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Lexi chuckled. "She did tell me she wants a well-rounded perspective. Don't worry about this. I’m handling it, okay?"
I trusted Lexi with a lot of things, but I wasn't sure about this at all.
"Okay, everyone, the meat is ready. Grab something before it's all gone," Declan announced.
There was a frenzy of activity around the grill as everyone approached it with plates, choosing their food.
I grabbed pork chops and grilled zucchini, and then we all sat down at the huge table my brother had set up in the middle of his yard. It hadn't been here last time I visited, but we’d outgrown the outdoor furniture he’d had before. There were simply too many of us. This was a folding table, so we would move it out of the way when we were done.
While we were eating, my phone pinged. As a general rule, I never ignored my phone, even if I wasn't on call, just in case the hospital might need me. The message was from Avery, though. It was short and to the point.
Avery: Hey, Sam, if you're still looking for a roommate, I'm in.
I heard the angels singing, and my chest exploded.
Fuuuuuuuuuck yeeeeeeeeees.I felt triumphant.
"What's with that Cheshire-cat smile?" Mom asked.
"You probably all remember Avery. We dated in high school. Anyway, to cut the story short, we’re both interested in the same loft. We’re going to be roommates for a while.”
The next few moments were downright comical. First, everyone sitting next to me stopped talking: Tate, Lexi, Liz, and Declan. Then the others fell silent, too, probably wondering why no one was saying a word.
"What's happening?" Luke asked. He was at the other end of the table.
"You dated? You’re moving in with your ex-girlfriend?" Paisley exclaimed.
"Paisley, she's a friend now," I said patiently. “It’s not what you’re all thinking. This is platonic.”
She scoffed. "My friends at school say there's no way you can be friends with an ex-boyfriend. It's forbidden."
"Your friends at school have ex-boyfriends?" Tate burst out.
I exchanged a glance with Lexi, who cringed. That train hit my brother without any warning, as I feared. I just didn't think it would happen so fast.
"We’re drifting off the point," Paisley said. "The focus was on Uncle Sam." She was surprisingly efficient as a moderator.
Tate wasn't saying anything else, but that could just be because he was too dazed. Everyone else turned to look at me.
"Son, are you sure that's a good idea?" Mom asked me. "You and Avery were very close. First loves don't just fade away."
I looked around the table. “Can we please continue what we were doing before? This is very awkward. I simply wanted everyone to know I’d be moving out of the hotel. It’s not up for debate.”
Tyler patted my shoulder. "Dude, I think you forgot how things happen in this family. Everybody discusses everything to death and offers you their opinion.”
“Everyone has already offered their opinion," I said.
“No, we haven’t,” Luke chimed in.
I looked straight at Declan, who, to my astonishment, said nothing. I didn't seem to be the only one weirded out by this. He was always the quickest to point out what could go wrong.
"What, no warning to give him?” Luke asked.
“I can't see any legal repercussions from this. Still not sure if it's a good idea."
"I don't need anyone to vote on it," I grumbled.
"Why do you even need a roommate?" Luke asked.
