Tessa moves around the counter carrying a serving tray of mac and cheese, grinning at me like she’s in on some big secret.
My eyes narrow.
Yep. I fucking knew it. Riley has definitely been talking. And the fact that Tessa knows means I’m about to get all kinds of shit right now.
That’s how she operates, especially if she’s happy for you.
“How’s it going?” Tessa asks me, stopping close.
“Fine,” I grunt.
“Ha! Yeah, okay.” She glances outside. “The new guy seems nice. Very friendly . . .”
My mouth hardens.
“Babe,” Luke warns.
Tessa ignores him and gives me a wink. “Good luck out there, Tully,” she says. “We’re all rooting for you. Well, maybe not Reed.” She smiles big before moving away and stepping through the slider.
“Unbelievable,” I mumble. The new guy seems nice? So much for friends. I look to Luke.
“She ain’t wrong,” he offers. “He seems like a good kid. And you two should get along good, considering what all you got in common.” A grin slowly spreads across his mouth.
I glare at him. Luke’s grin keeps spreading.
“Shut the fuck up,” I growl. “And move your ass already. I’m starving.”
Throwing his head back with a laugh, Luke follows his wife outside.
The table is rectangular, with four chairs on each long side and one on each end. Ben is seated at the head of the table with Chase in his lap. Reed is next to him, then Beth and Riley, leaving one chair vacant on that side.
My chair. That’s where I’m sitting, and I don’t give a damn who’s got something to say about it.
“Where’s Mia?” Ben asks.
I step up to the table and set down what I’m carrying. “She’s getting Nolan cleaned up. She said to start,” I tell him, head lifting when movement catches my eye.
Grayson slides out the seat next to Riley and claims it.
My nostrils flare.
What the fuck? Am I going to have to kill this kid?
“We’ll wait,” Ben announces, letting everyone know not to take a bite until his wife gets out here.
I kick out the chair next to Luke and slump down in it, planting myself directly across from Riley.
Ben and Reed start talking about baby proofing or some shit like that. Tessa chimes in. I don’t pay attention. I’m watching Riley. She’s smiling at Grayson, being polite and keeping their conversation going after he initiates it. I having no fucking clue what they’re talking about though. Blood starts rushing in my ears when Grayson throws his arm on the back of Riley’s chair. I hear my heart beat and the muffled voices of everyone around me, that’s it. Then Grayson leans closer to Riley and laughs at something she says. Seeing that, I look over at Reed, thinking he should open his fucking mouth and say something to this kid for looking comfortable with his sister, but instead, he starts filling up his plate while keeping conversation with Ben.
My eyes narrow. Really? I so much as look at Riley and Reed’s got a problem.
Asshole.
Luke and Ben go about filling up their plates too, and to keep myself from tossing Grayson off the deck, I do the same, scooping out helpings of sides and fixing up both of my burgers.
The slider opens and closes behind me. Nolan runs outside and climbs into the chair at my right. And when Mia finally claims her seat at the table, sitting directly across from Ben, everyone starts eating.
Conversation carries on between the group, minus me, while Grayson keeps hitting Riley up with questions. He’s interested in her. That’s for damn sure. Smiling. Keeping his arm on her chair instead of using two hands to eat.
Who the fuck eats a burger with one hand? There’s something wrong with this kid.
“Hey.” Luke nudges me with his elbow. He’s talking low.
“What?” I grunt, not turning my head.
“You might wanna ease up on that fork. I think it belonged to Mia’s mom or some shit.”
I look down at the fork in my hand and notice my thumb pressing the handle into a bend.
Shit.
Dropping my hands to my lap, I straighten the silver so it’s no longer curved.
“Relax,” Luke mumbles.
“You relax,” I mumble back. I toss the fork next to my plate.
Relax. Right. That’s not happening. Now I know how Reed felt last year when I was making a play for Beth in front of him at game night. He sat there looking ready to rip my head off. And I am right there watching this kid with Riley. This fucking sucks.
Luke shakes his head before looking away and taking a pull of his beer.
Like he wouldn’t shoot a motherfucker for even looking at Tessa. Fuck him.
Riley laughs at something Grayson says, getting my attention again. She’s being friendly, that’s all she’s doing, I know that, but it still pisses me off.
I glare at the two of them while I sit forward and shovel food into my mouth. Minutes pass. I don’t talk much, except to Nolan when he shows me the Legos he has in his pocket, wanting my opinion on the figurine he built. Other than that, I don’t engage. And when Riley eventually glances across the table at me, assessing my reaction to the shit I’m having to witness, the shit I’ve been having to witness, I don’t hide it from her. I keep my eyes hard and narrowed. If she’s expecting a smile and a thumbs up, she’s not getting one. Riley can know how much this is bothering me. I don’t care. What the fuck is she expecting me to do? Be okay with this?
Her face burns hot seeing my reaction. Then she looks away, turning back to Grayson when he speaks.
“Do you want to like, work in the OR? Have you decided what you want to do after you graduate?” he asks her.
“She’s specializing in pediatrics,” I answer, voice firm and loud enough it cuts into the conversations going on around me.
Riley’s head snaps in my direction. Her eyes flicker wider in surprise.
Yeah, baby. I’m listening. And I fucking know you well enough to answer every goddamn question he’s asking.
“Oh.” Grayson’s brows lift. “That’s really cool,” he tells her.
“I didn’t know that,” Reed throws out, leaning forward to look at Riley. “When did you decide?”
“Just recently,” Riley answers. “I hadn’t really told anyone yet.”
“You told me,” I say, smirking when I get her eyes.