Page 15 of Mastered By Bliss

Asshole cut in line.

Shouldn’t surprise me.He’s efficient if nothing else.Sees what he wants, goes after it.He didn’t debate with himself for years, feeling wrong for looking at Leah.

But the other thing—he hasn’t even known her for two fucking months.How can heknow, and know with such fuckingcertaintyas to propose?

I get out of my car, slamming the door harder than necessary.I shouldn’t have let myself think about this.I don’t want to talk to my family—I want to punch Gage’s stupid face.What thefuck.

I don’t bother knocking, just go straight to the kitchen.That’s where everybody always gathers at Granddad’s.

Danica stands near the fridge, as far from everyone as she can get.Granddad holds court, somehow looking regal where he sits on one of the tall chairs next to the kitchen island.He’s pale, though.Thinner than he was before the heart attack.A cane leans against the island next to his chair.I wish he would go back to his full strength so I could go back to hating him.

“Dmitri.”He smiles as he says it.“I’m glad you could make it.Coffee?Help yourself.”

I pour myself a cup.Mostly so I don’t have to stand awkwardly facing my family.I shoot a glance over at Danica.She’s nursing a mug of coffee and a scowl of her own.

A full spread of sandwiches and cookies is laid out over the island, untouched.Rachel eyeballs one of the sandwiches.

Granddad’s lips curve up in a fond smile as he grabs a napkin and passes the sandwich to her.“Eat, Rachel.”

“Thanks, Granddad.”She gingerly takes the sandwich.

I grab one, too.Less because I’m hungry, more because I want to make sure Rachel feels comfortable eating.I remember Danica being weird about food when she was a teenager.

Granddad waits until Rachel takes a bite.He clears his throat.“Our family is in crisis.Patrick’s arrest has torn us apart.We need to repair our family bond.I don’t want to die and leave a fractured family behind.”

It isn’t Patrick’sarrestthat tore us apart.It’s that he assaulted Leah.And half our family rushed to take his side, instead of Leah’s.But of course Danica and I will be blamed for calling the cops.

I wait for Granddad to turn his stern gaze to Danica and me, but instead he looks at Mom and Aunt Milana.“What will you say?”

“We’re sorry.”Mom’s face twists with regret as she addresses Danica and me.“We coddled Patrick, ignoring that our other children need our love and support, also.This includes Leah.Your dad and I failed her.And we failed the two of you.”

“We all did.”Aunt Sylvia’s dark brown eyes are sincere.She grips Milana’s hand in hers.

Aunt Milana makes a face like she’s about to drink motor oil.“Patrick made a mistake.I didn’t want to punish him for one mistake.It’s too harsh.”

“He’s anadult—” Danica starts to say.

“We were wrong.”Mom’s voice is flat, but she shoots an annoyed look at Milana.“It isn’t too harsh for him to be punished for attempted assault.”

A long silence descends.Danica gives a long, obnoxious slurp of coffee.Dad shoots her a look, likeReally?

“So where is Patrick now?”I look around, ready to throw a punch if he jumps out from behind the kitchen island.

“He is on probation.So I sent him to Las Vegas, with my cousin Aleksandr.”Granddad offers us a grim smile.“Aleksandr will set him right.”

Aleksandr will probably set Patrick further along the path to the family business.But at least Patrick isn’there.

Dad steps forward and holds his arms out toward Danica.“We should have listened to you two earlier.I’m sorry we didn’t.”

Danica’s face crumples and she leans into his hug.He gestures me forward, so I allow him to hug me, too.Mom joins in, which is a shock because she isn’t usually much of a hugger.

It’s a lot.I want them to apologize to Leah, too.They will eventually.

We put on the basketball game, mostly for background noise.We eat, we talk about what everyone’s been up to.Granddad has a new, heart-healthy diet he has to follow.He does good-natured complaining about that.

Patrick’s absence is no longer remarked on.I don’t miss him.I miss what I wanted with him—that feeling of being partners, brothers.Couple of weeks ago, I was mad about that.Now I’m just sad and empty.

The absence I really notice is Leah’s.I miss her so bad it hurts.Am I supposed to propose now?That’s the only reason I think Gage would’ve mentioned it.He’s always pushing, manipulating, trying to get me to move.

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