The Brotherhood: Awakening Book II - 30. Chapter 30

The Brotherhood: Awakening

Chapter XXX

By X

 

  

It was foolish of me to believe that if I didn’t acknowledge them, I could pack in peace.

The bickering intensified as Sunny strolled in, flopped down on the spare bed, and flipped through a comic book. Zac continued his passionate plea, but I couldn't tell if he was directing it at Sunny or me. Regardless, I kept darting back to my dresser for more clothes, trying to tune out the escalating tension.

It took a few trips back and forth to my suitcase before I noticed some of my clothes were mysteriously disappearing. Whenever I turned away, Zac would sneakily snatch a t-shirt, socks, or even underwear and quietly return them to my dresser while he argued with Sunny.

“What are you doing?” I demanded, snatching my favorite trunks from Zac’s hand.

“Helping you unpack,” he replied. “Why? What are you doing?”

“Packing!” I playfully flicked his forehead. “And trying hard to avoid your nonsense.”

“Yeah, well, that won’t work out for you,” Zac assured me. “Can you tell him to stop being a stubborn jackass?”

“I’ve been telling him that since I met him,” I laughed. “He’s not going to start listening now.”

“You tell him, Jacob,” Sunny mumbled while flipping a page.

“No one’s talking to you!” Zac snapped back over his shoulder. “I’m serious, Jacob. I need your help.”

“I don’t even know why you’re arguing.”

“Well, I’m glad you asked,” Zac smiled.

“But I didn’t, really…”

“Soullen invited me to Thanksgiving.”

“I heard.”

“So, you do know what we’re arguing about.” Zac huffed.

“No. I heard he invited you. I didn’t hear that you were fighting about it.”

“Now you’re just being deliberately disingenuous,” Zac argued.

“Are you and Soullen on the same scramble team or something?”

“What does that mean?” Zac inquired.

“It means I’m not being disingenuous, Zac. I don’t know why you’re yelling at Sunny. For all I know, you’re arguing about what color tie you should wear.”

“Why would we be arguing over that? I mean, look at him,” Zac pointed to Sunny, who remained face down in his comic book. “I’m more fashionable than that.”

I glanced over at Sunny. He was wearing basketball shorts, a beanie, and one sock. I don’t know if he forgot about the other sock or simply gave up halfway through dressing and decided to roll with it. With Sunny, either was plausible. To be fair, when he relied on his powers, Sunny always looked sharp, but when he didn’t, it looked like he got dressed in a dark closet with both hands tied behind his back.

“Good point,” I conceded.

“Hey…” Sunny protested weakly.

“Anyway, Sunny’s poor fashion decisions aren’t the issue here…”

“Maybe they should be,” I joked.

“I need a chaperone to accompany me to Soullen’s, and he’s refusing.”

“A chaperone?” I questioned.

“I know, right?” Zac sounded exasperated as he threw his hands in the air. “How ridiculous is that? I’m grown.”

Sunny giggled, and I couldn’t help but smirk along with him. Zac looked adorable, trying to act “grown.”

Zac wasn’t feeling it, though. He grabbed my pillow and flung it at Sunny. A page tore free as the comic book was knocked out of his hand.

“Oh shit!” Zac said under his breath while covering his mouth. “Sorry!”

He obviously didn’t mean to damage Sunny’s comic book and instantly regretted his actions. Taking everything in stride, Sunny straightened out the torn page and kept reading as if nothing happened.

“Why do you need a chaperone?” I asked.

“That’s what I asked! But Raz said I could only go if I took someone with me. It's totally unfair.”

“As if Raz, or anyone in their right mind, would let you walk in there alone,” Sunny chimed in.

“Then come with me,” Zac begged.

“I don’t think so.”

“Are the Nave okay with you having a plus one?”

“I’m sure they expect it,” Zac conceded, even though he found the idea ridiculous.

“Of course they do,” Sunny said. “I’ll bet Soullen will have a chaperone, too, and he’s not even human.”

“He will,” Zac confirmed.

I closed my dresser drawer and turned to Sunny. “I don’t understand. If Zac is going to celebrate Thanksgiving with The Brotherhood, Soullen will have a house full of chaperones.”

“Soullen invited him to Thanksgiving dinner followed by a movie. The prince will need his plus one at the cinema,” Sunny clarified, then turned to Zac. “If you know Soullen needs a buddy, why are you so flabbergasted that you, a human, would need one?”

“Doesn’t mean I have to like it,” Zac scowled, throwing another pillow. His aim was more accurate this time around.

“Why are you making this difficult for Zac?” I walked over to Sunny, grabbed my pillows, and threw them on my bed. “You said you wouldn’t interfere if they wanted to be friends and that Zac had a right to figure this out and pursue a relation….um, friendship if he wanted.”

“That’s right! You did say that.” Zac looked like he hit Sunny with the king of all gotchas.

“I did,” Sunny conceded, turning the torn page to read the back. “That doesn’t mean I have to like, champion, or co-sign any of it. I said I wouldn’t get in the way. Am I stopping you from going?”

Zac refused to answer, folding his arms in protest.

“Well, you kind of are if you refuse to go with him,” I said.

“He can go with anyone. It doesn’t have to be me.”

“Okay, whatever,” I said, zipping up my backpack.

“Come with me, Jacob,” Zac asked. “Some of those guys like you, don’t they?”

I looked at him, then my bag, and then looked at him again while pointing at my bag. “Hello! I’m leaving in a few minutes. Why else would I be packing?”

“So, you miss one Thanksgiving with the family,” Zac said dismissively. “What’s the big deal?”

“You’re ridiculous,” I snickered and ruffled his hair.

“I bet Q will be there, celebrating with The Brotherhood, ” Zac added. He bounced his brows up and down, trying to tempt me.

“Really? You think? Well, now I have to go!”

Zac jumped up excitedly. “You will?”

“No, dummy. I’m going home.”

“Ugh! That was unnecessarily cruel.”

“You’ll live,” I said, poking his nose.

“Fine!” Zac declared loudly. “I don’t need either of you. I’ll ask Liam or Elijah to come with me. I’m sure one of them would be more than happy to hang out with me.” He turned to stare at Sunny. “Besides, I’m sure they’ll get along with Arsen way better than you.”

“Arsen?” I asked as Zac slowly walked away.

“Yeah, Soullen asked Arsen to be his chaperone. Apparently, they bonded over something recently,” Zac shrugged. “Whatever that means.”

I had an idea.

“Hold on. Hold on!” Sunny quickly sat up and grabbed Zac’s hand, stopping him from walking away. “Fine, you’ve twisted my arm. I’ll go with you.”

Sunny’s sudden change of heart caught me by surprise.

“Huh?” Zac was just as confused. “But you just said…”

“Can’t you tell when I’m messing with you?” Sunny interrupted, playfully slapping Zac’s butt. “I’m your guardian. Of course, I’m coming with you.”

“What just happened?” Zac looked at me for answers.

