However, Gunner has already offered to become officiated so he can marry us. Everything falls in place that easily. When we return to D.C. Sunday night, I can tell that Valerie is exhausted.
She packed so much into every day, that I’m not surprised.
But the next few weeks aren’t easy on her either. Or on us. Chase tries to keep all of his father’s contacts and works hard to settle into his new roles. He divides the responsibilities with Hunter and me to prevent him from losing his mind.
But he’s showing all the signs of burnout and being overworked already. He barely eats, he’s spent nights at the mansion, and he’s exhausted when he does come home. Valerie isn’t doing much better.
She’s been stressing over her doctoral thesis, worried about other things, trying to keep up with her friends, and still do everything to be an attentive girlfriend. Despite all of our efforts to be together as much as possible, we manage to all be together about once a week.
I check the calendar when I come home and see it’s already late October. Halloween is actually this weekend. Where has the time gone?
“Lief?” Valerie comes down from the office. She’s been hiding herself there to study so none of us distract her. She pouts. “I miss being distracted.”
I smile gently and hold out my hand to her.
“Halloween is soon. They used to carve small squash instead of pumpkins.” I inform her. “And trick-or-treating and wearing costumes like now was only really done starting in the late fifties.”
“Really?”
“Before that, children would run around and destroy things according to a documentary I saw. They were poor, didn’t have much else to do. But dressing up and being able to get snacks and candy gave them a focus.”
“When did it get sexy?”
“When the adults got jealous of all the parties and candy that kids were getting.” I pull her against me. “I’m holding you to the maid costume.”
She wraps her arms around my neck. “Good. We should go shopping. You only have two options by the way.”
“Do I?”
“You’re either a pirate or Michael Myers from those Halloween movies.”
I arch an eyebrow at her. “Why?”
“You’re tall and sexy. And both give us plenty of kinky options.” She tugs my hair. “Promise me I get you all on Halloween?”
“I can promise you’ll getmeon Halloween. You’ll have to ask the others.”
We bake a spiced pumpkin pie together and play with the whipped cream. We end up with more on each other than on the pie.
When I lick it off her nose, the front door opens. Hunter comes in, his hair a mess as he looks at Valerie intensely. “I think you forgot to tell us something, dorogaya.”
She pales. “What? What did I forget? I have midterms coming up in two weeks. I um ... Tristan wants to have us for Thanksgiving, but I told him it depends on Mom. I don’t know what else I could have ....”
She trails off and then takes a step back. “Hunter, Chase didn’t-”
“No. Chase didn’t.” He crosses the distance between them quickly. “The man showed up! He fucking showed up at the mansiondemandingyou. How could you forget to-”
Hunter grabs Valerie’s arm. I see her flinch and that’s enough for me to step in. I grab Hunter’s hand at the wrist, hitting the point that makes him release her and step between them. He narrows his eyes at me, then looks around me to Valerie.
“Tell him what you forgot. What you obviously told Chase, but not us. Tell him how you broke the rule you insisted on – that we don’t keep secrets.”
I don’t care for his tone either.
Valerie holds my hand and rubs my arm. I feel like she wants to have someone on her side. “I forgot all about it. And I didn’ttellChase. He overheard me talking to Sophie.”
“Pet.” I lift her chin and gently stroke over her bottom lip. “Tell us.”
“My ... my father. Tristan said he was looking for me, wanting to talk or something. I don’t want anything to do with him. I don’t give enough chances to let him back in my life. I meant to tell you. I meant it when I told Chase I would. I just forgot. I’m sorry.”