Page 69 of The Spider & the Storm

“Yeah, and? Are they not your family?”

I pushed the hair off my forehead, raking my fingers through it. “Well, I mean, yeah. I just, you know, don't want you thinking it's a crazy-big deal or something. It's just … Luke and Melanie.”

Jersey came from an enormous family. Happily married, living parents. Two sets of grandparents and a great-grandmother. Three sisters, two brothers. Nieces, nephews, cousins. Eight sets of aunts and uncles.

My family wasn't as grand or as wonderful.

No parents. No other siblings. No grandparents.

Just … Luke and Melanie.

“Well, you love them, don't you?”

I swallowed and ran my fingers down the length of my face. “Yeah, of course, but—”

“Then, that's all I need to know. When do you want me to come over?”

“Um …”Oh God, this is a mistake. “This Friday okay for you?”

“Actually, Friday …” She was quiet as she considered it, then said, “Yeah, this Friday isn't good. I have Mia's birthday party. But Saturday is okay for me, if you're not working too late.”

“Saturday's fine,” I replied quickly.

“Oh my God, okay. I'm so excited,” Jersey said, and I truly believed she was. “What should I bring? Wine or—”

“No,” I cut her off with a harsh bite. “No wine.”

“O-kay,” she slowly drawled, both startled and mildly amused. “Your family aren't wine people. Noted. What about a six-pack of b—”

“No alcohol, period.”

She giggled again. “Are they, like, crazy religious or something?”

Fucking hell.

I had hoped I'd never have to divulge the information about my brother's alcoholism. I hoped he'd never quit his AA meetings and that it was all behind us, like we could just continue with our lives and look back on that time with awkwardlaughter and comments like,Well, thank God that shit's over, right?

But I couldn't avoid this.

“My brother goes to AA meetings,” I confessed, keeping my voice low and hoping Luke couldn't hear me talking about him.

“Oh God! Charlie, why didn't you tell me? I feel like such an asshole now!”

No judgment. No cruel commentary. Just sweet acceptance.

How could I have expected anything less?

“You're not an asshole,” I assured her, wishing we were together to make out and make love and pretend that the outside world didn't exist. “I should've said something a while ago. I'm sorry I didn’t.”

“No more secrets, babe. Okay?”

I breathed out a sigh of the most incredible relief and nodded as I pinched the bridge of my nose and closed my eyes. “Okay.”

“I love you, Charlie, and I cannot wait to meet Luke and Melanie.”

I grinned, my heart thumping the syllables of her name. “I love you too.”

***

---