“And she’s nosy,” Abraham cut in. “Once she knew you were here, I would’ve had to drag her out.”
“It’s okay,” I said slowly, looking over at Miranda. She was still standing outside the living room area, but she didn’t look uncomfortable. She’d leaned easily against the wall and seemed to be enjoying the show.
“Etta looks a lot like Henry,” Ani said.
“I know,” I replied. God, it was awkward. My hair was a mess from my nap, I was pretty sure my eyes had little crusties on them from sleeping, and I was in a strange house with a bunch of people I didn’t know. There was no way I could make a good impression.
“Jesus,” Ani said, shaking her head. “I know you do.” She laughed at herself, and I couldn’t help but admit that the sound eased my tension a little. “I’m no good at meeting new people. Swear to God, it’s like my mind goes completely blank and I have no idea what to say.”
“Just give her a minute,” Trevor teased. “She’ll figure it out pretty quick.”
“Shut it, Trev,” Ani said, shooting him a mock glare. “It’s just that I heard Etta looked like my cousin, but it didn’t really sink in how much until I’d actually seen her in person, you know?”
“Yeah,” I replied, glancing at Etta. “She’s pretty much all Hen.”
“She’s got your mouth, though,” Trevor argued. When we glanced at him in surprise, he cleared his throat and looked at Miranda. “Miranda does, too.”
“Oh, yeah,” Ani said. “I can totally see that. It’s the lips.”
“And the smile,” Trevor said, unwilling to let it go. “Same smile.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Miranda said jokingly. “We get it, man.”
Abraham chuckled then, and I was pretty sure it startled Miranda and Etta as much as me. His laugh was infectious, and completely at odds with the strong, silent vibe he was giving off.
“I was going to start dinner,” Trevor said uncomfortably in a clear attempt to change the subject. “Anyone else hungry?”
“Me hungwy,” Etta replied, not bothering to lift her gaze from the coloring book.
“You’re always hungry,” Trevor teased. “Anyone else?”
“Actual food?” Abraham asked. “You’re not going mad scientist again, are you?”
“Fridge is fully stocked,” Trevor replied flatly.
“I’m hungry,” Ani said, shrugging.
“Same,” my sister chimed in.
“Sure,” I mumbled, when everyone’s eyes focused on me.
An hour later, I knew so much more about Trevor than I’d thought possible. There was something so different about watching someone in their natural habitat. I’d known he was funny and quick witted, but I hadn’t realized how dry his sense of humor could be. That side of him came out when he was around his cousins, bantering back and forth. He was more sarcastic with them, his quips coming easily.
I’d known that he was good with Etta, but his affinity for kids was even more apparent when Arielle woke up and he was the first one to grab her out of her car seat. He held her while he moved around the kitchen, and only reluctantly gave her up when it was time for him to pull the taco casserole out of the oven.
His skill in the kitchen was something I remembered in vivid detail, but he was also a really good cook, which I hadn’t even thought about. I’d watched quietly while he and Ani had moved around each other, cutting and browning and generally throwing things together like they’d been doing it for years—which they clearly had—but Trevor was the one who was in charge. Ani deferred to him, asking questions and looking for his approval. In the end, the dinner they’d thrown together was phenomenal, and even my sister had eaten a large helping.
I caught Miranda’s eyes more than once, and while I couldn’t overlook the dullness in her expression as she tried to contribute a little to the conversation, I also noticed that she was intrigued by the dynamics, too. When Trevor had introduced his cousins, he’d made it seem like he hadn’t had any choice about letting them inside the house, but dinner that night made it clear that wasn’t the case. It hadn’t been out of his hands; he’d just been unwilling to turn them away. I couldn’t decide how I felt about that.
On one hand, I liked that he cared about their feelings. On the other, it really bothered me that he’d put their wishes before mine. It was silly. I knew that. They were his family. But somewhere, deep in my subconscious, I’d expected him to put me first and the fact that he hadn’t hit me harder than I’d expected.
“You do piercings?” Ani asked, yanking me out of my silent contemplation.
“Yeah.” I nodded. “For about four years now.”
“Cool,” she replied, grinning. “I’ve been thinking about getting another one. I always get bored and let them close up, and then a year later miss them and have to have them repierced again.”