After I finish my goodbyes with Aiden, Axel, and the rest of the crew, Carson tries to all but drag me to his car.
If Michael's glares weren't enough of a reason to decline, I actually need to talk to Michael about something before we get home, so I stop Carson as gently as possible. "I'm gonna go with my brother," I say.
"Why?" Carson asks, still not letting me go.
"It doesn't really matter either way." I tell him. "It's a short trip."
"Exactly, so there's no problem riding with me," he grins.
I shake my head. "Michael wants me to ride with him."
He nods after a while, letting me go. "Okay. Then I'll see you there I guess." He doesn't waste any time walking away from me, towards the sleek red car in the driveway. It's a mixture between a deep burgundy and firetruck red, and when the light hits it at just the right angle, it looks like it's burning.
His jacket gives off the same heat, but it's for a different reason as he stalks away.
"That temper," Michael mutters before hopping into his car. "Come on, Mia."
I sigh and walk around towards the passenger's side. Before I lower myself in, I call out to Carson. "Hey."
He's about to get into his own car, but he stops to look at me. "Yeah?"
I risk a smile. "We've got the whole afternoon, you know?"
He hesitates then shrugs. "Yeah, I guess... Minus the car ride."
Omg.
He smirks before getting in his car. With that, he's off.
If I thought Michael sped.
"Show off," Michael mutters as I get in. Then he whips out of the driveway. "That's exactly why you're driving with me and not him. That kind of guy'll get you killed. Remember that."
I hold onto my seatbelt for dear life. I'm not so sure Carson's the one I need to be worried about right now.
As we pass houses, steets, sidewalks, I think of the reason why I needed to be alone with Michael in the first place. I sigh, tightening my grip on the seatbelt.
"What's wrong?" he asks. "Are you alright?"
I brace myself. "I'm just gonna say this now so there's no confusion... Don't bring the heart thing up with Mom and Dad."
He gives me an incredulous look. "Sure." He chuckles a bit. "Yeah right."
"I'm serious, Michael." I turn towards him. "It's my business, so I'll tell them."
"When?" he shoots out, all humor gone.
I think about that for a second. "This month."
"No."
"Within the next two weeks. They're busy with work," I say.
"No."
"Fine. This week." I slump against the back of the chair, defeated.
"No," he says again.
What? "When do you expect me to do it?" I ask.
"By tomorrow," he says, making a left turn.
"Tomorrow?" He's gotta be kidding me.
"I'd say tonight, but I get that with your boyfriend here, that might not be the best conversation to have on top of what's about to go down so..." He nods. "I'll give you a day. You're welcome."
"Whatever." I turn towards the window beside me.
He doesn't shut up. "As in if you don't tell them by tomorrow—"
"I get it," I raise my voice. "Geez. Give me a break." I don't know what I'm gonna do.
Michael shakes his head. "Whatever." He makes another turn. We're almost there. "I don't know why it's such a big deal though, if it really was just a gym accident," he says.
I'm not doing this with him. "Because you know they'll go crazy and overreact. That's why."
"Good. Then everything'll be checked."
I rub my forehead, resisting the urge to scream at him. "You're so annoying."
He scoffs. He looks at me like he's the one who has the right to be upset and then turns back towards the road. "You're such a brat."
I cock my head back. "Excuse me?"
He doesn't say anything else.
I furrow my brow. "If you've got something to say, say it Michael. Don't act clueless now that I heard you."
He shrugs. "Nothing, Mia." He leans back in his seat, holding the steering wheel from just the bottom like I hate. "It's nothing."
I sit back and cross my arms. "Good. That's what I thought."
He cocks his head back so hard I think he might lose control of the wheel. "What?" He turns to me. "Are you serious?"
I don't say anything, mainly because I don't want to distract him anymore.
He doesn't stop. "Like are you actually freaking serious right now?"
When I still don't say anything, he launches his back against his seat, shaking his head. "Jesus Christ. I'm so tired of you."
I double take. What?
When he doesn't correct himself, I nearly strangle him. I can't believe he just said that! I'm almost tempted to tell Mom. "Me?" I choke out. "You're tired of me?"
"Did I stutter?" he asks. "You're so spoiled, it's sickening."
