Tethered (Book Two of The Invisible String Series)

Thanksgiving: Part One

"You know you just complimented me, right?"

Scarlett rolls her eyes, removing one hand from the steering wheel to flip me off, but the both of us chuckle nonetheless at the familiarity of our usual banter and teasing. "Fuck off. I'm only being nice to you because you almost died."

And that sends the entire car into complete silence, save for the noise of traffic around us. I've also noticed this, that sometimes when someone mentions what happened they often grow quiet and become upset, now that a few days have passed and I think the shock has started to wear off.
Lizzie does it a lot, like if she's suddenly remembering how close I was to death. And each time breaks my heart as I watch the realization flash across her face, or when we're in bed at night and she thinks I can't hear her crying, or when she randomly grabs a hold of me and refuses to let go for a few hours.

My mom also does it, and Scar is no less able to escape it either, because the older woman is now staring ahead with her jaw clenched. "Sorry. I didn't..."

Reaching out, I let my hand rest against her shoulder, giving it a little squeeze. "Hey, you don't have to apologize, okay? I get it. I'm not the only one who's been traumatized by what happened. You're allowed to feel things about it. I know it was hard for you guys. I'm just sorry that I put you all in that position to begin with."

"You should really stop apologizing, too. No one blames you for what happened, you know."

Shrugging, I turn my attention back towards the road, eyes following the cars that pass by us. "I know."

Scarlett lets out a sigh before reaching over and turning the volume on the radio up just a bit, the upbeat music now actually perceivable instead of the low hum it had been. "Okay, officially switching topics. Have you thought anymore about when you want to go ring shopping?"

That brings a smile to my face as I think back to the ring sitting in a very discrete box in the far corner of mine and Lizzie's closet, where I know I don't have to worry about the latter finding it. "Actually-."

"Don't tell me you're rethinking asking Lizzie to marry you, you idiot."

Laughing, I shake my head. "No, it's not that. I was just going to tell you that I already have a ring."

The blonde raises an eyebrow and pulls off to the side of the road just outside Olivia's foster home. "Where did you get a ring?"

I pull my phone out to let the teenager know that we're here before turning my attention back to my best friend. "My mom gave me the ring my father proposed to her with. It's apparently been passed down from couple to couple and my dad always wanted me to have it. Mom's been saving it for me."

Scarlett snorts, looking like she's just discovered the most hilarious thing (AN: THIS IS A SHOUT OUT TO Romanoffomixam FOR GIVING ME THIS GREAT IDEA YOU'RE THE BEST) to have ever existed. "Oh, Sawyer is just going to love that she didn't get that ring."

For the first time ever, my ex-wife's name doesn't make me want to grimace or flinch or bend over and puke, and I can't help but laugh right along with Scarlett. "I hadn't thought of that. I guess my mom didn't think she was the one for me."

"She wasn't. She's a cold-hearted bitch who can go fall into a hole and die for all I care. I just wish there was a way to record her reaction when she finds out. You know she probably flipped her shit when you and Lizzie first started dating, right?"

I let out a sigh, knowing that Scar's probably right. Sawyer might have been a lot of things, but her worst flaw was her want to always be number one. She found out about me sleeping with Mia during the divorce proceedings and flipped her goddamn shit, like she wasn't also fucking someone else. She doesn't like the idea of being replaced, and I was honestly a little scared that when she found out about me and Lizzie she was going to come waltzing right back in and cause a scene. Thankfully, though, she hadn't. But I don't know if that will continue once Lizzie and I are engaged.