“Oh wow!” Mabel says, not at all caring about the small details while Gabriel stares at me from the doorway with a raised eyebrow. “I just hate Gabriel living all alone. I wish he had all of these safety features.”
“He has a place here with me as soon as he’s ready,” I inform her.
“Mom, don’t fall for his tricks,” Gabriel says, which is quite evil if I do say so myself. I’m not going to lie… it’s pretty sexy.
“What can I help… with…” Mabel falls quiet as she eyes what I have going on. Have I not wowed her enough? Should I have gone with something more? I knew the lobster and steaks weren’t enough. “Honey, you went to too much work.”
“I only had to wake up at two in order to get it all done,” I lie. I like the way she looks horrified, like she actually thinks I’m so unskilled that I couldn’t do everything this morning.
“Mom, he’s teasing,” Gabriel assures her. “I also told him he was only supposed to make the turkey you brought over. And I did tell him you were more than happy to make it and bring it over, but he insisted.”
“I don’t mind cooking,” I say.
What I do mind is all the people. After his parents show up, some others come in who I don’t know. He introduces them as his aunt and uncle, but I absorb very little about them. When his grandparents come in, I notice that I’m scrutinized before his grandma gives me a big hug and a kiss on the cheek, which feels worse than if she’d spit in my face. I really want to hide in the kitchen, but whose idea was it to buy an open concept house? I want walls between us.
As I cruise on by, I see Matthew and Jesse sitting at a table and question if I can use them as a barrier, but Jesse seems quite deep into something as I hear him go, “So she’s a Tliltocatl albopilosus, but in case you don’t want to remember that, you can call her a curly hair tarantula. Did you know she’s a terrestrial species? She’s got this big horizontal tank but I’m going to be real honest, she’s pretty lazy and really doesn’t traverse through most of it?—”
Matthew is just smiling and nodding along as Jesse carries on and on about his tarantula, and I realize that maybe I want no part of that conversation. I hurry back into the kitchen as Mabel comes rushing over.
“What do you need, dear?”
For you to leave. Wait… no… no, this is the woman who grew the greatest man alive inside of her.I smile at her before saying, “Nothing, thank you.”
“Don’t be shy. I’m more than happy to help.”
“Really, I’m just watching pots right now. Nothing to do. Everything will be ready right at noon.”
She opens her mouth to protest but her mother calls her over, saving me from more conversation. I absentmindedly stir a pot that really doesn’t need to be stirred just so it looks like I’m busy. More people file in and I notice Lucy Fur has taken to glowering at them from inside her hide, and I suddenly feel like she’s gotten the right idea. Margarine isn’t too far away, tucked behind the kitchen island so that I’m forced to walk around him every time I move to check something else. I kneel down to face him.
“This would be a really good time for you to vomit all over the house and make sure it smells bad enough they’re forced to leave.”
He yawns, clearly not thrilled by my idea.
“I’ll give you some lobster if you do.”
Margarine gives his foot one lick before tucking it back under himself, transforming into the perfect loaf.
I realize that maybe I’ll just stay here where no one can see me and pretend like I’m playing with my cat. There’s really only one thing that can calm my wandering brain right now, so I pull out my phone and start looking at all the information I’ve gathered on Caleb Hill, the man who killed the teenager’s parents. Thoughts of him put me at ease.
During my free time, I’ve found out where he lives, where he works, and even managed to put a tracker on his car. Right now, he’s at his family’s house enjoying his very last Thanksgiving. I hope he makes the most of it.
TWENTY
Gabriel
I see my cousin Tom enter and scowl at his presence. I really didn’t want him to come at all and have never liked him after he made fun of me as a teenager. But I’m a pushover who caved immediately when my grandma looked upset at the idea of not inviting him. Why couldn’t I be a bit more like Liam and stand up for myself?
Speaking of Liam… where is he?
“Layla, have you seen Liam?” I ask as she hands her toddler off to her husband.
“No, he was in the kitchen last I saw him.”
I start toward the kitchen, knowing that Liam wouldn’t go too far when he has stuff on the stove, but I run into Tom and his girlfriend before I get too far. The girlfriend, who I’ve known about six months, hugs me, but I always feel like it’s more of a show than anything.
“Happy Thanksgiving!” she says.
“Y-Yeah, happy Thanksgiving.”