“What about Natalie’s problems?”
“Don’t know and don’t care. Let them handle it. She’s out of our life.”
“Thank fucking Christ,” Cruz snaps and starts to clear the table. “The only down-side is I was ready to verbally smack her upside the ass when I saw her again.”
“Me too,” Alex adds.
Conversation carries on around me as I process what has happened. My poor dad once again had to come to my rescue. When will it stop?
“Hey,” Robbie’s concerned voice breaks me out of my thoughts. “You okay?”
“No. Yes. I mean, I don’t know. Trying to process it all.”
“We’ll stay here tonight. I want you to be around people who love you.”
“I think that’s a great idea. I’m staying, too. I brought a mood enhancer, if anyone wants to join me.” Chloe reaches in her pocket and brings out a joint.
“Aunt Chloe!”
“What? I was stressed about telling you. Now I can relax.”
Robbie chuckles and pulls me into his lap. “None for me. I have other ways to relax.” He kisses my temple lightly on my scar.
Heat crawls over me. Splotches break out down my arms, and everyone in the room starts laughing at me.
“I can’t believe you said that.” I move to get away, but he holds me in place.
“Sit still, babe. All the wiggling is making me hard,” he says softly. “And you know what your blushing does to me. So I suggest you try to rein it in before I take you to your room and embarrass you further.”
My body goes still, and I look around to see three sets of eyes shining with happiness. Cruz looks up and mouths a silent ‘thank you’.
“Just for that, every one of you is watching last week’s American Idol with me tonight. I DVR’d it.”
“You better know I love you to sit through that shit. But I suspect you’ll make it up to me tonight.” Robbie nips on my ear and stands us up. “Let me go call Finn and tell him the news about Serena.”
He walks out, and Cruz practically attacks me. “Spill!”
“All I can say is, I’m finally living a dream.”
He hugs me quickly, and we finish the kitchen in comfortable silence. Now, if I can only convince my dad not to jump off the deep end when he sees how much I’m in love.
Chapter 24
Don’t Ever Lie For Me
Robbie
I walk to Raven’s kitchen and check my phone again, pleased when I see the text from Ember.
Ember: Finally done for the day. Come over when you’re finished. Tell Declan happy birthday!
That’s my cue to wrap this up and leave. I almost groan when I hear Raven behind me. She hands me a beer and pours herself a glass of wine with a look of determination.
“Thanks for making sure all the tuxes went back to Clyde’s.”
“You know it wasn’t a problem. Is this your way of starting a conversation to ask me about Ember?”
“Maybe.”