could want in a woman. And the way she spoke about her daughters told me she was a wonderful mother, too. A real catch.”
Wilder cleared his throat and kicked me under the table. My gaze was still transfixed on the miniature vase in the center containing a single white rose the color of a wedding day, sitting pretty and innocent amidst five complicated souls.
“So, Wilder, what is it that you do again?” My mom’s voice held a softer, more matronly quality in it than it ever did when we were kids. “Vince says you followed in his footsteps?”
“Not quite,” Wilder said. He spoke to my mom, but his eyes were on me. I could feel the weight of his stare, as if he were silently pleading for me to look at him. “I deal mostly with investments. Flipping properties. Finding buildings to renovate and rent out. I got my first taste of the business as a child, though, working in my dad’s office.”
“Smart boy, this one.” Vince beamed as he rubbed Wilder’s back. I couldn’t watch.
“My Addison works in real estate!” my mom said. “Do you two know each other?”
I shook my head fervently before Wilder had a chance to say anything. “We don’t.”
“Have we all had a chance to look at our menus?” the server asked, appearing out of nowhere.
My stomach churned. Anything I were to attempt to eat was going to come right back up.
“I can order something for you, if you’d like,” Wilder offered. “I bet you’d like the duck a l’orange.”
We’d just shared a duck dinner a week ago. Before we knew we were going to be stepsiblings. When our biggest concern was when and where our next hot and heavy fuck session was going to take place.
“No, thank you.” I closed my menu.
“Addison, don’t be rude,” my mom said with an incredulous laugh. Her elbow landed gently against my rib cage. “Your new brother is trying to be cordial to you.”
My new brother? Were we five?
Vince and mom stared at each other with a secret knowing look in their sparkling eyes. I had to admit, I’d never seen her so happy before, and Vince was a thousand steps up from her usual type.
“We have a teeny tiny little confession to make,” my mom said, her eyes shifting from Vince’s to the sparkling ring on her finger. I looked a little closer. There was an extra band next to her engagement ring.
Vince nodded, as if quietly giving her permission to go ahead and tell us their news.
“Vince and I got married two weeks ago!” Her mouth twisted into the kind of smile I’d only seen once before, in the picture on her dresser from when she was crowned homecoming queen in high school. Tammy Lynn was acting as if she’d just won the fucking lottery. “We just couldn’t wait.”
She reached across the table, placing her hand over his.
“I just love this woman so much,” Vince said. For a grown man, his fidgeting could rival a lovesick teenager’s. “I had to nail her down before she got away.”
Trust me, she’s not going anywhere. She’s like a bloodsucking leech. You’ll have to peel her off you.
“Oh, God,” I said, covering my mouth with my hands as the pit of my stomach twisted violently. Whatever remained in my stomach from lunchtime was moving upwards. I had to stand up. I had to walk. My lungs gasped for air.
I’ve been fucking my stepbrother for the last two weeks.
“Excuse me.” I scooted away from the table and made a beeline for the front door, and from the corner of my eye, I saw Coco running after me and I thought I heard my mom say something about how I always got upset when she had a new “friend” in her life.
“What’s going on?” Coco asked the second we burst through the doors. My lungs gasped for fresh air. “You act like you’re surprised or something. This is totally Mom.”
I peered over her shoulder, glancing back toward the restaurant where Mom, Vince, and Wilder seemed to be immersed in conversation; only Wilder’s piercing stare was honed in on me.
“Wilder…”
Wilder cleared his throat and kicked me under the table. My gaze was still transfixed on the miniature vase in the center containing a single white rose the color of a wedding day, sitting pretty and innocent amidst five complicated souls.
“So, Wilder, what is it that you do again?” My mom’s voice held a softer, more matronly quality in it than it ever did when we were kids. “Vince says you followed in his footsteps?”
“Not quite,” Wilder said. He spoke to my mom, but his eyes were on me. I could feel the weight of his stare, as if he were silently pleading for me to look at him. “I deal mostly with investments. Flipping properties. Finding buildings to renovate and rent out. I got my first taste of the business as a child, though, working in my dad’s office.”
“Smart boy, this one.” Vince beamed as he rubbed Wilder’s back. I couldn’t watch.
“My Addison works in real estate!” my mom said. “Do you two know each other?”
I shook my head fervently before Wilder had a chance to say anything. “We don’t.”
“Have we all had a chance to look at our menus?” the server asked, appearing out of nowhere.
My stomach churned. Anything I were to attempt to eat was going to come right back up.
“I can order something for you, if you’d like,” Wilder offered. “I bet you’d like the duck a l’orange.”
We’d just shared a duck dinner a week ago. Before we knew we were going to be stepsiblings. When our biggest concern was when and where our next hot and heavy fuck session was going to take place.
“No, thank you.” I closed my menu.
“Addison, don’t be rude,” my mom said with an incredulous laugh. Her elbow landed gently against my rib cage. “Your new brother is trying to be cordial to you.”
My new brother? Were we five?
Vince and mom stared at each other with a secret knowing look in their sparkling eyes. I had to admit, I’d never seen her so happy before, and Vince was a thousand steps up from her usual type.
“We have a teeny tiny little confession to make,” my mom said, her eyes shifting from Vince’s to the sparkling ring on her finger. I looked a little closer. There was an extra band next to her engagement ring.
Vince nodded, as if quietly giving her permission to go ahead and tell us their news.
“Vince and I got married two weeks ago!” Her mouth twisted into the kind of smile I’d only seen once before, in the picture on her dresser from when she was crowned homecoming queen in high school. Tammy Lynn was acting as if she’d just won the fucking lottery. “We just couldn’t wait.”
She reached across the table, placing her hand over his.
“I just love this woman so much,” Vince said. For a grown man, his fidgeting could rival a lovesick teenager’s. “I had to nail her down before she got away.”
Trust me, she’s not going anywhere. She’s like a bloodsucking leech. You’ll have to peel her off you.
“Oh, God,” I said, covering my mouth with my hands as the pit of my stomach twisted violently. Whatever remained in my stomach from lunchtime was moving upwards. I had to stand up. I had to walk. My lungs gasped for air.
I’ve been fucking my stepbrother for the last two weeks.
“Excuse me.” I scooted away from the table and made a beeline for the front door, and from the corner of my eye, I saw Coco running after me and I thought I heard my mom say something about how I always got upset when she had a new “friend” in her life.
“What’s going on?” Coco asked the second we burst through the doors. My lungs gasped for fresh air. “You act like you’re surprised or something. This is totally Mom.”
I peered over her shoulder, glancing back toward the restaurant where Mom, Vince, and Wilder seemed to be immersed in conversation; only Wilder’s piercing stare was honed in on me.
“Wilder…”
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