If he wasn't driving... I cross my arms, glaring. "Oh yeah, I'm real spoiled. I just get everything I want. Like an annoying brother who's always micromanaging my life." I have half a mind to give him the bird.
He beats me to it.
That's it. I slam my hand down on the nearest surface. "You ever consider minding your own business, Michael?" I scream. "Or maybe you can't? Maybe you've always gotta be playing video games and meddling in your siblings lives because you can't get a life of your own—"
I feel the worst pain ever yank up my cheek. "Aah!" I scream.
"Say that again." He doesn't stop pinching my cheek.
"Stop it!" I swat at him.
"Say it!" he screams. "I will leave you on the side of the road."
The car swerves crazily.
"Michael!" I stare at the road. It looks like when you wear the drunk goggles.
"I'm Mia," he mocks. "And I'm just so unlucky because I actually have a family who cares about me."
"We're gonna die for this?" I ask.
He doesn't stop. "Darn the universe for giving me two parents who can actually afford my medical bills. Curses curses curses." He drags my cheek this way and that with every word.
"Okay! Okay! I'm sorry," I cry out.
"Try being grateful."
"Okay, okay. I'm grateful for my family. For my annoying brother."
"And?" he asks.
I don't know what else to say.
He glares at me. "Apologize to Morph for your senseless disrespect."
... Is he serious? Judging by the look he just gave me, I guess he is. "I apologize to Morph and..." I sigh, suddenly thinking over what I just said and how mean it was. "I'm sorry for disrespecting my amazing brother who's always there for me. He didn't deserve it... And he does have a life, both in the game world and out."
He pauses for a second, slowly letting go of my cheek. "That's what I thought." He holds onto the steering wheel.
When he pulls into the driveway, he gives me the angriest look ever. "You have 24 hours. After that, I'll tell our parents about your heart. And about your other two boyfriends."
"But—"
"And anything else that I feel like saying in the heat of the moment," he screams. "You have tried my last patience. And as payback, I'm embarrassing you in front of Carson."
"No!" I beg.
He looks away. "You've done this to yourself. You crossed the line, so you'll take every minute of the embarrassment I give you." He slams the car door shut after getting out.
This is going to be horrible.
He opens my door out of nowhere. "And one more thing."
I look up at him like he's lost his mind.
"Do not make me have this conversation ever again, Mia." He gives me a dirty look. "I raised you better. Next time you need a ride, don't call me. I'll be getting a life."
Look what my big mouth did.
Carson walks up to us. When Michael pulled into the driveway, I saw him leaning against his car outside. Waiting. He raises an eyebrow now. "Is everything alright?"
Michael doesn't answer. He just walks away.
"Michael," I stumble out of the car. "I love you! I'm sorry."
"Come on, Carson." He smiles deviously, standing outside our door. "It's time to see Mia's baby pictures."
Carson doesn't look excited. He looks afraid, as he should be. "Um, should I be scared?"
"No... I should be," I say.
He furrows his brow. "But why's he looking at me like that then?"
I don't feel like answering and reliving my latest blunder. I just drag Carson towards the house. It's too much to explain. But before we can get to the door, he stops.
Michael's already inside, probably planning my doom, so it's just us. I raise an eyebrow. "What wrong?"
He's smirking, that usual cocky expression, but it almost seems... frozen.
"Carson?" I ask again. I look to the left, to the right. "Are you okay?"
"I'm just mindlinking Axel to come take my place. I'm not cut out for this."
"What?"
"Bye, Mia." He turns around and starts walking back towards his car.
I resist the urge to laugh. "Stop." I grab his arm. "What are you nervous?"
"Nervous isn't in my vocabulary," he says firmly. "I'm just mildly terrified."
"They'll love you," I say. "Trust me."
"They'll love Axel more." He smiles. "Trust me."
"Stop it." I don't let him get away when he pulls again. "They'll love you all the same."
"Great idea." He snaps his fingers. "Aiden's another great option. Old people love him. He's practical." He nods happily, trying to pry my fingers off him.
"Carson..." I sigh.
"I'm not going in." He stares at the house like it'll eat him alive. He shivers, shaking his head. "I can't. I'll say something stupid and your dad—"
"Why would you say something stupid?" I ask.
