Even In Pieces [bxb]

Chapter 22

He looks at the Door and inhales sharply, his eyes falling closed. Trying to calm down his arousal. “I am not having sex with you in your parents house when they are right downstairs and your siblings are next door.”

“Is that a no?”

He opens his mouth to say something but closes it and then says, “It's not a no,”

My heart soars. But when I start to talk it gets cut off by my mom yelling from downstairs. “Come down. Dinner is ready.”

I move away from Zachary and grin at him as I unlock the door to open it. “After dinner then.”

Zachary

Everybody sits together at the dining table. The dinner is unlike anything that I have had, not just because the food is absolutely delicious but also because everyone talks about their day and shares their stories. I learn that Everett's older brother has a long time girlfriend who couldn't make it because of work and about how his sister is a cop and how she took down a complete psycho killer and got herself two fractures at the same time. Clover, his younger brother though, is the most silent but also the most observing one.

“So tell me Zachary, do you have siblings?” Eleanor asks.

“Yeah. I have a sister.”

“You do? That's weird since I have never seen anything about her on the Internet,” Bridgett says, confused.

“That's because she's my half-sister and my mom has kept her away from the cameras as much as possible.”

“That must be hard,” Parker, his dad, gives a sympathetic smile. I shift in my seat, feeling uncomfortable at the direction of this conversation. Everett must have noticed because he says, “Stop interrogating him, guys.”

“We aren't interrogating him, just asking about his family,” Jonah shrugs at his brother.

“Yeah… well, stop,” Everett grumbles, and all of them gives him a questioning look.

I sigh. Their attention turns to me, but I turn to Everett. “That was really dumb. I thought you said no lying.”

“I didn't lie.”

“No. But still stupid,” I bring my attention back to his family and give a polite smile, “My relationship with my parents isn't all that great. Everett was just trying to get you guys to back off because I don't talk about that stuff with anyone.”

All of their faces suddenly go stiff. And I feel a bit bad about ruining their dinner. I really shouldn't even be here. “It's okay, really. Nothing too bad,” I try to reassure them.

Everett snorts. I turn to him and narrow my eyes at him.

“I absolutely hate them. And, I definitely know you deserve better.” Everett shrugs at me and then turns to his family.

I want to smash his head on the table, but also kiss him senseless. “And you have officially ruined everyone's dinner.”

“Bullshit. Nothing can ruin a tasty dinner. Especially not parents who are assholes,” Eleanor insists, holding fierce eye contact with me.

“Absolutely. And you want to, then I can totally put them in jail for you,” Bridgett grins at me, “And in return all you have to do is break up with my brother and go on a date with me.”

I laugh. Everett narrows his eyes at his sister. “Back off, Bridge.”

My laugh dries out in my throat. The way he said that was casual, but I can't not catch on to the dip in his voice. And I remember how he said to me that he was calling dibs on me. He wants me. Completely, all to himself. The scarier thing is that I want him, all to myself too.