“Right,” King said. He gestured toward the table. “Why doesn’t everyone just have a seat in here? Dinner will be ready four minutes after the water boils.”
Ego’s gaze tracked over to the steaming cauldron.Oh gawd!Did he think Gran was boiling water for the tortellini? And what was she brewing in there anyway? This was my worst nightmare. Okay, no. My worst nightmare had been the other night with that poor homeless guy, but this was a pretty close second.
Ego, Pops, and Gran took a seat, and when I looked to King to see if he needed help, he waved me off to go be with mycousin. The conversation wasn’t as awkward as I’d feared since it revolved around Ego’s favorite topic. Music. Rosie and Lee didn’t just ask him about his career but about his actual love for playing guitar and singing. I kinda loved them for that, and by the way he lit up, so did he. It helped me relax a little.
When King announced dinner was ready, dread filled my veins. How was Lee going to handle this? What would Ego think when Lee just sat and watched us consume our food without lifting a fork or a piece of bread?Ugh.This would be a disaster. My boyfriend must’ve felt the same as he hovered behind the counter, making no move to carry over what he’d made.
Gran turned in her chair to look over at her grandson. “Just bring one plate for me and Pops to share, if you don’t mind.”
“Ah.” King stared at her, then nodded. “Yeah. Okay, that makes sense.”
Ego’s head tilted beside me at thethat makes sense, but whatever, he already thought King was a little different. Hopefully, we’d get permission from the ghosts at Willowhope Manor to explain who they were sooner rather than later, then it would all make sense and hopefully my cousin—my family—would stop thinking my chosen family was so peculiar.
Once everyone was served, Ego picked up his fork and had a bite halfway to his mouth before he realized that King and I were staring at Gran and Pops. He stopped, gaze flicking around. “Is everything okay?” He held the fork of tortellini out and peered at it. “Is this poisoned or something?”
I laughed uncomfortably. “Of course not.”
He set the utensil down on the side of his dish, sat back, and crossed his arms over his chest. “Then what’s going on? You’re being even weirder than you are at the B&B. What am I missing?”
“Ah.” Clearing my throat, I hurriedly took a huge bite of my food—my very hot food. I should’ve started with the salad. “See,” I said around the tortellini in my mouth.
Gran tutted. “This is ridiculous.” Smiling kindly at Ego, she continued, “I really wanted you to eat a little something first, dear. It’s good to have a full belly before you receive a big shock.”
His eyes widened comically, and he reached over and gripped my hand. “Oh my God, what’s wrong? Are you sick? I’ll hire you the best team of doctors in the world. You know I have the money. Why didn’t you tell me?”
Feelings of remorse and love battled for dominance inside of me. Our childhoods had been rough—so rough, if I hadn’t mentioned that before—and I couldn’t bear him to think for even a second that something might happen and snatch me away from him. He’d have no one but those he hired, and that was no way to live.
I blinked back tears as it hit me. Yeah, Ego was surrounded by people every day of his life. Those who worshipped him. Those who adored the money he paid them to do their jobs. While I’d been admiring this amazing popstar’s journey of his, I’d let the reality slip past me. I was the most solid presence in his life, his person, and I hadn’t made any effort to see if he’d needed me. I’d been so busy building my career, I’d had Chance all these years, and now I had all of this…all of the paranormal, magical goodness that was Willowhope and the family I’d found here.
He didn’t have that, and I’d locked him out. I should have insisted the minute I knew he was coming to tell him about the supernatural. If I’d talked to Chance, he’d have understood. He knew my story. Ego’s hadn’t been my story to tell, but I’d told my best friend that Ego’s dad sucked harder than mine, so he’d get it.
My cousin hadn’t come here to purchase a new mini-castle and vacation like he was an island onto himself. He’d come here for family. Connection. Me.Fuck,I really was screwing up life left and right lately. When had I gotten so self-centered? So blinded by my own?—
“Skylar Reign,” Gran said sharply. “I don’t know what in the world is going through your head, but you stop it right this instant.”
Ego frowned, letting me go and crossing his arms over his chest again, much like he used to as a small child when he didn’t get his way. “I’m really tired of feeling like the only one out of the loop. Do you want me to leave? Is my being here interfering in your?—”
“No!” I shouted.
Gran clucked her tongue. “You Reigns are so dramatic. My goodness.”
Pops snorted. “Yep. Enough of this.” Then he disappeared.
Poof.
Gone.
I’d seen him do that a hundred times by now. The ghosts at Willowhope blinked in and out constantly. But geez, he could’ve given my cousin some warning.
Pops popped back in, and I swallowed a hysterical giggle as Ego’s face morphed from pouty to confused to deathly pale. White as a ghost, you might say. “What the…”
Like it was his new favorite game, Pops appeared in the doorway, disappearing to reappear hovering over the dinner table. Ego blinked, rubbed his knuckles into his eye sockets hard enough to hurt himself, and shook his head. Pops blinked back into existence, upside down with his face right in front of Ego’s.
For fuck’s sake, was he trying to terrify my cousin?
Ego shrieked. Glanced at me, then promptly passed out.
Chapter 12
