“He’s a dick,” Justin answered, placing our drinks on the coffee table. “He lost his job last year and pretty much decided that was his ticket to become a complete deadbeat.”
“Oh, I didn’t realize that. Losing a job has to be tough.”
“He was an ass before that. I think Aunt Holly was on the verge of divorcing him, but then felt bad once he lost his job. Maybe she thought that would be like kicking a man while he’s down or some shit. He drives my mom nuts, and almost everyone else for that matter. I guess every family has to have one. The oddball who annoys everyone.”
I nodded. I knew where he was coming from. Of course, I refrained from mentioning that the oddball in my family was my mother. In her defense, though, she wasn’t nearly as bad as his uncle George. And definitely not creepy. She just made everyone’s business her own. My only other relatives were a distant aunt and uncle who lived in Arizona. They were a lot older than Mom. Mom had been a surprise baby when she came along. Her sister was planning for college and already had one foot out the door when my mom showed up. Over the years, I’d seen them less than a handful of times, mostly due to a death in the family. Although I didn’t see them much, they did make a point of sending me cash every holiday, including Thanksgiving, which always seemed odd, but who was I to argue with free cash.
“If he makes you uncomfortable, let me know,” Justin added as he took a bite of the pumpkin pie on his plate.
“It’s all good. I just thought I was imagining it.”
“Nah, everyone knows he’s a total douche. He’s a lot of fun when he has a couple more beers in him,” he answered sarcastically.
“At least he’s up there and we’re down here,” I pointed out, not realizing until the words left my mouth how suggestive they sounded.
“Good point,” Justin answered with a wide smile as he placed his plate on the table and leaned toward me. His intentions were halted by the sound of multiple feet trotting down the stairs with Hollie’s voice calling us.
“I need to learn to lock that door,” Justin groaned before placing a quick kiss on my lips.
“One of these days . . .” I trailed off, running my hand over his chest as four preteens invaded our quiet place.
As the day progressed, those few minutes of quiet were the only ones we had. Hollie and her cousins convinced Justin and me to play a game of Monopoly. The game turned out to be one of those marathon games that stretched on for several hours. Hollie took the game seriously and analyzed each move before she made it. Two of the cousins went bankrupt fairly early and made it their mission to create the perfect playlist for our game on Justin’s stereo. We took a break after a few hours to head back upstairs for seconds. Turkey sandwiches, stuffing, and leftover mashed potatoes were loaded up on heavy-duty paper plates that Trish had left out on the counter. Eventually, Monopoly came to a draw when Hollie and Justin owned the majority of the cash and properties. The game was stowed away and blankets and pillows were dragged downstairs and laid out on the floor, while Justin loaded one of the DVDs he had picked up the day before. Shooting me an apologetic look, he maneuvered around the bodies on the floor and crawled onto the couch beside me.
“Sorry,” he whispered.
“For what?” I asked, scooting closer to him on the sofa.
“The movie party. It’s kind of a ritual.”
“Right. You’re just afraid to be alone,” I whispered, snuggling into his arms.
He chuckled lightly, tightening his arm around me. “Very afraid,” he breathed into my ear, making my pulse race. His hand trailed down my side, gently tugging my shirt up until my rib cage was exposed. Every nerve inside me seemed to come alive as his fingers brushed across my skin.
“Be good,” I hissed, trying to control the shudder that rippled through me from his heated touch. I tugged my shirt down and rested my head against his chest. His quiet laughter clued me in that he was well aware of what his touch was doing to me. Feeling all was fair in foreplay, I placed my hand on his knee and smiled with satisfaction when I heard his intake of air in the dark room. I slowly caressed his leg, letting my fingers creep up to his inner thigh before moving back down and then back up again. With each pass, my fingers would move just a little higher. The effect of my touch was evident by the rapid racing of his heart against my ear and the slight bulge that was difficult to hide even in his jeans. His response was enough to make even my own breath come out quick and fast, as if I were sprinting to finish a race. Eventually, Justin had enough of the sweet torture. He removed my hand from his leg and held it firmly in his own hand. I doubted it would douse the desire that crackled like a live wire between us. I closed my eyes, enjoying the feel of his arms around me and the noise of the movie playing in the background. I felt so relaxed I drifted off to sleep.
15.
Present Day
2:13 PM
“I was just thinking about that Thanksgiving weekend we spent together,” Justin said, changing the subject before I gave in to the impulse to punch him.
I acknowledged his words by meeting his eyes. I was still pissed at his previous statement, but a small part of my heart melted at his words.
“That was the day I started to really fall for you. Did you know that?”
I shook my head, but it shouldn’t have surprised me. After all, Thanksgiving was pretty much the beginning for me too. Our relationship was not the kind of whirlwind love story you read about. It didn’t start with insta-love or even insta-lust. It was a slow build that progressed with each new detail we discovered about each other. Maybe it was our past failures at dating, or maybe we had somehow sensed that our relationship would be different from all the rest. He used to say we worked because I was immune to his powers of flirtation and he was the looseness to my uptightness. He claimed we brought out the best in each other. He was right until he was wrong. Eventually, we would get to the point where we absolutely brought out the worst in each other.
“Is your aunt Holly still with creeper George?” I asked, pulling my mind from the one place I didn’t want it to go. The place I couldn’t allow it to go.
“Nope. She filed for divorce that following summer. Turns out he was a mean-ass drunk. Aunt Holly could overlook his faults until he turned his fists on her and the kids. He’s on his fifth or sixth stint in rehab. I’ve lost track.”
“I know it’s probably wrong to say I’m glad, but I really am. Your aunt deserves way better.”
“Don’t apologize. That feeling is unanimous, but I’ll pass your sentiments along.”
“So, why Thanksgiving? Was it because of that night?” I asked as his eyes bore into mine.