“I’d like to know as well.” I turned to face Sunny, giving him a suspicious side-eye. “Why did you suddenly change your mind?”

“I didn’t,” Sunny insisted. “I was messing with him.”

“Uh-huh.” I nodded slowly, drilling my eyes into him. “So your revelation that this was all a ruse just happened to coincide with the mention of Arsen’s name?”

“Why would would Arsen’s name matter?” Zac asked, looking between us.

“Exactly,” Sunny said. “It doesn’t.”

“You know I can see right through you, right?” I challenged.

“See through what? I’m accompanying my little brother to his friend’s house. You’re reading too much into it.”

“I’m pretty sure I’m accurately reading the ginormous, black, bold font in front of my face right now – with exclamation marks and everything!”

“Get your eyes checked,” Sunny said.

“I see you,” I said, motioning my fingers between our eyes.

Zac’s head bounced between us as we talked. “Why does it feel like there’s a second conversation happening here that I’m not privy to?” He looked at us, expecting an answer. “Care to fill me in?”

“No,” we said in unison.

“You guys suck!”

I was about to poke at Sunny more, but he quickly tapped his wrist and interjected. “Shouldn’t you be flying home right about now? You don’t want to keep the folks waiting.” He raised a brow and smiled as if trying to look out for my best interest.

“You’re an idiot,” I said, slipping my backpack over my shoulder.

“Yes, but I’m always your idiot.” His smile grew twofold.

Shaking my head, I wrapped my arm around Zac’s neck, pulled him in for a hug, and kissed the top of his head. “I’m out. Love you lots. Try not to kill each other while I’m gone.”

“I make no promises,” Zac said while hugging me tight.

“Have fun with Soullen. I expect all the details when I get back.”

“It’s just dinner!”

“And a movie,” I said suggestively, then turned my attention to Sunny and mouthed, “I see you.”

“Shut the fuck up,” Sunny mouthed back.

I kissed the top of Zac’s head again and ruffled his hair before walking away.

“No kiss for me?” Sunny inquired.

I slapped my left ass cheek.

“I’ll take it if you’re offering,” he snickered.

“You’re…”

“An idiot. Yes, I know.”

I rolled my eyes. “Oh, and please don't start World War III while you’re over there, okay?”

“I make no promises,” Sunny grinned wickedly.

It was still crazy to me that one minute, I could be standing in my room in Connecticut arguing with those two knuckleheads, and the next was walking through the woods of Acadia National Park in Maine, where one of our gates is located.

For a moment, I wondered how humanity would change and benefit if such a network were made available to them. What a world that would be, I thought. I quickly came to my senses and realized they’d figure out a way to weaponize it and use it against each other, as proven repeatedly throughout human history.

“Nah, it’s better this way,” I mumbled before launching into the air.

Before long, I was hovering amid the clouds miles above my neighborhood, waiting. Or maybe I was stalling. All I know is the thought of walking through my front door, tied a knot of apprehension in my chest. I thought I had overcome the uncertainty of going back home, at least mostly. But now, being this close, it felt undeniably real all over again.

I grew up in a large, modern Cape Cod house nestled amidst a canopy of red oak trees and white pines. It wasn’t on the coast, but on windy days, I could often catch a hint of salt in the air. While the house looked small from so high up, I could tell a fresh coat of crisp white paint enveloped the exterior. I smiled. As I headed to college, my dad was just starting to repaint the house. He joked that it would be my fault if he didn’t finish before the first snowfall. Apparently, he’d completed the job, and I remained blameless. He'd gone with the slightly darker gray trim color I picked out, and it accentuated the house’s clean angles and contemporary design beautifully. The knot in my chest loosened a bit. That house held many great memories for me, and I loved it.

I loved the dormer windows that peered out from beneath its gently sloping roof and the grand front porch with oversized rocking chairs and a bench swing. They’d been there since the day I came home. At that time, there were two adult-sized rocking chairs and a smaller one built just for me. I was ten years old and had yet to enter my new house for the first time as a family member or even see a picture of my room. But I had a rocking chair sitting there, waiting to welcome me home and telling me I belonged.

Now, there were three adult-sized chairs on the porch. My small rocking chair was relocated to the attic years ago, where, according to my mom, it waits to welcome a grandchild home one day.

The knot tightened again as the thought of grandkids brought Q and my new El’odian reality to the forefront of my brain. What was I bringing to the home I loved so much? Or was the question really, who?

I sighed heavily, knowing I couldn’t hide in the clouds all day. Despite the overcast skies providing the perfect cover, any amateur astronomer with a thirty-dollar telescope or maybe even a simple pair of binoculars could spot me. Then, I’d be forced to hunt them down and handle the situation, which would be an ordeal. I didn’t have that kind of time.

I did a swan dive towards my block, wrapping my wings around my body like a blanket as I fell from the sky. With a simple thought, my wings disappeared as my toes touched the ground near the back corner of my house, next to a neatly stacked pile of 2X4 wood planks. Obviously, my dad was starting his next project.

I strolled around the side of my house and onto the porch. Each step felt heavy and stiff. The way I stood frozen in front of the door, you’d think I was a soldier returning home after years aboard, fighting an unnamed war. It looked more daunting than the chained door I saw in my mind.

“What are we looking at?” A soft voice whispered in my ear.

Startled, I jumped and spun around. “Mom! Don’t sneak up on me like that, you weirdo!”

And how did she sneak up on me? I’m Skai, for fuck’s sake!

“Says the boy creeping outside his own house,” She fired back before wrapping one arm around me to give me a side hug. “What are you doing out here?”

“Nothing. I thought you might not be home.”

“My car is in the driveway,” she said, pointing over her shoulder. “Where else would I be?”

“You have friends. Allegedly. You could be out with them.”

“On Thanksgiving?” She questioned, looking at me like I was nuts. “Here, hold this and make yourself useful.”

She shoved a wicker basket full of frozen vegetables into my hands and then wrapped both arms around me for a proper hug. “It’s so good to have you home, Sprout.”

She began swaying us from side to side as she tried to squeeze the life out of me. “You look good! But you’re feeling a little thin. Are you eating okay? Here, let me look at you.” Stepping back, she eyed me from head to toe and opened my zip-up hoodie to get a better look. “Yeah, you’re not eating properly.”

She then began examining my abdomen and pulled at the waist of my jeans.

I couldn’t stop the doctor in her even if I tried.

She pulled up my eyelid and stared into my eye.

“Mom, are you seriously giving me a physical outside our house right now?”

“Don’t argue with your mother,” she ordered while checking my neck for swollen glands.

All my worries and apprehension were washed away with those five simple words. My mom didn’t see a stranger or a monster to be feared. She saw her little boy, her Sprout.

She was eternally beautiful. Her hair shimmered like strands of gold, with just a hint of silver peeking through. Her eyes were like a dark forest that would turn green and vibrant with the coming of dawn. Her skin remained youthful and clear, except for minor beauty marks near her left temple. At forty-six, she didn’t look like a mother of a nineteen-year-old son, but she was. She was my mom.

