Page 44 of Begrudgingly Yours
I return the amusement with a chuckle of my own. “Oh, shut up. You two are the definition of stick guys.” And then I mimic the motion of hitting a hockey puck.
Everett huffs a laugh under his breath.
“So, Jett. Did you ever think about what your future pack would look like? Were they as attractive as your actual pack mates?” Dax gives me a joking grin that makes me laugh.
“No, they weren’t as attractive as you two because I never thought about having a pack at all,” I respond earnestly. “I wasn’t in a pack growing up. It was just me and my dad, and even though he was an alpha, he didn’t really act like one. I didn’t know what pack life could be like, so I never really wished for it or knew what I was missing.”
I’ve always been a lone wolf, so I didn’t know I’d have a pack one day. Couldn’t even fathom it.
“I’m excited, though,” I continue. “There must be a reason. And Everett came into my life when I needed it most, so this must be the right timing.”
Everett nods. “Right timing indeed.”
I smile before grabbing another mozzarella stick. “What were your lives like growing up? Did you live in packs?”
“I’m kind of like you in that way,” Everett responds. “I never thought about pack life growing up. It was always just my mom and me. My mother is a beta and she raised me on herown. My dad passed away when I was really little.” I open my mouth to respond to that but he waves it off. “It’s okay, you don’t have to say it. I don’t feel like I’m missing anything, not when Dax’s family is enough to cover at least three families. And when I say that, I mean there’s so many of them it’s overstimulating to the max.”
“Oh yeah?” I say, looking over at my blond pack mate. “You have a big family?”
I see Dax’s eyes brighten. “Yeah. Two moms, two dads. They’re great, you’ll love them. In fact, they’re forcing me and my sister to come home for Thanksgiving. You should come with us. Have you ever been to New York?”
I nearly choke on the fried cheese in my mouth. “New YorkCity?”
Seeing New York has always been my dream. Acting in the big city. Busy streets and cold weather. Rat-infested restaurants. Times Square. My best friends are already there, but I’ve never been able to afford to visit them.
“Yeah! That’s where my parents like to spend most of their time. Except during the summer when they go off somewhere warm. Normally it’s the Maldives. They like to re-experience their honeymoon, apparently.”
My mouth gapes open but then I shut it. “I’m sorry… did you mention what your parents do? Am I missing something?”
Everett laughs. “Might as well rip the band-aid off, Dax. Then Jett and I can relate to each other about how different your life was from ours.”
My eyebrows raise just as Dax scoffs. “It wasn’t that different.”
“You live in a penthouse,” Ev says.
“That’s fairly new. We lived in the suburbs most of our lives.AndNicole and I didn’t know anything about our parents’ jobs for a long time. Tell your mom she can come toThanksgiving, too, by the way. They’ll love to have her visit again.”
Everett returns the sentiment with another soft smile. “She did like the turkey last year. I’ll give her a call tomorrow and ask.”
I wave my hands a little bit to show them I’m still here. “Hello? There’s no band-aid being ripped off here. All I know so far is New York, Maldives, and fuckingpenthouse.”
Dax puts his hands up in surrender. “Okay, let’s start with their jobs. My father’s a lawyer.”
Everett interjects, “For celebrities and moguls.”
“Yes, but still.” Dax looks back to me. “You may have heard of a case he was on, with Renee Simon.”
My eyes go even bigger. “That trial was huge.”
It was one of the biggest televised trials of my childhood. Renee Simon, a child actor, had sued his own family for their entire estate. He had years of documented abuse, and the financial control they had over him was deplorable. We all grew up watching him in the best shows and it was heartbreaking to finally see how things were behind the scenes for him.
And the man who helped him? Apparently Dax’s father.
“Tell him about your mom,” Everett adds in before I can even get over the shock of the first thing.
“There’smore?”
“Yeah…” Dax takes a sip from his drink, looking nervous all of a sudden. “My mother may or may not be a famous actress.”
