Page 3 of Desirous

“Okay, forget I asked. I’m going to go now. Let me know when you want to talk again, okay?”

I force a smile and when he walks away toward the house, I return my focus to the water in front of me slowly creeping closer. Soon my feet will be covered, but maybe I’ll stay here and let myself get wet. It’s not like I have anywhere to go after this.

Just home. Alone.

But not five minutes later, I hear someone walking down the yard toward me. That’s the problem with this family. There’s no goddamned respect for anyone’s wishes. I wonder if smaller families come with this much hassle.

“Alex, honey, won’t you come up and join us? Your Aunt Abbi brought a peach cobbler, and I know that’s one of your favorites. She’d love it if you’d come up and have some.”

I don’t want to unload on my mother, but I swear it’s taking every ounce of strength I possess to not bark at her that I just want to be left the fuck alone. How is that so difficult to understand?

Her dark eyes so like mine are filled with such hope that I can’t snap at her, but I don’t want to join them all for peach cobbler. I don’t know what to say to make them see I just want to be left alone.

“Mom, thanks, but not now. Maybe later,” I say with a smile pasted onto my face in the hopes that she’ll take that and be happy.

“Are you sure? She worked really hard on it. It would mean the world to her if you came up and had some.”

My façade of geniality fades a little as I say, “And it would mean the world to me if everyone would leave me alone.”

That’s all it takes to make my mother frown and sadness fill her eyes. “Okay. Do you think you’ll come up anytime today?”

I let out a heavy sigh, already done with all these attempts at making me join in the family fun. “I don’t know, Mom. I’m okay, so you don’t have to worry. I just don’t want to socialize today.”

“Okay.”

She leaves, but I see the beginning of sulking come over her, which means my father will be down here in about a minute after he sees her pouty face. It never fails. He always feels like he has to ride in on his white horse when her feelings are hurt. I didn’t mean to upset her, but it won’t matter.

Down he’ll come.

And just like clockwork, less than a minute later, my father appears at my side like some disgruntled hero ready to makethings right. Except there’s nothing he can do for me, so I wish he’d go back up to the porch and make my mother feel better.

“Alex, what’s going on? Your mother says you don’t want to come up for some of your aunt’s peach cobbler. I thought you loved that every time she made it.”

I want to bark at him, but I don’t, even as the idea occurs to me that he would never pull this shit on Cash. My brother gets to be silent because it’s his way. Because everyone’s used to me being happy-go-lucky, I’m not allowed a single day of solitude.

His blue eyes gaze down at me with more than a little curiosity. I’ve seen that look before with him, usually when something happens at the restaurant.

But we aren’t there, and I don’t have any obligation to say another word since I’m not his employee right now. I’m just his son.

Still, I know if I don’t say something, he’ll end up leaving and someone else will come down. They’ll probably send Liam down next. Or maybe Stefan, but I doubt that. They might suggest it, but I can see my uncle telling them a hearty fuck no. Out of all of my family, he gets it when someone doesn’t want to talk. I’ve always gotten the vibe that he could never come to another one of these March and Jackson family get-togethers and be completely happy about it.

Worst would be if they sent Kane down. He’s generally more sullen than anyone else, and that would just put me in an even more unpleasant mood. Misery certainly would love company then.

“Dad, maybe later, okay? Right now, I just want to be alone. That’s it. I’m not asking for anything that costs a thing. Really. I just want to be left alone for a little while.”

“Does this have anything to do with a girl?” he asks with all the earnestness of a priest.

That’s it. I can’t handle this today. I need to get the hell away from all these goddamned questions before I flip out.

Jumping up out of my chair, I shake my head as I try to hold back the anger. “First of all, Dad, I’m twenty-five. If I’m hanging out with girls, I’ve got much bigger problems than what’s really on my mind. Second of all, I asked every one of you who came down here to just let me be, and every one of you reacted to that simple request with more goddamned questions. What is it with this family?”

I storm away before he can answer that question since I have no real interest in hearing his explanation. By the time I reach the porch, I see my mother’s face light up with pure happiness as she assumes I’ve finally given in and decided to be sociable.

“Oh, honey, I’m glad you chose to come up and be with us,” she says as I hit the first step up to the porch.

“I didn’t. I just couldn’t get any damn peace and quiet with everyone doing their best impression of the intrusive conga line down to me on the beach, so I’m going inside. Please don’t come talk to me or follow me. In fact, I’d appreciate it if you all would just leave me the hell alone!”

The entire family stares at me with wide eyes full of shock. I guess I won’t be thought of as the happy-go-lucky one in the March and Jackson clan anymore.

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