Page 31 of Shattered Reign

“What are you thinking about?”

I looked over my shoulder and found Easton pulling his sweater over his torso, covering the six-pack I’d come to adore.

“I’m worried about tonight.”

He stepped behind me and placed a gentle kiss on my shoulder. He then wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close. His arms provided security and warmth, making me wish that we could stay like this forever.

“It’s going to be alright,” he whispered in my ear as his hold on me tightened. “I will make sure that no one does anything to upset you.”

“I don’t want you to fight all of my battles for me, Easton.”

He loosened his grip on me so that he could turn me around. Once we were face to face, he put his hand under my jaw and lifted it, forcing me to look him right in the eye. “I’m not fighting any of your battles. I’m standing in your corner, providing the support you need to get what you want.”

I gave him a small smile as he tucked a piece of my hair behind my ear. Before I could say another word, he spoke again. “That doesn’t mean I won’t fuck someone up for you though.”

I chuckled. “Please try to keep your hands to yourself when it comes to my father.”

“It depends on how he treats you. If he doesn’t give me a reason to put my hands on him, then we’re all good.”

His wordswere reassuring enough for me, and I leaned up to give him a kiss on the lips. We stayed like that for a few minutes before we broke apart. If we didn’t get out of my apartment, we were going to be late.

Easton grabbed his coat and keys while I put on mine and grabbed my purse. We rushed to his SUV to stave off the cold, and all the while, I tried to keep my nerves in check. I took a deep breath before getting into the vehicle.

It was going to be fine.

As we drove toward my parents’ house, Easton held my hand in an attempt to calm my nerves. I wasn’t sure how much it was working, but I appreciated the attempt. I watched as the streetlights flickered and night began to fall. When we drove down the lit-up driveway, my eyes were drawn to the other cars that were parked closer to the house. I noticed Nash’s car, indicating that he and Raven had already arrived. Easton turned off the engine and glanced over at me.

“Are you ready?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I said, and I meant every word.

He gave me a small head nod before he opened his door and got out of the vehicle. He quickly came around to open my door, and once I was out, he put a hand on the small of my back, guiding me to my parents’ front door.

Easton did the honors and knocked on the door, and while we waited for someone to open it, my stomach twisted into a tight knot. It would have been quicker for me to pull out my key and unlock the door, but the thought of even trying to find my keys in my purse was daunting at the moment. How was I going to be able to sit there and eat dinner if I felt as if I was going to vomit?

Suddenly, the door swung open and both Easton and I were face to face with my mother once more. She gave me and then Easton a small smile, and I could see that it didn’t reach her eyes at all. While she looked perfectly presentable, much like she did whenever they were hosting a party, there was sadness in her eyes, and I knew what had put it there.

“Please, come on in,” Mom said, and we followed her lead.

The first thing that greeted me was the scent of roasted ham floating through the house. I was amazed at how, even though everything was decorated for the holidays and should be a time for joy and festivities, my stomach churned with each step I took.

Easton and I quickly hung up our coats in the hallway closet, and it seemed as if we’d made it just in time because, in the dining room, an elaborate feast was spread across the table. My father was sitting at one end of the table and my mother walked to the other end instead of taking her seat near him. I silently applauded her. For a woman who was obsessed with appearances, she’d shown, in a small way, she wasn’t happy being anywhere near her husband.

Nash and Raven were seated next to each other on one side, which meant that either Easton or I had to sit next to my father on the other side. As if he knew or sensed my discomfort, Easton pulled out the chair two down from my dad, putting me between Easton and my mother versus me having to sit next to my father.

I sighed and slid into my seat, the tension in the room thick enough to cut with the knives at our place settings. We were all here together again, but everyone knew the perfect world that had been created for us had been shattered into a billion pieces.

“Now that everyone is here, why don’t we dig in?” My mother’s falsely cheerful voice cut through the silence.

I looked at Nash and all he did was give me a head nod. With that, the feast began. Forks clinked against plates as polite conversation began to fill the awkwardness I was sure the majority of us felt.

Everyone tried to carefully avoid the elephant in the room. As far as holiday dinners went, this could have been worse, outside of my father’s scandal, of course. Maybe if we hurried up and got through dinner, then we could leave, and I wouldn’t have to think about being back here for a while.

That was a whole lot of wishful thinking.

I stared down at my plate, picking at the food I had no appetite for and wished I were anywhere but here. Easton must have noticed my mood because his hand landed on my knee, where he gave it a squeeze. I gave him a small smile as Nash cleared his throat, drawing the attention back to him.

“Easton, are you dying to get back on the field as much as I am?”

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