Page 55 of Chosen Road

Ruby stepped in to rescue us from the terrible awkwardness of the situation by deflecting onto Vander. Poor fuck. I shook my head but could not help smiling down at my plate.

Yiayia took the bait, and I felt Amber relax beside me. I watched, amused, as Ruby’s brain caught up to her mouth and she slowly turned her head to look at Vander who stared at her bemusedly.

I fucking loved this family.

“Why you tattoo your body, agori mou? Is no good!” Yiayia admonished.

“She said if you get a cross, she’ll forgive you,” Ruby helpfully added.

Vander smiled and muttered, “Maybe you should stop talking?”

Amber laughed out loud, her vibrant joy warming me, and I chuckled. I stared at her beautiful face in profile. I wondered if she was the part of Aphrodite’s Harem that liked tattoos.

“You got a tattoo?” Jace asked his dad.

“Yeah, buddy. I got three actually,” Vander answered him calmly.

“Can I see?”

I looked back and forth between Jace and Vander. It hurt my heart that at eleven years old, they were only beginning to know one another. I glanced at Alex who watched, enthralled by the drama. I wondered what a continued separation would do to our relationship.

Vander nodded. “Absolutely. After dinner I’ll show you.”

“No. You won’t,” Yiayia scolded. “He don’t need to see that.”

I snapped my head up to look at Yiayia. It never occurred to me that this would be a problem for her.

Vander leveled a look at her, calm but uncompromising. “He’ll see it after dinner because it would be inappropriate for me to take my shirt off at the dining room table.” Yiayia opened her mouth to speak but he continued. “This is not a discussion, Yiayia mou, but your concern is noted.”

Yiayia’s mouth snapped closed, and she sat quietly smiling for a moment before answering. “Well, then. I want to see, too.”

Amber snickered, and again I soaked it in. “You just want to see the abs Ruby told us about, Yiayia.”

Huh, abs again. I needed to get back to the gym.

Vander groaned, took off his glasses, and rubbed his hand roughly over his face.

Ruby chortled.

I chuckled.

Amber snickered. She had such a dirty laugh at times. I missed it. Her laugh was the first thing about her that I absolutely fell in love with.

Both boys looked on in fascination.

Alex turned to Jace. “It’s much more exciting when the dads are allowed.” He turned to me, his face hopeful. “Do you have any tattoos, dad?”

I felt the heat hit my face and studiously avoided looking at Yiayia. “Yeah, son. I do.”

“You do?” Amber asked, her mouth gaping.

I slid a sideways glance at her, trying to determine whether or not this was a good thing, and nodded. I felt her studying me and wondered what she was thinking.

“Can I see?” Alex asked.

“Of course, son.”

Yiayia interrupted. “Amber, Ruby, if you guys have tattoos you better tell me now!”

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