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Riven fought a smile and shook his head as he stared down at me. Even if he tried to deny it, his vivid-green eyes were dancing with humor.
“He’s in here trying not to smile,” I called back, not taking my eyes off of him.
“Baby girl, you’re trouble.”
“You like it,” I countered, giving him a shrug and fighting a smile of my own.
The tension between us was strong, and after the other night of him seeing me at my worst, I no longer felt the need to hide myself. I also didn’t feel guilty for my smiles anymore.
“I do, but did you have to get a dog?”
“You know the ones who protest the loudest are always the ones who end up sleeping with the dog on their chest and saying ‘I never liked them,’ but they become best friends anyway.”
He rolled his eyes and wrapped his arm around me, leading me further into the house. Linda had relinquished the puppy and had both of her hands now. She was setting a huge salad bowl on the counter until we walked in and she stopped everything to rush toward Riven and pull him into a mom hug. She didn’t say anything, just hugged him, patted his cheek, and went back to work.
“I just love when you guys come over. It fills this house with life again. It’s been too quiet for far too long,” she said as she mixed something on the stove.
“It’s nice to be back,” I agreed. This house meant a lot to me, it always had. Now, standing here again, it felt like another piece of myself was falling back into place.
“Come eat,” Linda called, urging us all to the table.
Riven hadn’t let go of me and I think he needed the comfort. His hand twitched every so often and his jaw was clenched in a hard line. He clearly liked being here but I think it also showed him what he missed as a child.
We sat down together and I put my hand on his thigh as she said a quick prayer and started fussing over making us plates.
Some of us didn’t know how to handle that level of motherly affection, and I kept a close eye on both him and Micah, making sure they weren’t uncomfortable.
We ate and chatted until I was stuffed and couldn’t manage another bite. Linda was teasing Lake until she turned her attention back to me.
“So, Shaye, have you heard from your mom lately?”
ChapterEighteen
Shaye
“Grab her!” Micah yelled as Mia snatched a chunk of roast from my plate and hopped off my lap with more dexterity than a puppy should have. She was off and running as the whole group of us ran after her. It was the perfect way to avoid an awkward question.
“Block the kitchen!” Linda yelled before Chad veered off to the living room. She ran for the stairs, but was small enough it was not a successful escape. Riven snatched her up easily and tugged the chunk of meat from her jaws.
She let out a whine of protest but didn’t fight him as he took it and handed her off to me. For being such a big guy, he was surprisingly gentle with her.
“That was an interesting turn of events,” I said before holding her up. She looked like she wasn’t sorry at all as she blinked at me. “That was not a good girl. We’re going to have to find a dog trainer.”
“She’s a beagle, she’ll always be motivated by food,” Lake laughed. “Training is a great idea, though.”
“I have to pee, watch her like a hawk,” I told him as I handed her off. Since I was at the bottom of the stairs I headed up to use the guest bathroom on the landing.
I finished quickly and stepped out, my footsteps faltering as I spotted Everett’s door.
It was cracked and from what I could see inside it hadn’t changed at all. They kept it just like he left it… or just like I left it when I snuck away that night.
I couldn’t help myself. I was walking forward almost in a trance and pushed it open. A wave of nostalgia hit me as I glanced around at the space.
His scent was faint, but still here under the surface. He’d spent enough time in here that it would likely stay that way if she left it alone.
“Oh, Everett,” I sighed as I looked up at the picture wall. He loved taking candid photos and putting them up. Some of them were awful but he wouldn’t delete a single one. That was the one time he never gave into my demands. He said it captured the moment better if I wasn’t paying attention, even if my face ended up looking crazy.
My fingers ran over our younger faces, the memories flooding back as I looked at each one. He really was such a huge part of my life. Everett helped me be independent, made sure I was confident, and always encouraged me. In a way, he’d become my inner voice and I’d always be thankful for that.
