Page 141 of Crew Princess
We remained in silence after that, two friends sitting next to each other. We stayed until Cross’ dad came to the door. “Food’s ready.”
As we approached the table, Taz’s eyes were wide and wondering. She sat at one end of the table, the chair empty beside her, and she almost jumped up. I caught the concern and shame flooding her face a second later, but I just shook my head at her as I went to the empty seat beside Cross.
She bit her lip, and her eyes teared up. But she swallowed and gave Race a tentative grin as he slid into his seat. She leaned over, whispering into his ear, and he nodded.
Cross gave me a look, one eyebrow raised.
I lifted a shoulder. No, I didn’t know how Race truly was. We’d have to observe him, because this wasn’t a situation that resolved immediately so healing could begin. There’d be charges. Bail. If his dad got bail. The fallout in the community. School. Whether it would affect Race’s college prospects or not. And his mom. Those were just the surface things, not the emotional undertones.
Cross leaned over and kissed my cheek. His hand squeezed mine under the table.
“Okay!” Marie brought over the last bowl and placed it in the middle of the table. A pan of flatbread sat at one end. The salad in the middle. Garlic bread. Spaghetti at the other end. A bottle of red wine. And around the table, cans of soda next to each of the other plates. The adults got the wine.
Pity.
“Mmmm… Dig in, everyone.” She waved a hand over the food, taking her seat next to Stephen and pulling a cloth napkin to her lap. “I’m so happy you all are here.” Her gaze found her son, who was sitting across the table, on the other side of Stephen and directly across from Taz. “And that you guys finally met, although I’m sure there are lots of questions.”
Her face pinched, as if remembering who exactly these people were and how they were related.
No one moved for the food.
Cross’ brother wasn’t looking at his mom. His gaze was pinned to one of the food bowls, and like Race outside, I had a feeling he wasn’t seeing that food either. Zeke was next to him, a smug grin on his face as he took in the scene.
Eventually, his eyes met mine. I sat back.
Here we go.
“Is it true Mason Kade is going to be at your house this Friday?” he asked me.
My eyebrows shot up. “What?”
He leaned forward, almost foaming at the mouth. “Tell it straight. How awesome is he as a person? If I could have his babies, I would, and I say that with pride being a heterosexual male. But man, if I went for the other team, I’d go for him. That dude is solid gold. Like pussy gold.”
“Zeke!” Marie barked.
Blaise was fighting back a grin, but still not looking past the salad bowl in front of him.
“What?” Then that smug smirk just grew, and I realized it was a permanent fixture on his face. “Oh. Sorry, Mrs. DeVroe.”
“Dude.” A hiss beside him.
“Ah.MissDevroe.” He was trying to be polite, but coming across as leering. “I have a bit of a manwhore obsession with Mason Kade,” he continued. “You know the Kades? Blaise’s sister-in-law knows them—”
“Ohmygod!” I burst out.
“Dude!” Blaise admonished.
“Stop fucking talking!” Cross added.
“What?” Zeke frowned, looking around the table. “What? You do. You can’t lie about that anymore. They showed up when you were arrested.”
“She’s not my sister-in-law. We’re not…” But Blaise quieted, throwing Cross a furtive look. “Never mind. It’s not like that. Shut it.”
Cross leaned back, glaring across the table. “Talk about your shit, not others’.”
“Yeah.” Taz shot up in her seat. “Like, where’s Monica? I have a few things to say to her.”
“Who?”