“Mom!”

“Okay, fine, but where’s your jacket? It’s three degrees out. Are you trying to get sick?”

“You don’t have one on.”

“I was in the garage getting vegetables from the freezer, smartass, when the smart camera told me I had a creeper at my door. Turns out it was you.”

“I wasn’t creeping.”

“You were doing something,” she insisted, clearing my bangs from my eyes. “You need a haircut, Sprout.”

“My hair is fine. Can we go in now?”

“I wasn’t stopping you,” she said while stepping aside. She touched my back and gently pushed me toward the door. “Go on! Move your butt.”

“Why so many peas?” I said, noticing all the vegetables in the basket. “I hate peas.”

“You love peas,” she insisted.

“No, you tricked me into eating them with promises of sweets that never came.”

“And yet you kept falling for it.”

“I was a kid.”

“Not a very bright one, apparently,” she teased, rubbing my head before kissing it.

“Hardy har har!”

My mom was about to close the door behind her but stopped and pointed at the driveway. “Hey, how did you get here?”

I swallowed hard. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I don’t see your car, so…”

“Oh, that. I had a friend drop me off.”

“A friend? Anyone I know?”

“No.”

“Are you sure?”

“I met him at school, so I’m pretty sure.”

“Why didn’t you invite him in?” she asked, taking the basket. “I’d love to meet one of your little friends.”

“He was in a hurry. And ‘little friends’ mom? Really? I’m not twelve anymore.”

“Oh, sweety,” she said simply, and I knew I was wrong.

“Where’s dad?” I asked, following my mom into the kitchen.

Everywhere I looked evoked a memory from my past. Like the time I took a tumble down the stairs, sending my parents into a panic. Or when a fierce storm knocked out the power, the three of us fashioned a fort out of chairs and blankets, huddling together to tell ghost stories by candlelight. We had plenty of flashlights, but Mom insisted we were brave pioneers who told adventure stories and knew nothing of batteries. On the other hand, Dad turned his adventure stories into super scary stories. I couldn't sleep for a week after their poor parenting decisions.

Admittedly, the nostalgia I was feeling was a bit ridiculous. I was only gone for a few months, yet I acted like it had been decades. Still, I did come back as a different person.

“He went to pick up charcoal for the grill. He should be back any minute.”

I immediately went to the fridge and opened the doors. “Nice!”

“They’ve been marinating since last night,” she said, referring to the two trays of steaks sitting on the bottom shelves.

Yes, you read that correctly. Our family does not eat turkey on Thanksgiving. We do steaks—nice, thick, juicy steaks grilled to perfection by the master himself – my dad.

“Amazing,” I crooned, imagining the first bite.

It was weird because I no longer craved food. I can eat, of course, but unlike Sunny, the thought of eating rarely crossed my mind anymore. But something about my Dad’s steaks made my mouth water.

“Who’s all coming?” I asked.

“The usual suspects,” she shrugged as she dumped the assortment of vegetables into several bowls. Grandma and Papa, your uncles and aunts, and some of your cousins—the younger ones, anyway. And of course…”

We looked at each other, and both said, “Aaron.”

We laughed.

“Why only the younger cousins?” I asked.

“I think Mikey is having Thanksgiving with this boyfriend’s family, and Sara will be with her fiancee.”

“Mikey’s boyfriend?” I questioned, shocked as all hell, as evident by my high-pitched voice.

“Yeah, didn’t you hear?” she said, rubbing her nose with the back of her hand. “Mikey came out not long after you went off to university.”

“Really?”

“Why do you sound shocked? We’ve always suspected Mikey and Asher were more than just friends. Everyone just waited until they were comfortable enough to come out when ready. Mikey said he would reach out to you to talk about it. He never did?”

“No! That little brat!”

My mom wasn’t wrong. Mikey, my seventeen-year-old cousin, was always a little firecracker. Think Zac, but a little more subdued because Zac is in a league of his own. It’s one of those situations where Mikey thought he was fooling everyone but was only fooling himself into thinking we didn’t know. But like my mom said, the family gave him space to figure things out and come to us when he was ready.

The irony of me standing there pissed that I missed his coming out when I was gay myself and not out to my family was not lost on me. Especially since being gay is not the nuclear bomb, that is my other secret.

“Well, you know he’s always looked up to you since you were kids. Maybe he’s afraid of how you’ll react.”

“Oh, come on! Have I ever given him a reason to think I’d be anything but supportive?”

“I’m sure you haven’t, Sprout, but this is his journey. He gets to decide when he comes out and to whom, so if he does show up, don’t say anything unless he brings it up.”

I laughed. “Boy, will Mickey be surprised when he comes out to me…”

“Meaning what?”

Fuck!

“What?”

“Why would he be surprised?” she asked.

“No reason. I’m just saying.”

“Saying what, exactly?” It appeared my mom traded in her doctor’s hat for that of a detective.

“All I’m saying is, Mikey will feel pretty silly when he sees my chill reaction. That’s all.”

“Uh-huh,” she murmured as she turned around to lean against the sink and dry her hands. Are you sure there’s nothing you want to tell me?”

“Mom…”

I wasn’t afraid to come out to my parents. Not really. I always knew they’d be supportive of whoever I loved. They made that clear when I brought Alexandria home for the first time, but I didn’t think much about it because I was with a girl then. Now that I was with Q, I knew I had to come out to them sooner rather than later, but Thanksgiving wasn’t the right time. I didn’t want to make the day about me.

“I’m just teasing,” she said, throwing the damp hand towel in my face. “Now, why don’t you go upstairs, put your things away, and get cleaned up.”

“Get cleaned up?” I asked, throwing the towel back at her. “Mom, I didn’t tunnel here Shawshank style, you know that, right?”

Making a hand puppet with her right hand, she made it yap repeatedly and said, “A little less of this and little more of getting your butt upstairs.”

“You’re a tyrant,” I teased.

“Yes, but that’s my torch to bear. Now get,” Mom said, gesturing toward the stairs.

I turned to leave, but I barely moved three steps before she ran up and hugged me from behind.

“Aw, it’s so good to have you home, Sprout.”

“I know because I’m amazing.”

“Well, that moment is ruined,” she grumbled and slapped my butt. “Get going.”

My room was as I left it, down to the crooked movie poster over my bed. It looked immaculate, thanks to my mom being a neat freak. It wouldn’t have surprised me to learn she was in there dusting and vacuuming every day.

Throwing my bookbag on the floor next to my desk, I collapsed onto my bed and stared at the ceiling where I drew our solar system when I was a kid before closing my eyes. I was happy. Nothing about my reunion with my mom felt off. Everything was as it should be, which meant it would be no different with my dad.

“You were quite the artist,” a voice said.

Springing to my feet, I saw Q lying on the bed, looking at the ceiling.

“Q!” I yelped.

“It’s a little too juvenile for my taste,” he quipped.

“I was thirteen!” I said.

“Now you’re just making excuses…”

“What the hell are you doing here?”

