by M. Clarke
“You go first.” Charlene glanced directly at mom.
Mom nodded and met my gaze. “I’m thankful that my daughter is back home with me. At least for a little while.” She reached across the table to rest her hand on mine briefly with a warm, loving smile.
I smiled at Mom and then looked at Charlene. “Your turn.”
“I’m thankful that I have a caring friend and we are always there for each other.”
Mom started to tear up. “Me, too,” she said softly, rubbing the drops away before they fell.
“Awww. No crying during dinner.” Charlene frowned. Her eyes glistened under the light. “Don’t get us started, Emily.” She lightly scowled. “Hurry up, Olivia, before we die from crying.”
“Okay.” I laughed. “I’m thankful for our health and for my amazing job. I’m thankful for my Mom and her wonderful friend, who has become a part of the family. I don’t have to worry when I have to go out of town because I know she’ll be there for Mom.”
Secretly, I was thankful to see Nate again and know he was doing well and seemed happy. In the end, whether I was with him or not, his happiness meant more to me.
Charlene narrowed her eyes playfully. “Who is this person you’re speaking of? How dare she become a part of your family? You’re making me jealous.”
We laughed at Charlene’s jokes, and then we dug in. The turkey was always so perfect and tender. One day, it would be my turn to make one, but not any time soon.
“Your mom makes the best turkey.” Charlene complimented me, her mouth full of food. “She should open a restaurant.”
Mom shook her head. “It’s too much work.”
Charlene took a sip of her wine. “You should name the restaurant after yourself. Emily’s Turkey. No...” she paused. “How about Turkey Mama? Something that sounds homemade. Or...Turkey All Year Long?”
I squinted, pinching my brows to the center, swallowing a spoonful of mashed potatoes. “Can you get turkey all year long? I thought it was just a Thanksgiving and Christmas thing.”
“Stop.” Mom snorted. “No one is going to open up a restaurant, especially me.”
“Boy, your mom is cranky,” Charlene pouted, taking a bite of string beans. “Your Mom needs to get laid.”
“Oh, dear for heaven’s sake, Charlene. Does sex make everything better?” Mom laughed but then stopped. “Wait. Don’t answer that. Not in front of my daughter.” She sounded like a wounded dove.
“Your mom thinks you’re still little.” Charlene wrinkled her nose, scooping up some yams. “It’s a good thing I didn’t have any children. I would have told them to solve everything through sex.”
Dinner conversation was quite interesting. I talked about my job, leaving out a few details about Troy, whom I wanted to murder. Maybe going to jail would be worth it to get Troy out of my life.
After dinner, we ate Mom’s famous key lime pie. I thought about Nate all during dinner. When I heard a text beep, my heart skipped at the possibility it might be Nate. But why would he text me?
Isla: Happy Thanksgiving.
My heart sank for a second and I recovered from disappointment.
Me: You, too.
Isla: Just a reminder we’re going to Big Bear next weekend.
Me: I can’t wait to get away. I really need this.
Isla: Me, too.
Chapter 10
Nathan
“Nathan!” My family greeted me with open arms.
After the hugs, I tossed my duffle bag by the stairs. The last minute flight was expensive, but worth every penny to see my family. I made sure to plan a half day so I could arrive just before dinner. I wanted to spend some time with my family before the relatives joined us the next day for Thanksgiving.
I ruffled my brother’s hair. “Nick, did you grow?” He was an inch shorter than me and had the same dark brown hair, but I liked to tease him about his height.
“Shut up.” His green eyes beamed with happiness. “Just because I’m younger than you doesn’t mean you have to say that every time we see each other.”
“Come here you, soon-to-be Dr. Cross.” I hung an arm around his neck and guided him to the living area while Mom and Natalie went to the kitchen.
Dad sat on the sofa, turned on our flat screen television, and started to change the channels. Seemed like Dad sported more white hair, especially on the sides. It was hard to see him get older and more tired. He must have been busy at the law firm that past week to look so exhausted. Working for one of the city’s top law firms, he’d been a partner for as long as I could remember. It couldn’t be easy working long hours day after day. Even though at times I didn’t like my schedule, I couldn’t complain.