"Because I always say something stupid," he laughs. "Because I'm stupid and—"
I tighten my grip on his arm. I look straight into his amber eyes. "Asher Carson Whatever your last name is," I glare at him with as much force as I can muster. "If you ever call yourself stupid again, we're officially arguing until you take it back. Do you understand?"
He stays quiet.
"Carson," I say.
He nods, slowly. "Okay... but I'll definitely say something stupid. What then?" He stares at me with wild eyes.
I slap my forehead. This is going nowhere.
Before I can say anything else, I hear a gasp from behind me. I turn around to see my mother, clutching her apron, hand over her mouth. She looks like she's about to faint. "Him?" She holds the door frame for support. "I had nightmares about this."
Carson's face falls. Mine does too.
"I got the baby pictures!" Michael shakes the album over Mom's head. Charlie cheers from beside him for a reason I don't quite understand (not yet at least).
"You better be careful with that, Michael," Megan says in her commander voice.
I don't know what else to do, so I just guide Carson past my horrified mother and annoying siblings and into the house.
He doesn't listen to me when I say just walk through though. He stops and flashes one of the smiles that makes me melt at her. "Hello again, Ms. Jones." He reaches his hand out. "It's really nice to see you again."
"Is that a threat?" she asks. She stares at his hand like it's the tool of a murderer.
"Mom," I warn. Carson pulls his hand back. I drag him to the side of the hallway to stand while I take my shoes off.
He looks at me confused. Poor thing. "Mia," he whispers. "Why is she looking at me like that?"
I shake my head. "Just... Don't do that. Come on." I take him right to the edge where the tile becomes carpet, but she's still right there.
She's watching his every move like a hawk. "You wanna know why I'm staring at you like this?" she asks, basically hanging over his shoulder.
He flinches, staring at her wide-eyed. "No, not really, Ma'am. Not particularly."
"Mom, seriously," I swat her away from him. "He's not a..." ... gang member. I give her a look.
She gives me an, 'Oh really?' expression.
"A what?" he asks.
"Nothing. Let's just go."
He nods. Then he almost walks onto the carpet with his shoes. I gasp. All eyes turn to him.
He freezes mid-step. "What?" He looks at me. "What did I do now?"
"We have clean carpets in this home, young man," Megan says in her commander voice, standing with her hands on her hips. "Take those filthy things off."
Michael's falling all over the walls, trying to contain his laughter. "This is better than I could've imagined. You can't make this crap up!"
"Alright, that's it," I say. "Back up you bunch of piranhas." I shoo them away. "I told him you guys would welcome him with open arms."
They stop laughing.
I continue. "I told him this was a civilized family. Not a bunch of bullies." I glare at them.
They're look at each other.
"I'm fine, Mia." He says quietly, taking the second shoe off. "I should've known this. Sorry, Mrs. Jones and..." He looks at Megan. "Ms. Jones."
Everyone's face falls. That's right. Feel terrible.
I grab his arm once he puts his shoes to the side. "Come on. Let's go to the kitchen."
I maneuver around Charlie's legos. It dawns on me that I should probably warn—
"What the fuck—" Carson hops on one foot before realizing what he said.
He looks at my family in horror. "I'm... I'm so..."
Charlie blurts out without any hesitation. "What does f—"
###
Mom is stirring a pot of chicken with this one orange sauce I love so much. She hasn't made it since we moved here, so it's almost ironic that Carson'll be here to eat it. I hope he can handle Haitian cooking. No one will get on him if he can't but... I hope he can. Maybe it'll make up for Charlie's new favorite word.
The rice is already done. I'd be picking at it with the rest of my siblings—risking getting swatted away by my mother's hand—if I wasn't afraid to leave Carson's side. We don't have arsenic in this house, do we?
When my siblings' appetites have been satiated, they sit across from us at the table and stare at him. They just stare at him.
He clears his throat and smiles. "Hey. Mia talks a lot about you guys."
Michael's grin widens. "Hey, Ash. It's been a... blast having you here." He laughs at his own terrible Pokemon joke.
I don't think Carson gets it. "Well, hey to the rest of you."
Megan gives Carson a disapproving look. "You said she talks about us a lot?"
Carson nods.
Megan hms. "Well she doesn't talk about you at all."
Carson sits back. "...Oh."
