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I hear some shuffling in the room and peek from underneath the bed to find my brother smiling at Zane. “As far as boyfriends go, you’re not so bad, I guess,” he adds.
Zane looks up at him wide-eyed. “Thanks, man.”
“She’s happy, I know that. I can see it in the way she smiles, the way she looks at you. For years, you made my sister so damn sad, and I still want to make you pay for it. But fucking hell, Zane, at the same time I don’t think I’ve ever seen her as happy as you make her. I wish you were a dick. Would make things m-much easier.”
I only just about manage to keep from laughing. I never knew my brother could be that cute, and the way Zane stares up at him all wide-eyed is equally cute. I can’t believe I’m witnessing the making of a true bromance.
“Thanks,” Zane stammers. “I appreciate it. I love her, you know?”
Archer sighs and shakes his head as he walks to the door. “Yeah, I know.” He opens the door and looks back. “Welcome to family, asshole. I doubt you w-will, but try not to give me another reason to punch you in the face. Pretty sure my little sister likes that face quite a bit. I’d hate to ruin it.”
Then he walks out, the door slamming closed behind him far louder than necessary. Zane stares at it as I wiggle out from under the bed, unable to keep from smiling. “I think…” I murmur. “I think you and my brother just became… friends?”
“Friends?”
I nod, endlessly amused by his disarmed expression. Tonight has gone far better than I ever could’ve hoped for. Now we just need to tackle our grandparents — but that was always going to be the hardest part.
ChapterThirty-One
Celeste
Mom and I glare at the three men seated at the breakfast bar in the kitchen, Zane in the middle. “So, did you guys learn anything from drinking as much as you did last night?” I ask, my tone terse.
I watch as my dad knocks his shoulder against Zane’s and leans in. “Remember that you chose this. It’s not too late to walk away from her, you know? She’s destined to become as crazy as her mother.”
Mom straightens her spine and tips her head toward Dad. “What was that?” she asks, her tone deceptively light.
Dad clears his throat just as Archer leans into Zane. “If you want to survive being with Celeste, don’t be as dumb as my dad is.”
Meanwhile, Zane just stares at me, beaming. Despite clearly being hungover, I don’t think I’ve seen him look this happy in a while. The burden of our families not accepting us being together had begun to weigh heavy on him, and last night seems to have lifted some of it.
“I’m sorry, Celestial,” Zane says, his tone earnest. “I won’t drink this much next time, alright? Archer and I just couldn’t say no to your dad.”
Dad’s head snaps to Zane, and his eyes widen. “You’re throwing me under the bus?”
Archer chuckles and wraps his arm around Zane, nodding before he glances at Dad. “Better you than us.”
Mom turns to me and smiles. “He calls you Celestial?”
I blush instantly. Normally, Zane only ever calls me Celestial or Goddess in private, and I doubt he realized that it’d slipped out. Mom chuckles and brushes my hair out of my face, her gaze endearing. It’s clear she really likes Zane, and it makes me happier than I can convey.
“Alright, Archer and Zane,” Mom says, her smile slipping away as she faces them. “If there’s one thing we do in this house, it’s taking responsibility for our actions and being accountable. You chose to drink last night, so you’ll live with the consequences today. Saturday mornings are for cooking classes, so suck it up, and go get me some veggies from the vegetable patch. You can choose whatever you’d like. We’re making our own variation of the British roast dinner that Celeste won’t stop gushing about.”
They both hang their heads, like the thought of having to move from their chairs is too much, and for a moment I consider just taking Zane home to recover. “Now,” Mom snaps, and I involuntarily flinch.
The boys move quickly, both clearly aware that my normally incredibly sweet mother is annoyed with them. Dad chuckles, and Mom sighs. “I’m not happy with you either. How could you get the boys so drunk, George?”
He slips out of his seat and wraps his arm around her shoulder. “It’s called bonding, sweetheart. It accomplished what you hoped it would, right? I do quite like the boy, and so does Archer, like you said we would.”
Mom sighs when he presses a soft kiss to her temple. “You reek of liquor. The next time you want to bond with the boys, try not to poison them and yourself.”
I grin, relieved to hear what I already suspected — that last night’s dinner was a success. For months, Dad refused to even let Zane step foot into our house, and I spent week after week telling him little things that melted his cold exterior. I’d tell him about the food Zane cooked me, things he fixed around my house, and strategic advice he gave me that benefited our company. He’d huff and ignore my words, but I knew he was listening.
Slow steps, just like Zane said. “I love you, Dad,” I murmur, my heart overflowing. “I know this wasn’t easy for you, and I want you to know I’m grateful. Zane makes me happy, and I want him to feel welcome here.”
Dad’s eyes widen, and for a few moments, he looks visibly emotional. “I love you too, sweetie. I’m sorry for taking so long to give him a chance.”
He holds his arm out for me, and I smile as I walk into his embrace. His refusal to accept Zane wasn’t just tough on my relationship with Zane, it affected my relationship with my parents too. The bitterness I felt grew slowly, only for it all to fade away this morning.