I shifted my attention when Natalie walked in with three opened bottles of beer. Watching her smile, I thought about how she could have been a model. She was tall and had a nice figure, reminding me of Olie. I’m not going to think of her tonight or today or this weekend, I told myself, and yet I was doing it.
“Here you go, boys,” Natalie said with a smile, passing each of us a bottle.
“Thanks,” I said. I took a sip. That felt freakin’ great after a three-hour flight.
“So, how’s medical school this semester?” Dad asked Nick, taking the words right out of my mouth.
Nick sat up straight and dangled the bottle between his legs. “Just as hard as last semester. But I love what I do, even when it’s challenging.” Then he changed the subject to me. “So, Mom told us you’re the next Sexiest Man Alive. Wow.” He paused, looking at me like I was someone to worship. “How awesome is that? My brother. Who knew? If you don’t already, you’re going to have women knocking down your door.”
“I already have tons.” I waggled my brows.
“Seriously? You do? I was thinking that you would, but already? The cover with your face isn’t out yet.”
“I meant on social media sites,” I explained, taking another sip. “Some ask me to marry them, and some just want me to be the father of their child.”
“No, shit.” Nick laughed, leaning back into the cushion after taking a long gulp. “That’s too funny. Well, I can’t wait to show you off. I’m going to buy every single magazine with your face plastered on it. Do you think people will think it’s me?” He chuckled.
I laughed with him. “I’m sure your friends will be able to tell. After all, I’ve got the beautiful genes in the family.”
Nick threw a sofa pillow at me. “Well, I got all the brains, then.”
“Then what did I get?” Natalie asked, leaning against the wall.
“Nothing,” Nick and I both spat at the same time.
“Actually...” Natalie sat beside me. “I’ve got half the good looks and the brains. You two only have half. So there.” She stuck out her tongue.
I tackled her and started to tickle her until I felt a light slap on my arm.
“Nathan, you’re going to kill your sister,” Mom said protectively. She had always been like that with Natalie, being the youngest and all. Mom sat next to Dad. “Dinner will be ready in five minutes. I’m just waiting for the rice to cook.”
“And by the way,” Dad said out of the blue. “You all got your good looks from me, so no half this and half that.”
“What do you mean?” Mom scowled. “Are you saying they didn’t get good looks from me? Cause you know our friends say Nathan looks like me, and he is the next Sexiest Man Alive.”
Dad rested his hand on her lap. “Of course he got his good looks from you. To me, you’re the sexiest woman alive.” Dad winked at us.
Mom eased her shoulder, cradling into Dad’s arm. “Oh, honey. You’re the sweetest. To me, you’re my sexiest man alive.”
My siblings and I exchanged glances with each other, smiling and shaking our heads as we watched them share a quick kiss on the lips.
Mom snapped her attention back to us. “Dad and I are going to buy every cover in the grocery store, and we’re going to pass them out to all our friends.”
&n
bsp; I ran my palm down my face. “You’re not serious, right? You’re just joking, right? I know you’re both proud of me and all, but please don’t make this a big deal. I just got lucky.” I shrugged. Even days later, I still couldn’t believe it. It wouldn’t hit me until I saw it. “Well, I’m up for hottest couple alive, so you can vote for me for that too. I posted all my social media links. Or you can go vote on Knight Fashion dot com.”
Mom’s eyes beamed with elation. “I follow you everywhere.” She paused briefly. “Who are all those girls asking you to do stuff I can’t say? It’s difficult for a mom to see all the things they post about my boy,” she said half jokingly.
Natalie shook her head. “Mom, that’s what you get for snooping on our social media. Nathan is doing his job, but please don’t look at the things I post. They’re just for fun, and they’re for my friends.”
Mom looked appalled, putting her hand to her heart. “I know they’re not for me, but we are friends after all.”