I give Megan a look. She gives me one back and points at him. "Come on, Mia? A jock? You can't even do a lap or eat a piece of kale." She looks Carson up and down. "What is you, the quarterback?"
"I am." Carson smirks. He seems so proud, and I can't help smiling with him to Megan's disgust.
Carson leans forward against the table. "And I've been team captain of nearly every sport at some point. I'm..." He rolls his shoulders out. "Kind of a big deal at my school."
"What about basketball?" she asks.
"Huh?"
"Basketball," She says flatly. She does the dribbling motion.
He grimaces. "Oh." He sits up a little straighter. "Well about that... my brothers actually prefer that one so..."
"Well, as you can see we are black people, so..." She bats her eyes.
Silence. And Michael called me the brat.
"Walmart boy!" Charlie cheers without warning, somehow at the perfect time.
Carson's spirits return again. "Oh yeah." He smiles. "That's where we met, right?"
Charlie nods.
"How have you been, little buddy?" Carson reaches over to give him a high five.
"Awesome!" Charlie cheers, high fiving him back. "How are you?"
Uh oh, I know where this is going. I try to warn Carson, but it's too late.
"Good. Thanks for asking," he says, leading to his doom.
"Legos?" Charlie asks with big, cheerful eyes.
Carson's happiness turns to confusion. "I'm... I'm sorry?"
Charlie's face falls. "You came from Walmart..." His eyes narrow. "You don't have legos?"
Carson looks at me quickly, then back at Charlie, then back at me. "You didn't say I needed to bring legos." He stares at me wide-eyed.
"You don't," I say. Michael gives me an, 'Are you sure?' expression.
Like clockwork, "Mia," Charlie cries, dropping out of his seat and running to my side. He reaches for me to pick him up.
I sigh and do as he wants, pulling him into my arms. "Charmander, he didn't know you wanted legos. Give him a break."
"I'll bring them next time." Carson smiles uneasily.
"There won't be a next time." Charlie glares over my shoulder. "Liars get their footsies hurt with legos, Carson."
"Charlie." I think we all gasp at that one, especially Carson.
Mom gives Charlie a look. "What did I tell you about threatening people's footsies with legos?"
That sends Charlie into more hysterics. "Make him go away," he cries in my arms. "He has nothing to offer us!"
The light literally leaves Carson's eyes. He holds his heart, slumping back in his seat. He stares at his hands. "I have nothing... to offer?" he whispers to himself.
Even Michael stops laughing. "Oh come on, Carson." He tries to say it playfully, but I know he knows this is going south quickly. "He tells me that eight times on a good day. Pull yourself together."
Carson looks like he's about to start crying with Charlie.
That's the last straw. I snap my head towards Charlie. "Take that back now."
"No." He crosses his arms.
"Now," I say.
"No." He looks away from me, pouting.
"Charlie, I said now." I give him a firm look.
"You can't force him to like your weird boyfriend," Megan grumbles over the table. "Especially when he's the real reason you never have time for us anymore." She gets up and walks towards the kitchen entrance. "Come on Char. Let's go." She reaches her hand out, and the little traitor goes with her willingly.
Fine then. Bye. I cross my arms and look away. I'd be lying if my heart didn't break.
"Mia," Charlie's little voice says.
I look back and see him standing in the archeway. He's holding Megan's hand, but his other tiny one reaches towards me. "You'll play legos now, right? Because it's the weekend?"
My heart breaks for the second time today. Megan shakes her head. She's already expecting what I'm gonna say. I don't have time. I'm busy. Tomorrow. The weekend. Never. That's basically what I've been saying. Never.
"Legos sounds great." Carson walks past me and towards the hallway. "Let's collect them all and play with them here." He points towards an area in the hallway that's still visible from the kitchen.
"You don't make orders," Charlie says, but he's partially hiding behind Megan. I'm once again reminded of how tall Carson is. He's towering over them. But without having to tell him, it's like he gets that. He bends down as best as he can and looks Charlie in the eyes. "You're right. Can we play with them here, so that we can all still be together while we're playing?"
Charlie glares at him and reluctantly nods. "Okay, but I won't pay you."
Carson chuckles. "Alright. Pay me with kindness."
"He said he's not paying you," Megan grumbles.
