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“Dating,” I interject. “Shay and I are dating.”
Goran leans back, assessing me with a scrutinous gaze, while Annika’s lips curl into a slight smile. “Well, we suspected she was seeing someone. So, now we know it’s you.”
“We didn’t want to keep it from you.” Shay pulls her hand from mine. Her voice is laced with anxiety. “The plan was to let everyone know after Thanksgiving. After Miles’s, uh, negative reaction. I didn’t want you finding out from him.”
Annika and Goran exchange glances, and for a moment, there’s an uncomfortable silence. Then, to my surprise, Goran shrugs. “Well, it’s your life, Shay. As long as you’re happy, we’re happy for you.”
My heart swells with gratitude. “Thank you, sir. I promise I have nothing but the best intentions for Shay.”
Annika’s voice is less supportive. “Austin. You’ve been half in love with my daughter for years. Not that long ago, she got out of a long relationship. Now’s perhaps not the time—“
“Annika.“ Goran cuts her off with a glare.
“What?” She squints at him. “I’m saying the truth.”
Their opposing reactions are disconcerting to me but Shay forges ahead. “We’ve been broken up for months, Mama. I’m over Devon. Austin and I are special…” Her voice trails off, and I can sense the uncertainty. Which hurts.
“Austin, I hope you understand Shay’s condition requires patience. Understanding.” Annika directs her attention on me. Goran does too.
I nod, swallowing the unease that’s settled in my stomach. “Shay’s been thoroughly candid about her epilepsy and I’ve been reading up on it. I’ll support her in every way I can.”
Goran strokes his beard. “She has good days and bad days. There’ll be times she might not remember things, even important ones.”
“Dad, it’s not that bad. It hasn’t been like that since I was a teenager.” Shay’s face crumbles as if she’s realizing my observation is accurate. In this house, it’s like she’s frozen in time at the maturity level of the teenager who left for college years ago.
It’s also clear her parents love her. Worry about her. Her dad’s eyes soften. “Shay, I know you want to pretend everything is perfect, but Austin should know how to help you if and when you need it.”
I appreciate Goran’s honesty, but I’m also going to back Shay. No matter what. “Look, whatever happens, I’ll be there for her. No matter what.”
Shay’s hand finds mine. “I’m ready to go back to your place and chill. I’ve got to pack a few things. Austin, can you wait here?”
“Of course,” I reply, watching as she heads upstairs to her room.
Once she’s out of earshot, Annika’s voice drops to a whisper. “Shay is strong but she likes to sweep things under the rug. The diagnosis has taken a toll.”
I take note because Annika’s version of how Shay’s dealt with epilepsy is so disparate than how Shay sees it.
“What happened with Miles?” Goran stands, walks over to the stairs and looks up before returning to the couch. “We suggested he give her a job at your company so he could look out for her. He told us you weren’t happy about it. What the hell has changed?”
“Shay proved me wrong, I was originally upset about not being consulted, but it’s all good now. With respect to Miles, unfortunately he saw us kissing and utterly let us both—mostly Shay—have it. It almost seemed like he’d been holding in his feelings about the situation for all these years.” Goran and Annika have become like my surrogate parents, which makes all of this trickier. “Cooler heads should prevail after everyone takes a break.”
Annika gets up and joins us. “If I know my Miles, he’ll be particularly upset about all of this. Maybe we can get it all out in the open tomorrow at dinner.”
Shit. I nearly forgot tomorrow’s Thanksgiving. “I’m not coming for dinner. You’ll have to ask Shay…”
“Of course you’re coming.” Goran folds his still-massive arms across his chest. “You spend holidays with your family.”
“We’re not.” Shay is on her way down the stairs with her suitcase. I dash over to help her with it.
Annika literally stomps her foot. “I’ve spent the better part of the day prepping food for all of us. I won’t hear of you abandoning me on Thanksgiving when you’ve been away for so long.”
“Uh…” I glance at Shay, who shakes her head.
“I think it’s best I stay at Austin’s this weekend.” She glances between her parents and me. “I’m not putting you guys in the middle of anything, but Miles said some very, very hurtful things. Launched personal attacks that I need to process. I don’t want to be around him.”
Goran puts his hand on Annika’s shoulder. “We’ll talk to him tomorrow.”
“Let’s go.” Shay looks up at me and I can tell she’s wiped out emotionally.
