Mom and I glare at the three men seated at the breakfast bar in the kitchen, Zane in the middle. “So, did you guys learn anything from drinking as much as you did last night?” I ask, my tone terse.
I watch as my dad knocks his shoulder against Zane’s and leans in. “Remember that you chose this. It’s not too late to walk away from her, you know? She’s destined to become as crazy as her mother.”
Mom straightens her spine and tips her head toward Dad. “What was that?” she asks, her tone deceptively light.
Dad clears his throat just as Archer leans into Zane. “If you want to survive being with Celeste, don’t be as dumb as my dad is.”
Meanwhile, Zane just stares at me, beaming. Despite clearly being hungover, I don’t think I’ve seen him look this happy in a while. The burden of our families not accepting us being together had begun to weigh heavy on him, and last night seems to have lifted some of it.
“I’m sorry, Celestial,” Zane says, his tone earnest. “I won’t drink this much next time, alright? Archer and I just couldn’t say no to your dad.”
Dad’s head snaps to Zane, and his eyes widen. “You’re throwing me under the bus?”
Archer chuckles and wraps his arm around Zane, nodding before he glances at Dad. “Better you than us.”
Mom turns to me and smiles. “He calls you Celestial?”
I blush instantly. Normally, Zane only ever calls me Celestial or Goddess in private, and I doubt he realized that it’d slipped out. Mom chuckles and brushes my hair out of my face, her gaze endearing. It’s clear she really likes Zane, and it makes me happier than I can convey.
“Alright, Archer and Zane,” Mom says, her smile slipping away as she faces them. “If there’s one thing we do in this house, it’s taking responsibility for our actions and being accountable. You chose to drink last night, so you’ll live with the consequences today. Saturday mornings are for cooking classes, so suck it up, and go get me some veggies from the vegetable patch. You can choose whatever you’d like. We’re making our own variation of the British roast dinner that Celeste won’t stop gushing about.”
They both hang their heads, like the thought of having to move from their chairs is too much, and for a moment I consider just taking Zane home to recover. “Now,” Mom snaps, and I involuntarily flinch.
The boys move quickly, both clearly aware that my normally incredibly sweet mother is annoyed with them. Dad chuckles, and Mom sighs. “I’m not happy with you either. How could you get the boys so drunk, George?”
He slips out of his seat and wraps his arm around her shoulder. “It’s called bonding, sweetheart. It accomplished what you hoped it would, right? I do quite like the boy, and so does Archer, like you said we would.”
Mom sighs when he presses a soft kiss to her temple. “You reek of liquor. The next time you want to bond with the boys, try not to poison them and yourself.”
I grin, relieved to hear what I already suspected — that last night’s dinner was a success. For months, Dad refused to even let Zane step foot into our house, and I spent week after week telling him little things that melted his cold exterior. I’d tell him about the food Zane cooked me, things he fixed around my house, and strategic advice he gave me that benefited our company. He’d huff and ignore my words, but I knew he was listening.
Slow steps, just like Zane said. “I love you, Dad,” I murmur, my heart overflowing. “I know this wasn’t easy for you, and I want you to know I’m grateful. Zane makes me happy, and I want him to feel welcome here.”
Dad’s eyes widen, and for a few moments, he looks visibly emotional. “I love you too, sweetie. I’m sorry for taking so long to give him a chance.”
He holds his arm out for me, and I smile as I walk into his embrace. His refusal to accept Zane wasn’t just tough on my relationship with Zane, it affected my relationship with my parents too. The bitterness I felt grew slowly, only for it all to fade away this morning.
I step away when Archer and Zane walk into the kitchen, laughing at something. Zane shouldn’t look so sexy in my brother’s old gray sweatpants and a ratty white t-shirt, but God, he does. His eyes catch mine, and he pauses, just staring at me for a moment, until Archer slaps his back, hard. “That’s my sister, you asshole.”
Zane snaps out of it and puts the veggies down on the counter, a sly smile on his face as he shrugs. “That’s my girlfriend, Archer. I can’t help it.”
I still melt every time he calls me his girlfriend, and he knows it. My cheeks are blazing as I begin to wash the vegetables, and I try my hardest not to check Zane out as he walks up to me to wash his hands. The heat of his body next to mine is so incredibly tempting, and the way his fingers trail over mine under the water stream makes me wish I could just kiss him right here and now. His eyes find mine, and he smirks knowingly before pulling away and drying his hands. I’ll make him pay for teasing me later, and I just know we’ll both enjoy every second of it.
“Sorry I’m late! Clara told me to get some things!”
I look up when Lily comes rushing in, a sack of potatoes in her arms. She freezes mid-step, her eyes widening when she spots Zane. The color leeches from her face, and she frowns. “Zane?”
He smiles awkwardly. “Lily,” he says, nodding at her politely. It must be odd for him to see one of his employees in such an informal situation. Each time I invite Lily to hang out with us, she declines for that exact reason.
“This is weird. I can’t believe I have to see my boss on a Saturday.”
Dad wraps his arm around her and shakes his head. “He’s not your boss here,” he tells her, his tone reassuring. “He’s just Celeste’s boyfriend.”
Her eyes widen in surprise, and she glances at me. I nod at her excitedly. For months, she’s had to hear me complain about how I didn’t think my parents would ever accept Zane. I’m pretty sure she was getting tired of it, but she never stopped encouraging me.
Lily smiles at me before walking over to Mom, but I notice the way she ignores Zane as best as she can the entire time. I know she’s been worried about me, but I hope that in time, she’ll begin to believe that he truly doesn’t have any bad intentions toward me.
