AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Hate is a strong word, honey.” Harper’s level tone doesn’t work.
“Hate…hate…hate...” I grind the words out. I feel it every time she looks at me.
"Come home," Hunter demands.
"Liam…" Harper calls out, disappearing from her screen.
“I’m not quitting. I told him I’d stay through Christmas. But I decided I won’t stay for the mentorship.” I can’t look at them because it’s not all Mateo’s fault.
The chatter of them talking over each other blurs the actual words. Don't worry about it. You'll be okay. Keep your head up. We'll work it out. And I miss the rest of the conversation because I'm caught in my own trap. I wanted to push him away, and I did, except this time, I pushed him too far.
“Fuck him.” Charlee’s tone cuts through the line.
"Dayum, who pied in your cereal and told you it was milk?" Payton chimes in, and we all freeze, staring at each other. I laugh for the first time in days. I fall back on his expensive plush carpet, in his big ass closet.
"You need to stop hanging around those bikers." I manage to say around my aching side. Payton is engaged to the president of a motorcycle club, and they're turning our pamper princess into a polished gem with a potty mouth.
“Not a chance. Cade has some single friends.”
I glance down at my boulder. Mateo picked a beautiful ring. It's like he embedded a source of light in the heart of it, making the diamond shine even in the dark.
“How can I salvage this situation?” I ask, glancing up at my guys.
"Start by telling us what happened." Ryann states.
I tell them about the shower and his family’s arrival. Then I tell them about his mother’s attitude.
“Talk to her. Woman to woman.” Hunter concludes. “You both love the same man. You’re probably more alike than not.”
“What would I do without y’all?” I’m not sold on talking with Gloria, but I’ll try. I notice the time. “I have to run. The Christmas party is starting in ten minutes.”
“The plane will be on standby. Call us tonight.” Harper adds.
“I will. Love you!”
I disconnect the line feeling better than before. I wash my face and change into a fresh shirt with no thread clinging to it. I finally finished repairing Mateo's quilt today. We visited a few shops, and I bought some New York inspired fabrics to patch up the holes. Then I used the leftovers to add a new scrappy binding with a mixture of Texas, New York, and Christmas designs.
I ride the elevator down to the main floor. The elevator opens, and everything is covered in white decorations. All except the adults in ugly sweaters.
“Hey, sobrina.” Tia Marie walks over with a glass of wine. “Where’s your sweater?”
“I don’t have one.” I’m floored by the transformation. “The food smells amazing.”
"We're eating early. I'm too old to wait up until midnight." She laughs at her own joke. "Recheck the closet. Hurry, we'll wait for you."
“You guys can start.” I turn to the elevator.
“Mateo will not have that. Go change.” Tia Marie flicks a hand in my direction, and I return to the elevator.
I ride back up to the penthouse and return to the closet. There are several bags with my name on it. How had I missed them? Inside are wrapped gifts with names on the tags for the kids, lovingly signed Love Uncle Mateo and Alex. I've pissed him off, yet he's still looking out for me.
My throat thickens with emotion. These are our gifts for the exchange. I inspect the other bag and find the white elephant gifts. I pull out my phone to text Mateo and decide to call him after I call Susan.
“Thank you!” I say the moment she answers the line.
“You’re welcome. Does the sweater fit?”
I put the phone on speaker and slip it on. "Yes, and I think I'll win the prize for the best ugly sweater." I laugh, looking in the mirror. "This is awful."