Q sat up, grabbed my waist, and pulled me in between his legs. “I came to see you, obviously.”

“Now?” I asked, placing my hands on his shoulders.

“Well…I am here now, so…yes?”

“You can’t be here!” I looked over my shoulder at the open door for any sign of my mother.

“Oh, I beg to differ,” Q said, who wasn’t taking this seriously. “I distinctly remember you saying you wished I was joining you.”

“Not like this!” I said, looking over my shoulder again in a panic. “What should I tell my mom if she sees you in here?”

“That I’m your caddie?”

“You’re a comedian now?” I playfully wrapped my hands around his throat and pretended to strangle him. “Q, I’m serious. You can’t be here. You need to go.”

“Okay, but why call you Sprout?”

Grabbing his face, I made him look me straight in the eyes. “I will burn you and everything you hold dear to the ground if you even think about making fun of me about that.”

“I wasn’t!” he laughed. “I’m genuinely curious.”

“Sprout, I got some fresh sheets for your bed,” my mom called out from down the hall.

“Fuck!” I said, covering Q’s mouth as if he was the one who swore. “My sheets are fine, Mom. There’s no need.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she said. “You need fresh sheets. I have some towels, too.”

I managed to break free from Q and rushed to the door to stop her from coming in, but it was too late. She was already inside with a full view of my bed. “Mom, I can explain,” I shouted.

“Explain what?” she asked, looking at me strangely. “And why are you yelling? We don’t yell in his house. Okay, I yell, but you don’t get to yell back.”

“It’s just…” I looked over my shoulder and saw an empty room.

“Are you coming down with something?” she asked, touching my forehead. “That’s why you need to wear a jacket. Hmm, you’re not warm.”

“Mom, I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine. You’re twitchy.” She pushed past me and placed the sheets and towels on my bed. With her hands on her hips, she turned to face me. “Why are you twitchy?”

“I’m not twitchy.”

“Then why are you looking around like a mouse searching for cheese?”

“Maybe I just like cheese.”

“Or maybe you’re doing something you shouldn’t,” she countered. “I told you to stay away from that stuff when you left for university. I don’t want a tweaker for a son. It’s too much work.”

“Drugs?!” I exclaimed with a laugh. “You think I’m on drugs?”

“It would explain your tweaker behavior.”

“Mom! I’m not on drugs.”

“We’ll see,” she smirked.

“What are you going to do? Make me pee in a cup?”

“You think I won’t?” she threatened while casually looking around the room. “Well, what do you think? It's the same as you left it, right?”

“Yeah,” I agreed. “I was half expecting to find a gym in here.”

“A gym?”

“You know how dad kept saying he would turn my room into his personal gym when I moved out for school.”

“And you believed him?”

“No,” I shrugged. “Okay, maybe a little.”

“Silly boy,” she laughed, pulling back the sheets and gesturing for me to do the same on my side. “Do you know what your dad did when you left?”

“What?”

“He would come into your room every night to read his books and cover himself with…” Her words trailed off as she looked around until she spotted what she was searching for on my computer chair. Holding it up, she unfolded the material until it hit the floor. “He’d use this.”

“Aw, my favorite blanket.”

It was a thick, purple blanket decorated with dinosaurs that I always used during the winter as a kid. Eventually, I grew out of it and tucked it in my closet. I hadn’t seen that thing in years.

“He really uses it?”

“He does,” she said. “You know how sentimental your dad can get. He’s gotten used to you being away now; he doesn’t come in here as much, but at least once a week, he’s here reading a book or reviewing his blueprints.”

“That’s sweet.”

My blood ran cold when my mom threw the blanket over my chair, and I saw Q standing behind her with a big smile. “Oh, fuck!”

“Excuse you?” my mom said sternly as she returned to bed.

Q waved.

“Um, sorry…nothing. I wasn’t talking to you.”

“If not me…”

“I was just thinking about all the good times I had here,” I said, waving Q away when my mom wasn’t looking.

“Yeah, I remember some of those times, too,” she smiled, looking down at the bed, probably pulling a memory from her Rolodex of experiences. “Remember that storm where the power went out, and you couldn’t sleep? You kept crying every time we walked out of the room.”

“That’s the fond memory you conjured up?” I asked, still trying to shoo Q away discreetly.

He made an overly dramatic sad face when my mom mentioned me crying.

“Besides, the reason I couldn’t sleep was because you and Dad traumatized me with your stories.”

“That’s not how I choose to remember it,” she said fondly before looking up at me. “What are you waving at?”

“Crap!” I said as my mom turned to look.

I jumped on my bed, trying to reach her to stop her from looking, but it was too late.

Q vanished before she could see him.

“What is it, Sprout?” she asked, walking to the window. “Is there something out there?”

I sighed heavily.

“What are you doing?” she questioned again. “You’re too old to be jumping on your bed. What has gotten into you?

“I’m just tired, Mom. It was a long drive.”

“You know, I was only kidding about the peeing in the cup thing, but now I’m not so sure. Now move your butt and help me with these sheets.”

I got up and helped remove the old sheets from my bed while looking around the room for Q to pop in again. That idiot was shaving years off my life, and I was going to make him pay for it. Yes, I’m immortal, but he was still going to pay!

“Does any of this have to do with Alex?” she asked casually while stretching the bed cover over the mattress.

“Alex?!” My voice went up like a Soprano’s. “What does she have to do with anything?”

“Well, you’re acting like a weirdo, so I thought maybe it had something to do with her?”

“First of all, I’m not acting like a weirdo,” I protested. “But even if I was, how do the two connect?”

“You haven’t mentioned her at all since you got here, not even once. Before, you couldn’t go a few sentences without bringing her into whatever conversation we were having. We could be talking about the baby seals of Antarctica, and you’d find a way to squeeze Alex into the topic. Suddenly, you’re radio silent on her and acting like a lunatic.”

“Mom, we broke up. What more do you want me to say?”

“Breakups can affect people in weird ways. Exhibit A.” She gestured toward me like she was presenting the letters on Wheel of Fortune. “People act up…”

“Mom, I’m not acting up. I’m perfectly fine.”

“So…you’re completely over her?”

“Yes.”

“Just like that? After all those years.”

“Yes!” I laughed. “What do you want from me.”

“Nothing,” she shrugged. “It’s just that you swore she was the girl you would marry one day.”

“I was wrong,” I said, mimicking her shrug.

“Whatever happened between you two? You never said.”

“Yes, I did. I told you.”

“No, you certainly did not. We had a five-minute conversation on the phone where you mentioned you two broke up, and then you had to leave.”

“Oh…Well, there’s not much to say. We were incompatible and decided to go our separate ways.”

“Just like that?” she asked suspiciously, side-eyeing me.

“Just like that, Mom.”

“Mmhmm,” she nodded, unconvinced. “You sure it wasn’t someone else who got between you two?”

Suddenly, Q materialized behind my mother and started proudly pointing at himself, smirking like an idiot.

