‘This is fucking ridiculous,’ I grumble, and yank angrily on the tie hanging loosely around my neck. The tight, navy blue material stretches awkwardly around my arms, pinching me with every slight movement I make. I know that I should be used to wearing suits by now, but I don’t think I ever will be.
My brother doesn’t deserve me going to this dinner tonight, let alone dressed up in a suit that cost more than I care to admit. It usually hangs in my closet, serving as a constant reminder never to go suit shopping with Oakley Hutton. The guy has a nasty habit of forgetting I’m not anywhere near as successful as him while piling dress shirt after dress shirt over his arm and waving around a black card.
I untwist the cap of my hair gel and dip two fingers in the thick, teal, goo. As I run it through the tips of my hair, there is a gentle knock on my door, followed by the sound of it opening and closing.
‘You really shouldn’t leave your door unlocked, Ty!’
‘Like that would have stopped you from finding a way in any way,’ I scoff, keeping my eyes on my reflection in the vanity mirror.
The clacking of Gracie’s shoes reverberates through the apartment, reminding me that she is, in fact, meeting my brother tonight. There wasn’t much I could do to convince her not to come after she had all but promised my mom she would be there, so I’ve just kept my mouth shut and left it alone. I don’t want to stir the pot even though it will probably overflow tonight anyway.
‘Aren’t you going to tell me how amazing I look? I got this dress especially for you,’ she teases, her voice much closer now. She sends my imagination into overdrive with such a simple phrase.
I pull my fingers out of my now slicked back hair and open the door. My mouth goes dry the second I see her leaning against the doorframe, a sly smirk on her nude painted lips. The first thing I see is skin—exposed, smooth, pale, skin that shines in the low glow of the bathroom light. The gold dress fits her figure like a damn second skin. Her collarbones jut through the thin straps on her shoulders, pulling my attention to the two perky tits staring at me, taunting me as they ache for my touch.
‘Fuck,’ I moan, and stare into her sparkling, ocean blue eyes.
Her gentle laugh is music to my ears as she pushes a curl behind her ear. ‘I don’t think so. You owe me dinner first.’
A cough crawls up my throat quickly, her silhouette blurring as my eyes water from the burn. ‘Do you know how to tie a tie?’ I ask hopefully, swiftly changing the subject.
‘Who do you think tied Oakley’s?’ She scoffs, moving towards me. ‘I think the better question is how don’t you? Don’t you wear one to your games? Now stand still.’
Her warm breath fans across my face as she grabs the tie between her fingertips. Her small face is taut with concentration. I look down at her in complete awe. I know I should tell her that she looks gorgeous tonight, but I let the words die on my tongue when her touch lands on the ridges of my jaw.
‘No.’ I shiver slightly when she locks eyes with me. The grey hue in them is more prominent tonight. ‘I don’t wear one.’
‘You really need to shave,’ she murmurs ever so gently. Nodding slowly, I lean my forehead against hers. I hear her sharp intake of breath as she watches me carefully, not wanting to spook me. Then, cautiously, she stands on her toes and presses her lips softly against mine. Her hands stay on my jaw as her thumb rubs gently across my stubble.
My eyes close in response to her feathery touch. The moment we are in rests heavily on our shoulders. Until my phone rings, that is, bringing us back to reality.
‘Shit,’ I mutter under my breath and take a much-needed step back to grab my phone off the counter. I could punch myself in the groin right about now. I can’t keep letting myself get into these positions with her.
‘Hello?’ I clear my throat, my gaze on Gracie as I wait for the person on the other side of the call to speak. She watches me silently, begging me to drop the phone into the toilet and carry her off to my bedroom with nothing more than her heavy swallowing and lidded eyes.
‘I hope you are on your way by now. We’re waiting for you,’ Mom scolds, and I hear River shout something in the background.
‘Yeah. We’re almost there,’ I lie, my lips twitching, aching to be lifted in a smug smile. ‘See you soon.’ I shove the phone into my pocket and move towards Gracie, throwing an arm out in front of me theatrically. ‘After you, Gray.’
She giggles and wraps her arm around mine as we walk through the doorway.
‘I’m sure you’re worrying over nothing. It’ll be fine, Ty.’
We pull into the parking lot of River’s restaurant, and I’m immediately overwhelmed by the sudden need to vomit. The extravagant building annoys me as soon as we hop out of the truck. With the unnecessarily large windows and giant pillars, you would think that you are heading into something a lot more impressive than the overpriced, unoriginal corporate restaurant that you really are.
I grab her wrist, halting our movements when we reach the automatic doors. ‘You don’t know my brother. Just be careful, okay? Promise me.’ She tilts her head as she stares down at her wrist before lifting her clouded gaze to mine. ‘Promise me.’
She nods her head instantly at my words. ‘I promise.’
Breathing out a sigh of relief, I place a firm hand on her lower back and lead us inside.
‘Bateman,’ I mutter when we reach the tall, giraffe-like hostess, cutting her off before she has a chance to spew the same old bullshit I have heard a million times.
‘Oh. Right this way, Sir.’ She forces a smile while she leads us through the packed restaurant.
