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I sigh in relief, heading to the seat at the end of the table.
"Rylee!" Mom beams, and I raise an eyebrow at her, noting the empty wine glass in her hand. Did she really just down that in the time it took me to get downstairs?
I reach over a box of Supreme pizza, grabbing an already filled wine glass. Sitting back, I curl my fingers around the stem, giving mom a curt smile.
"I'm here," I say, giving her a small toast with my glass.
Mom motions to the seven pizzas in front of us. "Eat! I ordered all the good ones."
"Is it just us four?" I ask, looking at her and Gareth. Asher is sitting across from his father but I'm yet to look in his direction. I can feel his burning gaze on me, but the asshole won't get the satisfaction from me.
Gareth laughs, putting his arm around mom's shoulder. "Yes. Charlotte went all out. She wanted this to be special."
A smile tugs at my lips. Mom does love to go over the top.
"What's the special occasion?" I reply, reaching for a piece of Meat Lovers pizza.
Mom looks at Gareth in excitement before turning to me. "We're buying a ranch!"
"A ranch? Like with horses and shit?" I stutter.
She nods, her blue eyes full of life. "You'll love it. It's beautiful and we are going to spend our time between there and the house here. Oh, Rylee. You'll be able to ride horses. You love them."
I blink at her. "I loved horses when I was six, Mom."
Not going to lie, My Little Pony went hard in my earlier years. While other girls played mermaids, I was galloping around pretending I had a rainbow colored mane.
The excitement fades a little from her eyes but she waves me off. "It will be good. And you'll have more freedom here without us breathing down your necks. I know Asher's excited, right?"
"It's very exciting," Asher's voice rumbles from beside me. I look at him slowly, my resolve breaking as I raise an eyebrow at him.
"You don't strike me as the riding type, Asher."
Asher leans forward a little, locking eyes with me. "Oh, to the contrary, Ry. I love riding."
The innuendo isn't lost on me, or Gareth. He clears his throat as a warning to his son, but beside him, mom is completely oblivious. The wine is starting to make her eyes unfocused as she sits daydreaming about country life.
I snort, taking a big gulp of white wine. "I'm sure I'm a better rider than you are."
Asher pretends to ponder, his fingers tapping his chin. "You know what they say – ride them hard and put them up wet."
Tension thickens around us, binding us in uncomfortable, confusing ways.
Did my stepbrother just challenge me to a fuck-off?
Thankfully, Gareth intervenes before the conversation can go any further. He changes the subject and I take my time eating pizza, making sure I can't join the conversation too much.
We barely make it two hours into family time before mom needs to be escorted upstairs to bed. She's white girl trashed and gives me and Asher a little wave goodnight as Gareth carries her up the stairs.
I resent the fact we're now alone, and itching to get away before he can infuriate me any further. He already does that with his presence.
Throwing back the left over wine in my glass, I'm feeling a bit buzzed, but not drunk, as I push my chair back to stand. Honestly, I'm happy to spend the night with Pinkie again and I'm surprised when I walk past Asher without comment. I expect him to say something or tease me, but he remains silent, instead watching my retreating form as I head up the stairs.
I step into my bedroom, pulling off my tank top, feeling warm from the wine. I turn to close the door when a foot catches it before it can close. Gasping, I jump back and watch with wide eyes as Asher steps into the room.
"What the fuck?" I yelp, throwing my shirt at his face. The fabric hits him square in the forehead and he grabs it, tossing it aside to the ground. I cover my black-lace bra with my arms, glaring at him. "Seriously, get the fuck out."
"We need to talk."