I laughed so hard that spit went flying and hit my mom on the arm.

“Ew, Jacob!” she admonished while wiping her arm.

“I’m sorry, Mom!” I couldn’t stop laughing. “I’m sorry!”

“So, there is someone else?” my mom grilled.

Q nodded and grinned.

“No! That’s not why we broke up.”

“No, there’s no one else? Or no, you didn’t break up because of that someone else?”

“You’re putting words in my mouth!”

“Those are your words, Sprout. I’m just looking for clarification.”

“I see what you’re doing, Mom.”

“What do you keep looking at?” she demanded.

Blowing me a kiss and offering a sexy wink, Q disappeared as my mom turned around.

“Nothing! I’m looking at you.”

“Not unless you’re suddenly crossed-eyed.” She looked over her shoulder again to double-check that there was nothing interesting behind her. “Is this thing with you and Alex really done for good?”

“Yes! It’s donzo.”

“So, there’s no chance of you two reuniting?”

“No!” I laughed. “Trust me, Mom, Alex has nothing I want.”

“Oh, thank god! I never liked her,” she finally confessed.

“What?!” I was shocked. “Yes, you did!”

“No, I pretended to like her for your sake.”

“What?”

She nodded. “I could tell right off the bat she was going to grow up to be one those catty, bitchy girls like in the movie Mean Girls.”

She wasn’t wrong.

“If you knew, why didn’t you say so?” I demanded. “You could’ve saved me a lot of time and trouble.”

“Oh, please,” she sneered, furrowing her brows. “What parent in the history of parenting has been able to stop their kid from liking someone they disapprove of? Give me one example. I’ll wait.”

I had nothing.

“Exactly,” she continued, throwing her hands up triumphantly. “Sometimes, as a parent, you have to let your kids figure these things out on their own, no matter how much it kills you to see them stumble. You’ll figure that out when you have your own rugrats running around someday.”

More like flying around.

“So, you’re saying if you knew Alex was an axe murderer, you would’ve let me keep seeing her until I figured it out?”

“We signed you up for karate classes, didn’t we?”

“You’re a terrible parent,” I teased.

“I know! I hoped the State would figure that out sooner and take you away, but sadly, that never happened.”

“Mom!”

We laughed.

I heard the squeaky floorboard outside my room before my father’s booming voice.

“There he is!”

I turned around and was immediately met with my father’s embrace. “It’s good to see you, Sprout.” He kissed the side of my head and started slapping my back like he was trying to help clear my airway.

“I see you still haven’t fixed that floorboard,” I said, enthusiastically returning his hug.

“I’ll get around to it,” he said, releasing me to look at his college boy.

“You’ve been saying that for nine years,” I laughed. “Admit it. You left it like that on purpose because you were afraid I would run away in the middle of the night.”

“Don’t be ridiculous!” After slapping my arm, he hugged me again. “Where would you have gone with you’ve poor sense of direction?”

“Says the man who got lost in an apple orchid.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he insisted.

“Sure you don’t, honey,” mom snickered, patting my father on the back.

“How are you, bud? You’re looking good!”

“I know,” I said, dusting off my shoulders. “Look at you, though. Have you been working out?”

My dad had always been a pretty active guy, but over the past few years, he'd settled into what some might call the "dad bod" – the beer belly and all that. However, today, I noticed a change. He seemed to be getting back into shape; his muscles were more defined, and his stomach was once again as flat as a board.

“You know how it is,” Dad said, patting his belly. “I had to do it for the ladies.”

“Oh, brother!” My mom rolled her eyes, grabbed my father, and faced him towards the door. “We’re not doing this, Mr. Universe. Let Sprout settle in and get cleaned up.”

“But I barely got to say two words to him,” Dad protested in vain.

“You can talk to him later,” she insisted, slapping my dad on the butt to get him moving. “Let's go!”

“Honey, not in front of the kid.”

“You’re disgusting,” she laughed. “The towels are right there, Sprout. Don’t forget to shower before you come down to help set the table.”

“Mom, I’m not dirty!”

“Oh, sweety.” She stopped and placed her hand on my chest as if she was about to deliver devasting news. “You’re a boy. You’re always dirty.”

I was about to object, but she cut me off.

“Don’t argue with your mother.”

“I wouldn’t do it, son. There’s already a good chance we won’t survive her cooking. Who knows what else she might do to us.”

“You won’t be laughing while sleeping under the deck,” she warned.

My father turned to face me as my mother pushed him out the door. “Oh hey, I’m working on a new project in the yard.”

“I know, I saw,” I said.

“Later, I’ll show you what I’m planning.”

“No thanks,” I smiled.

“Maybe you can throw on the old tool belt and help your old man out.”

“Not happening. I don’t build things.”

“Sure you do.”

“I’m sure I don’t,” I said, giving my parents the last push to get them out of my room. “Love you.”

I closed the door and leaned up against it, laughing to myself.

The door suddenly pushed open, and my dad popped his head through. “It’s a new shed. I’m using pressure-treated lumber I got from Jack down the road…”

“Not happening, Dad!”

“Patrick, leave the boy alone.” My mom yanked him back and shut the door again.

I pressed my ear against the door, instinctively checking for any signs of activity outside. It was a silly gesture, considering I could hear squirrels eating nuts in the backyard if I wanted to. But old habits die hard. Once I was sure the coast was clear, I turned back to face my room.

“Q!” I whispered.

I called out again when he didn’t appear, a bit louder than before.

Nothing.

I checked my closet to see if he was hiding there and even looked under my bed as if he’d be down there. After checking my bathroom, I knew he wouldn’t show up, so I called his phone. When he didn’t answer, I texted him, “You’re a dead man!”

He replied with a simple “shrug” emoji as if he didn’t know what in the world I was talking about.

I smiled, lucky to have found and fallen in love with the most perfect and annoying person on the planet.

With the search for Q finally over, I slipped into bed, grateful for the chance encounter that led me into my parents' yard all those years ago. They were excellent parents, and I couldn't understand why I ever doubted they would see me as anything but their son. The best part was knowing they'd be around for a long time. I would do everything in my power to see to that.

Prince Iythaeryn was right that day we talked in Zenial’s office. I was meeting Zenial for one of my last training sessions. After chatting with Ms. Cynthia, I walked into his office feeling a bit cocky because, by that point, my skill had improved dramatically, but not enough to stand toe to toe with Zenial. Still, I was feeling it.

Zenial was sitting in his chair but turned away as I approached. I figured he was taking in the view while he waited for me.

“Ready to get your butt whooped?” I teased.

When the chair spun around, to my utter horror, it wasn’t Zenial but Prince Iythaeryn.

“What’s that about my butt?” Iythaeryn asked.

“Oh, shit!” I stumbled and tripped over my foot.

I would’ve faced planted had I not braced myself on one of the chairs.

Iythaeryn laughed as he stood up, extending his arm as if he could catch me. “Jacob, are you okay?”

