She elbows me and wiggles her eyebrows when Rhys isn’t paying attention. I roll my eyes. I know what she’s getting at. She’s in disbelief that Rhys is my boyfriend. I can’t really blame her, though. He’swayout of my league.
As soon as we enter the restaurant, I drag Rhys toward the back. From the loud laughter, a wailing cry from my nephew, and nails-on-a-chalkboard voice from Rachel as she scolds my brother-in-law for something, I know exactly where to go.
Cammie rushes in front of us and takes her seat, making way for the entire family to pause what they’re doing when they see us. Rhys squeezes my hand, and it’s the reassurance that I need to keep pushing forward.
“Good morning,” I say.
Dragging my attention from the gaping mouths of ninety percent of my family, I hunt for two open seats.
Surprise, surprise.
There are none.
“Oh, seems like there isn’t room for us! We will catch you all later.” I try to turn away with Rhys’s hand in mine, but he grips it tightly and clears his throat.
“May we borrow two chairs?” he asks a couple sitting close by.
The woman stands eagerly. “Take all of them.” Then she grabs her husband by the hand and finds a different table, halfway across the restaurant, away from the chaos.
I don’t blame her, but she’s totally losing out on free entertainment.
“Problem solved.” Rhys winks at me while pushing two chairs up to the end of the table.
I begrudgingly move to pull my chair out, but he scolds me under his breath. “Absolutely not.”
His eyebrow flicks upward in some sort of challenge. My cheeks warm, and I take a seat.
Cammie clears her throat. “Well…”
I lock onto her from across the table and refrain from throwing a fork at her head.
“Are you going to introduce yourboyfriend?”
“Everyone, this is Rhys.”
My family mutters a hello in sync, except for Liam, who is too busy screaming at the top of his lungs.
I resonate with him because I, too, would like to scream at the top of my lungs.
Rhys leans across the table and puts his hand out for my father to shake. “It’s nice to see you again, sir.”
“Again?” Marcus, who can’t even look me in the eye after yesterday, seems suspicious.
“Ah, that’s right.” My dad squints. “You used to be our neighbor.”
A murmur travels across the table.
I reach for the coffee, as if I’m not jittery enough.
My leg bounces while my dad and Rhys reminisce about the past. My mom and stepparents join in the conversation, too, but I remain quiet. Rachel and Cammie are talking quietly to themselves while glancing at Rhys and me every few seconds.
I try to kick them under the table, but my leg doesn’t reach.
Rhys, who must notice my movement, places a hand on my knee and gives it a gentle squeeze, all while carrying on the conversation.
They ask him about his parents and school and nearly fall out of their chairs when he mentions the pros.
Marcus sits up straighter, forgetting all about my sister’s gossip over my new relationship.