I roll my eyes at the oversized crystal chandeliers hanging above the tables, knowing full well they look fucking tacky to every single person in this place. Yet, none of these overdressed businessmen would ever dare admit to that. What would be the point?
It’s bright in here, making it way too easy for every set of eyes to gawk openly at the two of us as we pass by them on the way to the back of the restaurant.
My body tenses the closer we get to our table. The unknown reason behind this dinner worries me. Our family doesn’t do dinners. We don’t do much of anything, actually, besides throw low blow insults and call each other nasty names like school children who have just learned swear words. We’re as far from a real family as they come, and I know for a fact that I wasn’t brought to one of my brother’s fancy restaurants so we could all hash out whatever has been bothering us. No. He wouldn’t risk losing whatever fake persona he’s shown his employees just to have it out with me. He would have just come to my apartment to do that.
‘Relax,’ Gracie whispers.
‘I’m trying,’ I mumble, squeezing her lower back.
The hostess comes to a stop in front of us and I look up. I spot my mother first. Her chair is pushed up close to the man sitting beside her. The sight of the two of them sitting so close together is enough to make me want to turn and run. Mom looks so cozy beside him, as if he actually treats her well, as if he isn’t the reason she’s so damn broken inside.
Allen couldn’t even bother to dress up tonight. I would have laughed at the stained Metallica t-shirt he’s wearing if it wasn’t for the anger thumping in my chest. They look as out of place as I feel right now.
‘We’re going home,’ I spit, seeing red. My arm wraps all the way around Gracie’s waist as I pull her flush to my side and spin us around. She lets out a sound of surprise but lets me get us a step away without arguing or pressing me for answers.
‘Brother! Where are you going?’ His voice makes me tremble. Gracie halts her steps and squeezes my hand, pulling my attention back to her.
‘What happened? What’s wrong?’ she asks, her eyes searching mine for answers I can’t give her.
‘I didn’t think he was coming,’ I stammer as fear sinks its uninvited claws into my skin.
‘Who? Your brother? Of course, he would be here,’ she says in utter bemusement. I can’t blame her for her confusion. I shake my head and squeeze my eyes shut.
‘Talk to me.’ She squeezes my hands tighter.
‘My step-dad. He’s sitting beside my mom.’ The words burn my throat and they stumble off my tongue.
I open my eyes to watch her, scouring the seats behind us for the man who loves to refer to himself as my father. She nods when she sees him and turns her head back to me looking at me with an obvious concern.
‘It’ll be okay. I’m a big girl,’ she says lightly in an attempt to calm me and places a hand on my cheek. I lean into her touch, trying desperately to wash away the feeling that is now swallowing me whole. She doesn’t know why I am shamefully terrified of the scrawny man waiting for us at the table, and I hope it stays that way. River knowing about Gracie was bad enough without adding Allen into the mix. He doesn’t need anything else to use against me, and that’s exactly what he will do with her. ‘If it gets bad, we’ll leave. Okay? Just give me a sign, and we’ll blow this popsicle stand.’
She’s watching me with a determined glint in her eyes. One I have come to know very well—well enough to know that it would be stupid of me to think I could make her leave now anyway.
‘Okay.’ I nod.
‘Okay.’ She smiles up at me, grabs my hand, and leads me back towards the table.
I set my jaw as the three of them turn their attention to us.
River watches us with a smug smile on his face. He sits back against the silk chair that sits at the head of the table, hands clasped in front of him.
‘About time. Did you need a pep talk before you could come talk to me, Tyler?’ He smirks, baiting me into starting a fight with him already.
Gracie grins as she sticks a pin in his pettiness. ‘I’m Gracie. It’s so lovely to meet you, River.’ I sit down across from Allen and keep my eyes focused anywhere but on him.
‘What a beautiful name. It’s so nice to meet you. Mom has told me all about how wonderful you are.’ River winks at her and flashes her a cocky grin as she sits down in the remaining chair next to me.
‘I wish I could say the same, but I didn’t even know you existed until a week ago,’ she replies politely—casually even— an easy smile resting on her lips.She grasps my hand in hers.
River’s eyes narrow as he stares at her, head tilting slightly. ‘Is that so? He has always been so scared of me stealing his toys,’ he sneers, his top lip curled.
My teeth grind together as my anger starts to grow. ‘How’s your wife? Where is she tonight? The whore house?’ I cock my brow and watch as his confidence falters.
‘Don’t you fucking—’ he starts, his voice tight with unsuppressed rage.
‘That’s enough, you two. We are here to have dinner together as a family, not to bicker like children,’ Mom snaps from across the table.
I look forward, my eyes zoning in on the hand that is wrapped so tightly around hers. ‘Do I not get a proper introduction, Tyler?” Allen speaks up, his gravelly voice rubbing roughly against my eardrums the way it always has. “I thought I taught you better manners than that.’
‘Allen, this is Gracie. But you already knew that,’ I add quietly. I look at him for the first time in months. His gaze is already fixed on mine. The unforgiving dark shadows still hang prominently underneath his sunken eyes, and his top lip is curled, revealing the same yellow still staining his rotting teeth.
‘It’s nice to meet you,’ Gracie says with a forced smile. I feel her inch closer to my side.
‘Do me a favour and keep my son under control tonight, would you, doll?’