“I’m fine, your Highness.” Once I regained my balance, I stood up straight, fixed my shirt, and acted as if I hadn’t just made a fool out of myself. “Sorry about the butt comment, Your Highness. I was expecting Zenial.”

“Oh, so it’s Zenial’s butt you’re after,” he pondered as he sat down.

“Yes. I mean, no! It’s not like that. We’re supposed to have another…”

“It’s okay, Jacob,” he snickered. “I’m only teasing. Zenial should be here momentarily. He was gracious enough to allow me to use his office while he finished a meeting in the conference room. Please, have a seat.”

“That makes sense,” I said as I sat.

It felt awkward initially because I didn’t know what to say to the Prince. This was only our second encounter, and I at least had Zenial as my backup for the first. Now, it was just the two of us. Feeling my unease, the diplomate in him took over, and he guided the conversation so casually that he made me feel comfortable talking to him. I didn’t even notice it happening, but before long, we were chatting away like we were old buds.

We talked about school, my training, and The Club. Even Zac came up a few times. It turned out that Prince Iythaeryn was quite fond of Zac, but then again, who wasn’t? I had yet to meet a brother who had a bad thing to say about the boy.

Considering the level of interest the Prince showed in my relationship with Q during our first meeting, I figured he would find a way to ask more questions about Q, but to my surprise, he never brought him up. Instead, he turned the topic to my family. He didn’t pry or anything. He kept his question pretty surface level, but his interest appeared genuine.

“They sound amazing,” he said. “I’m happy you found such a loving family to care for you all these years away from us. I hope I get to meet them one day.”

“That would be nice, if not a bit weird.”

“Why weird?” he questioned.

“I wouldn’t even know how to introduce you to them, for one,” I laughed. “Do I say you’re a friend from school or my Prince?”

“That would be entirely up to you,” the Prince replied.

“The Sanctum wouldn’t have an issue if I told them the truth?”

“Not at all.” He sounded surprised I would even ask such a question. “No one knows the people in your life better than you, Jacob. Only you know who you can trust with such delicate information.”

“Oh…well, that answers that. I’ve been wondering about that, actually. Do most brothers tell their families?”

Pressing his fingers together, Prince Iythaeryn leaned back in his chair and pondered the question carefully before responding. “As you well know, most of our brothers are in a unique position where they have little to no contact with their families, so for many of them, the decision is easy.”

“Yeah, I suppose,” I agreed.

“Still, some maintain relationships with a favorite cousin or aunt and decide to tell them the truth.”

“How does that play out in the end?”

“Every situation is different, of course,” he shrugged. “There have been times when we had to step in and make a person believe everything they were told was all a dream because they couldn’t handle it. Recently, a brother opened up to his uncle and told him the truth. Tragically, his uncle took his own life because he couldn’t handle the new reality.”

“Holy shit…”

“It’s a lot for some people.”

“We couldn’t…you know, save him? Bring him back?”

“We would have if we could, but he was found in his tub with an empty bottle of pills long after the thirty-three-minute threshold we need to bring someone back to life. The whole situation was unfortunate. I’m not saying your parents would be the same, Jacob. Like I said, every situation is different.”

“But you don’t think I should tell them, do you?” I asked.

“Only you can answer that, Jacob. We’re here to support whatever you decide.” He leaned forward, watched me closely, and probably noticed that I didn’t find his answer helpful. “But if you’d like, I can tell you what I would do if I had a human family.”

“Please do!”

“At some point, if I loved them as you do yours, I know I would have to tell them the truth, especially if The Sanctum is to protect them during the war. The question is when. Currently, we’re in a time of relative peace with the Nave. So now the question becomes, for how long? Well, this peace can last for another month or another thousand years, the Gods willing. No one knows.” The Prince got up abruptly and walked around to sit next to me. “They could go the rest of their lives without ever needing to know our existence. But I know if I told my family now, it would upend their world in an instant. Suddenly, that grocery list hanging on the fridge seems trivial. That morning jog seems pointless. Life itself becomes meaningless in the face of beings that can wipe humanity from the face of Eiyr. Why do that to them?”

I nodded slowly, his words sinking into the deepest recesses of my mind.

“If war comes, there will be rumbling long before it breaks out. I think that’s when I would tell them. It may sound strange, but their survival would give them something to focus on instead of spending years pondering the meaning of their new reality. But again, that’s coming from someone without a human family.”

That left me with a lot to think about, but in the end, I realized Prince Iythaeryn was right. Seeing my parents so happy and alive again after my awakening made me realize I didn’t want to take away their “innocence.”

Hopefully, that day would never come.

I don’t know why it happened, but eventually, I drifted to sleep. That wasn’t a common thing for me anymore. I spent my nights lost in thought, hoping for a better El’odian future. Something about being in your childhood bed makes the world melt away, allowing Mr. Sandman to do his thing.

It was getting dark when I woke up, so I knew I was out for a while. I was covered in my dinosaur blanket and wondered who came to cover me. The obvious answer would be one of my parents, but I couldn’t rule out Q because of his earlier antics.

Then I noticed the glass of ice by my bed, and I knew it was my dad. Growing up, he’d always fill up a glass with ice and a bit of water to put on my nightstand. The ice would melt overnight, and when I got up in the morning, I had a relatively cold glass of water to drink. I never questioned why he did it. I assumed that’s what all fathers did, but no, it was just my dad.

The house was buzzing. I could hear all the voices as clearly as I was conducting an orchestra. My younger cousins were running around being brats. My Grandma and Papa were playing a game of Aggravation with my older cousins. My uncles went on about the game as my dad showed off my trophy collection for the billionth time. I don’t know to whom since they’ve all seen it before, but he couldn’t help himself. It’s so embarrassing!

With a heavy sigh, I got up to go downstairs, but I stopped to take a whiff of my shirt. It was fine, but I knew my mom would have something to say, so I turned around and headed to the bathroom to take a nice hot shower.

When I was done, I wrapped a towel around my waist and walked into my room, drying my hair with a smaller towel. I stood there for a moment and got a distinct feeling that I was being watched.

Turning toward the window, a grin spread across my face as I spotted my goofy best friend kneeling outside, his crooked smile mirroring my own. Our gazes locked – my emerald eyes meeting his chestnut browns. No words were needed; we understood each other perfectly. Then, he gestured toward the latch on the window, snapping me out of my reverie.

That’s how Aaron and I met. I’d been home a week after the adoption had been finalized. I was in my room, wrapped in my purple blanket, feeling alienated and alone. I had spent the week trying to befriend some neighborhood kids, but none would talk to me. After all, I was the freak who emerged from the woods. Who could blame them?

But Aaron was different. He was eager to befriend the "boy in the woods" despite having been away at his grandparent's for part of the summer and missing my big reveal. On his first night back, Aaron made a beeline for my house. Scaling the tree between our homes, he navigated the dormer to tap on my window, determined to make a connection.

There I was, a ten-year-old boy in a strange new environment with no memories of who I was and a weird kid hanging outside my window.

I was intrigued.

