Chapter Three
Sunday morning we had our first family breakfast. It was loud, chaotic, everyone talked at once, and I loved every second of it. I was just happy to observe the family dynamic while shoving my face full of waffles, bacon, and eggs.
Chandler Edwards, my biological dad, I learned over the week I’d been staying with them, was a workaholic. It didn’t matter what day it was or what time: his job never seemed to take a rest. After breakfast, he retreated to his home office to make some calls. Grayson and Kenna both took off as well, Kenna to get ready for school on Monday, and Grayson to… I actually didn’t know what Grayson was doing. Probably Elite shit. But he took one of his cars after a quick shower and left.
I was half tempted to text him, but I didn’t want him to feel like I was stuck to him now that we lived together. He needed his space, and I needed mine. Our lives crossed over enough as it was.
Which left me alone with Liana, my biological mom.
I’d grown quite comfortable around her, yet she was still a stranger to me, and I to her. We were still weeding through the get-to-know-you stage, and that was okay. I was enjoying the process. It was a bit overwhelming at times, because it wasn’t just Liana I was familiarizing myself with. There was Chandler, and now Kenna as well. They, meanwhile, just had me. I didn’t lump Grayson into the mix, since we already had the chance to get acquainted.
I offered to help Liana with the dishes, but she reminded me that Elise would take care of them later. Right. Elise. The elderly woman who helped run the Edwards household. She was the sweet grandmotherly type who seemed to genuinely care about the family. And she had welcomed me immediately into the fold.
Unsure what to do with myself after breakfast, I sat at the kitchen table with Liana, sipping our cold coffee. The dishes had already been cleared. “I never thought I’d ever have all of my kids under one room. Sawyer would have loved you,” she said with a fond smile.
Sawyer was Grayson and Kenna’s older brother. Mine too, actually, but I never got the chance to meet him. Sawyer had been killed in a car-racing accident. I wondered what Liana thought about Grayson following in his older brother’s footsteps? I wasn’t about to mention it, just in case she didn’t know. “What was he like?” I heard myself ask, and then quickly regretted my loose tongue. What if she wasn’t comfortable talking about Sawyer? The last thing I wanted to do was make her sad or upset.
But when I glanced up from my coffee mug, she wore a soft smile. Perhaps Liana needed to talk about Sawyer. “He was vivacious and had such a passion for life. He and Grayson couldn’t have been more opposite, and yet, they were best friends. Sawyer was fiercely protective of his sister, a role that Grayson took since Sawyer passed away.”
I was never good in situations involving death. Not having experienced anyone close to me passing away, I just felt awkward. “I’m so sorry for what happened to Sawyer. I can’t imagine how difficult it must have been for you all.”
The small smile on her face remained, but her grey eyes flickered with a flash of sadness only a mother felt. “It was. But I feel like I’ve been given a second chance with you. I don’t want to take that for granted. Not one second, so you’ll have to let me know if I get to be too much or start to smother you.”
“Deal,” I agreed. I grew up most of my life with a needy parent, but in other ways. Angie needed attention. And alcohol. It might be refreshing to have a mother who didn’t put her own needs and wants first.
Liana crossed her legs. She wore a pair of slim black slacks, looking chic even at breakfast. She wasn’t barefoot like me but wore thin slippers over her feet. “So, tell me. What was it like meeting Kenna last night?” she asked, changing the topic. “I wanted her to wait until this morning when we were all home, but as soon as she found out about you, there was no changing her mind. She had to see you.”
I sat back in my chair, leaving my nearly empty coffee on the table. So many mixed emotions stirred in my belly. Good and bad. Last night had been a fucking rolling coaster, but I made myself go back to the moment I had seen Kenna with Mads. “It was incredible, once I got over the shock.”
“Kenna does love to make an entrance. She might seem shy, but don’t let that innocence fool you. I know Grayson has already filled you in a little bit about Kenna’s history. She can be a handful. Did anything else happen last night?”
I wrinkled my nose, uneasy about her picking up on my feelings. I needed to work on my poker face. But it hadn’t been Kenna who ruined my night. That award went to Carter. I shrugged. “Not really. It was also weird but in a good way. Does that make sense?” God, I hoped I wasn’t botching this. Describing my emotions wasn’t something I was good at, which probably had something to do with my upbringing.
Now might be a great time to book that appointment for a shrink.
“I completely understand,” Liana agreed. “It sounds awfully like how I felt. I didn’t know what to say to you, still don’t if I’m being honest. I don’t want to do anything to upset you. You’ve already been through so much. Most of all, I just want you to feel safe.”
Her sincerity touched me. “I do. More than you know.”
“It will take some time for all of us to feel comfortable with each other.”
I bit the inside of my cheek. “You were worried about how Kenna would react when she found out?”
Liana nodded. “I was. She grew up being the only girl with two protective brothers. She is used to being the center of attention. I fear she might get jealous.”
Was this what Brock had meant in the car last night, regarding being careful with Kenna? “It’s a good thing I hate the spotlight.” Except since the moment I stepped foot into Elmwood Academy, it seemed as if I’d done nothing but take center stage. Every week I somehow managed to become the hot topic, most of it not good.
Well, now that Kenna was back, I’d gladly step aside and let her take the limelight. Being popular was not my thing.
Liana chuckled. “If there is anything you need or something on your mind, I want you to know you can come to me. No judgment. I’m a good listener, despite what Grayson and Kenna might say.”
She was a good listener.
Unfolding her legs, she clasped her hands over her thighs. “I was thinking we could start painting and decorating your room. I know you’ll be going off to college soon, but I’d like it if you had a place here you could stay.”
I was touched, and my heart squeezed in my chest. Liana was goddamn wonderful. I just hoped I didn’t disappoint her. Those old doubts from the damage Angie had caused continued to creep up inside, particularly when I least wanted them to.
Like now.