Dad wrapped his arm around Mom, pulling her closer to him. “Sweetheart, just look, but don’t bring it up. You can spy on them, but just don’t say that you are. No child on this planet wants their parents to check up on them.”
Mom released a sigh. “I’m still their mother.” Her tone was final. But I knew she would only check on us once in a while. She didn’t have time to get into our business. She was busy working at the hospital as the human resources manager.
“So...” Nick threw in to change the topic. “Have you dated any models?”
“Isn’t Olivia a model?” Natalie said hesitantly. Her brown eyes widened, reminding me of Olivia. Nick and I inherited hazel eyes from Mom while Natalie got brown eyes from Dad.
“She doesn’t count,” Nick cut in. “They’ve been over for a long time.”
I hadn’t told them Olie was in town. There was no point. Especially after seeing her with Troy, I was glad I hadn’t even mentioned her name. It stung when I thought about the day I saw her with him in an intimate way. Hearing about it was one thing, but seeing it was a whole different story. Is that how Olie felt when she saw Kelly practically throwing herself at me? Why would she? Unless she still had feelings for me. But how could she when she was obviously with Troy? I brushed those thoughts away.
I placed my finished bottle on the coffee table and pushed back into the sofa. “I dated a photographer for several months, but that’s about it.” I pressed my lips together and curled them just enough to give them a hint of a smile.
“Have you bumped into Olivia?” Natalie clearly wanted to know more about Olie, yet she seemed cautious to ask.
I didn’t want to lie. “Yes. We’ve done some sessions together.”
Nick’s eyes grew. “How was that?”
“Let’s not talk about Olivia,” I said wearily. “I want to know what your boring schedule is like.” I smirked. “At least tell me you’re getting laid.” I said that to make him turn red, and sure enough he had.
“Nathan,” Mom scolded.
Dad, Natalie, and I let out a boisterous laugh. Nick just smiled and waggled his brows at me, leaving me guessing. He would spill the beans eventually. We were close that way. But as for Natalie, being in college and all, I would never ask. I didn’t want to know, and I never wanted to picture my little sister with a dude.
After dinner, we watched an old movie on Netflix and talked about our younger years. It felt strange to sleep in my old room. Everything was exactly the same, not a picture frame or baseball trophy moved. I could tell the weekly cleaners came to dust and tidy up, but time stood still in my room.
Aunts, uncles, and cousins from Dad’s side of the family came the next day. It was nice to see relatives we only had a chance to see twice a year.
It’d been a while since I had a fun, relaxing weekend. It was nice to catch up with everyone. And of course, Mom told them about how I was chosen to be the Sexiest Man Alive and also told everyone to vote for me for the Sexiest Couple Alive. I had to laugh at that, but she was my number one fan for sure. Though I would tease her at times for following me on media sites, she kept my head on straight. I would be careful about the post and how I would word it. Especially in this industry when my ego could get in the way, it was nice to have a down-to-earth family to keep me on the right path.
Chapter 11
Olivia
Thanksgiving weekend went by in a flash, and I thought about Nate the whole time, hoping he was having a wonderful time with his family. I never got the chance to meet them since they lived in Austin, Texas, only saw a photo of his beautiful family. They were all good looking. From what I could remember, he had only said good things about his parents and siblings. We talked about visiting them on one of the holidays, but we never got the chance.
The week went by as fast as the weekend. I had a few photo shoots, thankfully not with Troy. I felt sorry for the other models, but honestly, Troy was really talented. Too bad he turned out to be an asshole and a lunatic. I didn’t get how he thought he had this hold on me. We’d only dated a little over three months. I didn’t get it, but at the same time, how do you understand a crazy person?
Isla came to pick me up early in the morning. Mom, being Mom, asked Isla to drive carefully. It was the first time they’d met.
“I’m so glad you suggested we go to Big Bear,” I said, looking out the window. “I really needed to get away. Get away from Troy and from Nathan.”
