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I took a moment to appreciate the beauty of the table. Candles flickered, casting a soft glow, and the rich tones of the wooden table provided the perfect backdrop for our spread. The pasta was ready, warm, and inviting, with its rich aroma beckoning.
The evening seemed perfect until the doorbell rang.
Opening the door revealed Nate and Trevor, and behind them stood Vivienne and a girl I recognized as Jessica from the evening at their cabin.
My heart dropped for a second, my internal turmoil not showing on my face as I welcomed them in with a smile.
“Thanks for letting us join you guys,” Jessica started, taking off her coat and then going to remove her boots. “We decided to stay one more night.”
Trevor scratched the back of his neck, looking a tad sheepish. “Oh, sorry. I forgot to tell Mason you and Viv would be joining us.”
That explained Mason’s slightly surprised expression. Still, I kept my composure.
“It’s fine,” I reassured them. “Everyone’s welcome. There’s plenty of food to go around.”
Mason mouthed, “Are you okay?”
And I nodded. I trusted him. He hadn’t done anything wrong. I wasn’t going to let the unexpected guests ruin the evening.
“Your house is beautiful.” Vivienne looked around, slipping out of her boots before making her way into the living room.
“Thanks,” I replied. “It’s my parents’ cabin, actually.”
My attention turned to the food as I felt a rush of responsibility. “Well, I better heat up the garlic bread, since we’re all here. Can anyone help set the table?”
Eager to contribute, Nate replied, “I can help with that.” He ventured into the kitchen, and we quickly found a rhythm together. It wasn’t long before the table was decked out with plates, glasses, and silverware.
As the preparations continued, Bodhi found himself fending off curious hands from our cookie display. “Hey, hey! No dessert before dinner.”
We sat down to eat. I sat on one side of Mason, and Bodhi sat on the other. He gave me a wink to let me know he’d taken the spot to avoid Vivienne stirring up more trouble.
I just needed to enjoy the evening. I didn’t want to give Vivienne the power to ruin my night, especially when she wasn’t even aware that I had a claim on Mason.
The awkwardness was still present, but I sensed that my guys and I were the only ones who were uncomfortable. Nobody else was aware of our new relationship dynamic.
The conversation flowed easily, just like the alcohol, and soon enough, we were all sharing jokes and stories as if we’d been friends for years.
The only uncomfortable thing was Vivienne sharing stories about memories with Mason, such as when they’d gone on a spontaneous road trip and gotten lost in a small town.
She stopped short of providing graphic details about their sex life. Her stories were more like fade-to-black romance novels, insinuating they’d practically fucked every time the wind changed direction.
With each story Vivienne recounted, I could see how Mason’s jaw tightened just a fraction. He held himself with commendable grace and politeness, but I sensed a hint of discomfort. He discreetly squeezed my hand under the table, reassuring me the past was just that—the past.
Eventually, her stories amused me. Obviously, she was trying to remind Mason of the good times to get back into his good graces. I couldn’t help but feel a little petty, knowing that I was the only one he wanted and her attempts to reconnect were futile.
By the time I was clearing the dinner plates, I was drawn to the window, and I noticed the once gentle snowfall had turned fierce and relentless.
“Were we expecting a storm?” I asked no one in particular.
“Nah, don’t worry about it. If it’s snowing, we will just wait it out,” Nate said.
The whole group was from South Florida, so I didn’t believe anyone had great advice about what to expect from a snowstorm, with Liam being the exception. With his line of work, I assumed he had a lot of experience with adverse weather conditions because he’d traveled the world chasing extreme adventures.
But if nobody else seemed worried, I would just let it go.
Later, dessert was served: a German chocolate cake Liam had baked from scratch. We also served our sugar cookies, and Bodhi’s stunning designs were the first ones eaten.
A gust of wind rattled the windows, causing us to turn our attention outside. Snow was falling rapidly, and the wind was picking up.
