Adley sniffs beside me, and when I look at her, she’s wiping a tear from her cheek.
“Sorry.” She reaches for a napkin and blots under her eyes. “You two have been through so much, and I know this isn’t easy on either one of you. But you’re being so strong, and I’m proud of you. I’m a little emotional today, so you’ll have to forgive me.”
She looks over at me. Her tremulous smile makes me want to reach out and kiss her. Instead, I take her hand beneath the table. Our fingers interlace, and she seems to relax.
“I love this. I love the two of you together.”
Chloe’s smile is the widest I’ve ever seen it.
“I know we talked about getting together sometime soon, and I hope we can still do that,” she says to Adley.
“I’d love that. Let’s plan something before we leave tonight.”
I’m surprised by how relaxed I feel about the two of them getting together. Maybe it’s because Adley knows about my childhood, or because I’m comfortable in our relationship. Either way, it feels good.
“Absolutely. So, tell me about your family,” Chloe says. “Linc told me you have a few brothers, but Rhett’s the only one I’ve met.”
“I do. I have four brothers.”
“Wow. That must be difficult. I have a hard time putting up with just this guy,” Chloe says, pointing at me. “I couldn’t imagine having three more.”
“It’s not too bad. They’re a little overprotective.”
“A little?” I say, grabbing my water.
Adley nudges my arm. “They’re not that bad.”
“How are they gonna handle it when they find out you’re dating Linc?”
“They’ll be fine.”
I furrow my brow. She doesn’t really believe that, does she?
“Really?”
“Yeah.” Adley looks at Chloe and then at me before repeating herself. “Yeah, they’re going to be fine. You’re practically a part of my family. My brothers love you.”
“Because they don’t know I’m dating their little sister. Trust me, once they find out, they’re going to be pissed. Especially Rhett.”
“When are you going to tell them?” Chloe asks.
“We’ve only been official for a week,” Adley tells her. “The moment hasn’t exactly presented itself.”
“That doesn’t matter.”
The more I think about it, the more pissed at myself I get. I should’ve talked to Rhett long before now. It doesn’t matter that Adley and I have only been official for a week. The longer we wait, the more pissed he’s going to be.
And her parents…shit. I don’t even know what they’re going to think. My stomach sours as I imagine sitting down to have dinner with the Allens—something I’ve done more times than I can count—and explaining to them that the man their daughter is dating can barely pay rent because he’s financially responsible for an alcoholic father and his kid sister.
Knowing the Allens, they’ll rally around me, do whatever they can to help. I don’t honestly think they’ll shun me or look at me as anything other than Rhett’s friend. But it’s still nerve-wracking.
“We’ll tell him soon. Maybe we’ll have him and Mo over for dinner or something. And then we’ll tell the rest of your family.”
“That sounds good. And Mo will make a great buffer.”
“Who’s Mo?” Chloe asks.
Adley smiles. “Rhett’s fiancée. Linc and I are both in the wedding.”