Winter had finally kicked in and the clouds gathered thick and gray, looking like it was going to rain. There were hardly any cars on the highway, just the way I liked it. Weekend mornings were usually that way, unless there was an accident.
“I need this too. I love my brother and his family, but I need some alone time, you know what I mean?” She glanced my way and then back to the road ahead.
“Yeah. I know what you mean. Living with you is so different than living with my mom. I feel like a little girl. I understand she worries, but I have to let her know when I’m coming home.”
“We’ll be heading to New York in two weeks together, back to our apartment,” Isla reminded me.
“Yeah,” I said somberly. The thought of leaving Nate felt like a stab to my heart. “I never got the chance to tell him how I felt. The last memory he’ll have of me will be Troy practically on top of me. Why do I keep screwing things up? Maybe the universe is telling me Nate’s not the one?”
Isla looked at the rearview mirror and growled. “I hate it when people tailgate. They have four other lanes to choose from. Sorry, just irate at how people drive. Anyway, sometimes you can’t wait for the universe to tell you what to do, you just do it yourself.”
I arched my brows in confusion at her words, but I didn’t ask what she meant. Then a thought occurred to me. “I don’t think I paid you for the rent fee for the cabin. How much do I owe you?”
Isla pulled her red hair back out of her face and smiled. “Nothing. I forgot to mention that we’re staying at Josh’s parent’s cabin. His parents are filthy rich.”
I curled my lips thinking about Josh and Isla. “Does that mean he’ll be there?”
Isla flashed a scowl my way and turned back. “Don’t use that I-know-something-is-going-on tone with me. There’s nothing going on, for the millionth time. We’re strictly friends. He showed no indication that he’s interested in me. Anyway, Josh will be stopping by to hand us the key, and then he’ll be on his way.”
“Oh.” I felt disappointed for her. I could tell she was interested. She hadn’t had any luck with the guys she had dated.
“Why do you ask?” Isla clicked on her cell that was securely held by some gadget on the vent. “Did you want to know if Nathan was coming?”
“No,” I said tersely and might have snapped at her. “I mean...why would he, right? If Josh isn’t staying, why should he be invited? Besides, if he knew I was coming, he probably would turn down the invitation.”
Isla caressed my arm while keeping her eyes on the road. “That’s not true, Olivia. Y
ou make it sound like he...” she trailed off. “What’s going on with Troy? I know you hate him, so I was shocked to see him kissing you. You told me I didn’t know the whole story, and it wasn’t what it looked like. So, what happened?”
I rolled my eyes. “I meant to tell you, so I’m glad you brought it up. Right now, you’re the only person that knows what I’m about to tell you, so please don’t say anything until I figure out what to do. Troy has threatened to expose naked pictures of me on the internet.”
“What?” Isla’s pitch was so high that I squinted. “What the fuck, Olivia? You let him take naked pictures of you?”
I sighed regretfully. “It wasn’t really planned. We were doing a sexy shoot, and one thing led to another. It just kind of happened.”
“Okay, but what are you going to do about it?” She was huffing mad and scared for me. Her forehead creased, and her lips twitched in a way I’d never seen.
I closed my eyes to calm my nerves. Every time I thought about it my blood pressure soared, and I couldn’t keep a steady heartbeat. “I’m not sure yet.”
Isla ran her fingers through her hair. “Well, we’ll figure it out together. That asshole is not winning. If you go down, then he goes down. That’s final. He better pray he doesn’t do anything stupid. So help me God, I will murder him. Who does he think he is? He has no right to mess with your life like that. He’s not some random stranger that picked you out and wanted to expose you for ransom money. He’s well known in the fashion industry, for Pete’s sake. Either he thinks he can get away with it, or he really thinks he’s got a hold on you.”
Isla said all I wanted to say, and I was glad it came out of her mouth instead of mine. My face would have turned as red as hers, and I might have stopped breathing too. “That’s not the worst part,” I said, preparing myself for another rampage.
