in the kitchen.”
I crane my head toward Seth, my eyes narrowing on him. Him and Alex? Alone? Is Seth going to finally tell Alex about his feelings? It’s very interesting that he mentioned the both of them, especially since every time I see them together, he’s trying to put space between them. Maybe it will be good for Seth to finally clear the air and let Alex know what’s been going on.
I slowly nod while I glance between the two. Alex looks shocked that Seth has decided to give him any attention after all this time. “Yeah, that would be great,” I say, measuring my words as they fall from my lips. “Do we need anything, Hunter?”
Hunter stills and I watch his jaw clench, his hand tightening on the peeler. “I don’t have any alcohol here,” he says lowly. My heart stalls. Is he really going to say what I think he is? “If you want any alcohol, there’s a liquor store down the road.”
Shit. He’s drinking. There’s no way the old Hunter would ever tell his friends to go get some beers to bring back. He’s going to try to sneak a drink. I can see it in the way his hand is shaking.