He had the same crooked smile as he waved and then pointed at the window latch. I walked over, unlocked it, and helped him open the window.

“Hi, I’m Aaron,” he said before stepping through the window.

His foot got caught on the windowsill, causing him to trip and tumble into my room. I remember trying not to laugh, but I chuckled.

“That never happened,” Aaron said, springing to his feet and offering me his hand. “I’m Aaron.”

“I know,” I replied and shook his hand.

We’ve been inseparable ever since. After that, the other kids warmed up to me quickly, and the next thing I knew, I had a solid group of friends—all thanks to the weirdo hanging outside my window.

After all I'd been through, seeing him again on the other side of the glass made everything feel like the old days, if only for a moment.

I unlocked the latch and helped him lift the window.

“Hey, stranger!” he said and stepped through. He tripped and tumbled into my room. “Nothing to see here.”

“Nine years, Aaron!” I laughed, offering him a hand and pulling him to his feet. “You’ve been climbing through my window for nine years and still get your foot caught in the same spot. How?!”

“Consistency is a virtue, Jacob,” he said before jumping on me for a hug.

“Your only consistency is being a klutz!” I joked, returning his embrace with overwhelming enthusiasm. “I’ve missed you, bud. You have no idea!”

“I’m pretty sure I missed you more since you abandoned me,” he argued. “Oh, what’s this here?” Taking a step back, he poked the bump in my towel. “How happy are you to see me?”

“Shut the fuck up!”

I pushed him, and he fell on my bed. He got up on one elbow, crossed his ankles, and stared at me.

“And how did I abandon you?” I challenged. “You’re the moron who decided to take a year off to backpack through the Himalayas and ‘find yourself.’”

“It was Europe,” he corrected.

“Whatever!”

“Look at you! Did you somehow get hotter in college?”

“I was always hot,” I insisted.

“Not like this! Look at that bod.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I turned around and acted like I was scratching the back of my head to flex my arm and back muscles. “I’m just the same ol’ me.”

Unlike Aaron, I had always been in shape, thanks to my involvement in various sports and my regular exercise routine – activities that were kryptonite to Aaron. Not that he was out of shape; he was tall and slender, and if he bothered to lift his shirt, you’d see the beginnings of a six-pack or maybe more like a three-pack. The funny thing was, despite his love for food and his favorite pastimes of gaming, sleeping, eating, and whacking off, his weight never seemed to budge. We joked that he must have some kind of alien lifeform in his stomach, devouring all his excess calories.

“So…steroids?” he questioned.

“Fuck you! I’m not on steroids, you freak!”

After my awakening, all the features of my physique were amplified and stood out even more to the human eye, so it’s no wonder Aaron was amazed by what he saw. Besides, as Arsen would say, I’m a snack!

“This is all-natural, baby!”

“That looks like too much work for me.”

“You would think that,” I said, walking over to my bag to get my favorite trunks.

Aaron snatched my towel off when I bent over to dig through my stuff.

“Look at that ass! You can bounce a quarter of that thing!”

“You’re so dumb,” I laughed.

“Maybe even a gold brick,” he said, snapping my left cheek with my damp towel.

“You fucker!” I quickly took the towel back and snapped it at him while he tried to cover himself. “Not so fun is it?”

Grabbing the towel, he pulled me in, and we started wrestling for control for a few minutes.

“Time out!” He called while making the “T” symbol with his hands. “I’m pretty sure I just felt your schlong brush against my cheek. That’s a technical foul.”

I laughed. “Serves you right!”

I got up and slipped into my trunks, but not before he got one more towel snap in. After not seeing Aaron for three months, it was like I never left. It was perfect.

He wasted no time getting into the Alex situation. He was like a dog salivating for a treat.

“What’s the deal with Alex?” he asked. “Why did you guys really break up?”

“Oh, god, not you, too,” I complained as I dressed. “And I already told you.”

“You told some bullshit about wanting different things and not seeing eye to eye anymore,” Aaron recounted while massaging his chin. “Now that you’re here, I want the actual details. Wait, don’t tell me. You cheated on her, and she caught you?”

“No, you idiot.”

“She cheated on you?”

“No.”

“You cheated on each other?”

“No one cheated!” I shouted. “People fall out of love, you know. It does happen. That’s what happened to us.”

“Not buying it,” he proclaimed. “There’s something else going on.”

“Why does there have to be something else going on?”

“Because I know you.”

“You don’t know shit.”

“I know you’re seeing someone else,” he said confidently.

“What? What the hell are you talking about?”

“Wow, nice voice crack,” he snorted. “Honestly, I was just testing you, but you just confirmed it by how your voice went up an octave. So, who is it?”

“You’re crazy!” I slipped on a T-shirt and turned to face him. “Hold on, is that my sweatshirt?”

“Maybe.”

“I was looking for that, you dick. I wanted to take it with me.”

“Consider me…” He broke off and pointed at the saying on the sweatshirt, which read “Chronically Unimpressed,” before he continued. “On how you changed the subject.”

“Shut up and let's go downstairs,” I said, grabbing the glass of ice water. I opened the door and allowed Aaron to go through first. “You cut your hair short.”

“Now he notices,” he complained.

As he walked away, I noticed something else. “I’m pretty sure those are my jeans, too!”

Aaron didn’t confirm or deny it. He simply shook his ass.

“Are you homeless or something?” I asked, running up behind and kicking him in the ass.

He chased me through the hall and down the stairs. Before I reached the living room, he managed to corner me on the first landing.

“Hey, no horsing around!” my mom scolded. “I don’t need one of you falling and breaking your arm…again!”

“That was your fault,” Aaron said, playfully punching me in the ribs.

“My fault? You’re the dumbass who tripped on his shoelaces and broke his arm.”

“Because you took my limited-edition comic and wouldn’t return it.”

“I’m the one who gave you that comic.”

“Okay, enough!” my mom shouted. “And Aaron! How often do I have to tell you to use the front door like a normal human?”

“Just two more times, Mrs. A. I promise!” he replied, holding up two fingers.

“You’re impossible!”

“Oh, Angie, let those boys be boys.”

“Grandma!” we both shouted and rushed to hug my grandmother.

“My boys,” she laughed and hugged us both.

“Careful, Grandma is pushing two hundred,” my grandfather teased.

“Hey, Papa!”

For the next several minutes, all I did was greet everyone at the house. I was pulled and pushed in every direction as my aunt and uncles tried to steal me away to drill me about college life. My little cousin just wanted to play. It would be impossible to go through every conversation I had with them, but if you were ever a student coming home for the holidays, you know what it’s like. Exhausting! And I don’t even get tired like that anymore, but I knew this would happen, so I just went with the flow.

I was sucking on an ice cube, talking to my uncle, when I heard my dad say, “Three years in a row, he won the state championship and then decided to quit. Why give up when you’re on a hot streak like that?”

“Oh, Sprout, your friend came to return your jacket,” my mom said. “You know your dad. He has to show off your achievements to every Tom, Dick, and Harry that walks in the door.”

“My jacket? Friend?”

“Yeah, Quinn. I asked him to stay for dinner.”

“Quinn?” I turned to face my father and saw him walking alongside my very sexy yet infuriating boyfriend, laughing it up with my dad and holding a beer. “What the…”

I damn near choked on the ice cube I was chewing when I saw the pair. I coughed, launching the cube into Aaron’s left eye with striking precision.

“Dude! What the hell!” Aaron yelled, covering his eyes.

“Sweetie, are you okay?” my mom asked Aaron, rubbing his back. “Sprout, what’s gotten into you?”

“Nothing,” I insisted, trying to compose myself. “It went down the wrong tube, is all. My bad.”

“Come on, let's wash out your eye,” Mom said, leading Aaron to the bathroom.

“Hey, Jacob,” Q said with a devilish grin plastered on his face. “I noticed your jacket in the back of my car and wanted to return it to you.”

“My jacket?” I was beyond confused.

“This one, Sprout.” My dad grabbed a hot pink jacket with a bunch of hearts and red “kissy” lips from one of the chairs. My father looked at the coat and squeezed it. “It seems a bit excessive, but I don’t understand your generation. I don’t want to understand, but I don’t judge. Anyway, it was nice of Quinn to come all this way to return it, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah…sure.”

My dad handed me the jacket and shook his head. It wasn’t even my jacket! It was something Q conjured up just to fuck with me, but I couldn’t say that. I was going to kill him.

“I don’t mean to intrude, but your mother insisted I stayed for dinner.”

“Intrude?” my dad said, wrapping his arm around Q’s shoulder. “Nonsense!”

Q winked at me when my dad looked in my direction.

“We asked Jacob to invite some of his friends to Thanksgiving dinner,” Dad continued. “Not all the kids get to go home for the holidays for whatever reason. And, of course, Sprout showed up alone.”

“Dad, my friends had other plans. What did you want me to do? Invite strangers?”

“That would’ve been fine.”

“No, it wouldn’t have, Dad.” I shoved the coat against my dad’s chest and looked at Q. I took the beer from his hand and set it on the console table behind the couch. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

“But your father was about to show me your photo album. I was looking forward…”

Grabbing Q by the arm, I whisked him into my father’s office and closed the door. Two things happened the second we were alone. I rushed Q and gave him a deep kiss, and then I punched him in the chest.

“What the fuck are you doing? Are you insane?”

“Hey now, since we’re at your house, this could count as domestic abuse,” he said while rubbing his chest.

“You’re not funny.”

“That jacket says otherwise.”

“I’m going to kill you!”

“Try explaining that to your parents.”

“Q!”

“Will you relax?” Q slithered to my side and wrapped his arms around my waist. “You wanted me here, so I’m here. I was going to have to meet the folks someday, right?”

“Not like this! What am I supposed to tell them?”

“I thought we were going with caddie?”

“Be serious!” I slapped his arm. “They have no idea I’m seeing anyone. Let alone a guy. Let alone an immortal. Let alone the son of a God!”

“Well, I wouldn’t introduce myself like that. It’s pretentious.”

“I swear to god!”

“Relax!” Q repeated, flashing his sexy smile. “Right now, I’m a friend from college. That’s all they need to know for now. When you decide it’s the right time to disclose our relationship, they’ll have already gotten to know me, making it easier for them to accept us, don’t you think?”

Rolling my eyes, I looked away from his gleaming, silvery orbs because he was making perfect sense, which only annoyed me even more.

“Besides, your parents already love me.”

“No, they don’t. I don’t even like you.”

“I helped your mom set the table and everything,” he said, ignoring my apparent lies.

“You did?” I asked, losing myself in his gaze.

“Yes. You were supposed to do it, but you’re a slacker and fell asleep. Your mom was going to wake you up, but I insisted she let you rest while I set the table instead.”

I had to look away from him again because I couldn’t help but smile and didn’t want to give Q the satisfaction of knowing he was melting my heart. That bastard!

“Listen, if you don’t want me here, I can make an excuse and...”

“Don’t be an idiot!” I protested immediately. “Of course, I want you here. It’s just…this is not how I envisioned you meeting my parents.”

“Well, when life gives you lemons, you make…”

“You’re the one throwing the lemons, fucker!”

“I know,” Q grinned, kissed me, and then slapped my ass. “Come on, let's get out there before people start wondering what we’re up to. Which, you know, I have some ideas.” He groped me, squeezing my junk quite nicely.

“Oh, now you want to get freaky?” I pushed him away just as the door flew open.

“There you are!” Aaron walked in with his hands in the air. “Dinner is about ready. Move your ass.” He faced Q. “Hi, I’m Aaron. Jacob’s friend.”

“It’s a pleasure,” Q said and shook his hand.

“You say that now,” I added.

“Shut up!” Aaron said, posturing like he was about to throw a punch. “How do you know Jacob?”

“From Uni.”

“Oh! Are you one of his Brothers?”

Q smirked.

“Forget about that,” I said, wrapping my arm around Aaron’s shoulder and turning him toward the door. “Let's go eat.”

“Bullshit!” Aaron protested while I dragged him out of the office. “I want to know more about The Brotherhood. I plan to join next year, and you better put in a good word for me.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“I hear their leader is a real hard ass and can be a real ball-buster sometimes.” He looked over his shoulder at Q. “Is he?”

“Oh, god,” I mumbled.

“I’m not sure, honestly,” Q answered innocently. “Is he, Jacob?”

“Food! Now!”

The three of us walked into the kitchen just as the doorbell rang.

“I’ll get it,” I said.

“No, I’ll get it,” my mom declared. “Everyone grab plates and have at it. Dad, nothing too spicy for you. We don’t need to evacuate the house today. Sprout, make sure your friend gets enough to eat.”

“You don’t have to worry about me, Mrs. A,” Aaron proudly announced. I’m good.”

“I wasn’t talking about you. In fact, watch him and make sure he leaves enough for the rest of us.”

“I make no promises,” Aaron giggled.

She ruffled Aaron’s hair as she walked out of the kitchen.

“You have to ensure I eat enough,” Q whispered teasingly.

I elbowed him and grabbed my ice water.

We hung back while my grandparents and little cousins went first. We were kind of eye fucking each other if I’m being honest – so not appropriate considering the setting. It didn’t help that I was seductively sucking on an ice cube. But then his demeanor suddenly changed as he stood up straight, looking all serious and shit. It was like a shadow was cast over our festive mood.

“No, don’t be ridiculous,” my mom said as she entered the kitchen. “The more the merrier. Sprout, why didn’t you tell me you invited some of your friends?”

“What friends?”

I turned to look at my mom and saw Kaylec and Aulus walking behind her.

I gagged at the sight of them, causing the ice cube to fly out of my mouth and hit Aaron in the face just as he walked by.

“Dude!” he yelled.

“Sprout!” my mom admonished.

“We brought pie,” Kaylec smiled.