Carson gives me a look, but stands up all the same to help them. I go to follow, but Mom stops him immediately.
"Kids, you go get the legos." She looks at me. "Stay here. Michael will help them."
Uh oh.
Michael nods and leads the kids away quickly. Carson and I are the only ones left. I expect her to say something immediately, but she just stirs the pot for a while. Slowly. Very showly.
"Mrs. Jones," Carson starts.
Oh lord. I resist the urge to cover his mouth. What more could he have to say? What more could go wrong? It's not even his fault, that's the sad part.
"I'm under the impression that you don't like me for some reason," he says.
"Oh, that." She wipes her hands off on her apron before turning towards him. "That's just cause, word on the street is," she tries to do a thug walk horribly.
My jaw drops. Oh my lord. This isn't happening. I'm dreaming, right? I'm having a nightmare, right?
She gives a stank face and leans against one of the chairs. "Word on the street is, you've got a pack."
"A pack?" Carson stutters, looking at me.
I shake my head. Not a werewolf pack. We'd only be so lucky.
"You know." She leans closer. "A group of... friends." She leans back with a knowing look.
"I'm sorry. I'm not understanding."
"... You're in a gang!" she screams.
His eyes fly open. "Oh! ...Wait, no!" He waves his hands wildly. "Of course not. I'm just a high schooler."
"Yeah, yeah. I know that's what you're supposed to say." She gives him a flat look. "But I already know, so you might as well just tell me when you're gonna sell my daughter's organs."
Carson drops to the floor. My head snaps in his direction. Did he pass out? "Carson?"
He's not lying on the floor. He's just leaning down on one knee towards my mother. "I would never hurt, Mia," he says staring into her eyes. "I would never drag your daughter into a situation that I thought would lead to her kidneys being taken. If anyone tried to take her kidneys, I'd take their kidneys."
Her eyes widen.
"Hypothetically of course," he corrects. "I don't know what I have to say to make you believe that I'm not in a gang, but I'll say it a thousand times if it helps."
"That's not necessary." My mother takes a step back.
"It is." He scoots closer to her, still leaning on one knee.
She gives me a wary look that could only mean one thing. 'He's out of his mind.'
I shake my head. No, he's just... passionate. I want to assure her that she'll get used to him, but I don't know how exactly to do that over Carson swearing an oath of loyalty to my existence. And heart. And kidneys.
"To Mia, family is everything. So I can't have her family hating me," he says. "She'll leave me." He stands up, following my mother who's basically running away. "So I'll do what it takes to make you love me, Mrs. Jones, because I'm going to marry your daughter."
I choke on air. What?
My mother can't stop blinking. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"
"I'm not in a gang I promise, Mrs. Jones." He starts repeating that like it's his life mantra.
When she realizes that nothing she says will stop him, she turns and asks me, "How... How long does he plan on doing that?"
I don't think Carson is even breathing. What did she unleash? I shrug. "He said a thousand, so..." At this point, I believe it.
He says it another dozen times with no end in sight.
Michael strolls into the room after the first few minutes and the second he analyzes the scene, he pivots on his heels, dragging the kids back. "Let's go find some more legos," he says.
"What?" Charlie gasps. "But we got them all. I counted."
"Let's... Just count again." Michael gives me a wary look.
I give him one back.
"Alright, Carson. It was entertaining for the first few minutes, but now my chicken's burning." Mom tries to get away.
Carson takes her hands. He leans down, about to get down on one knee again.
"No, no." She pulls him up. "Don't do that again. Just..." She gestures for him to stay put.
He stays standing, but continues repeating the statement.
"I believe you," she says, checking the pot.
That doesn't stop him.
She sighs, brushing some hair out of her face. "Okay! Okay. You're not a gang member. How about this?" She points to the food on the stove. "Help me cook and I'll believe you're not a gang member."
He stops, raising an eyebrow. "Really?"
She nods.
He narrows his eyes. "Wait. Why?" He crosses his arms. "Because if it's just to shut me up, that's not true belief."
"No that's not it." I pat his shoulder. "My mom just thinks that gang members wouldn't help cook dinner, right?"
She furrows her brow.
I give her a look that says, 'Just roll with it.'
"Oh." She nods. "Oh yes. Gang members don't cook."
Carson smiles and nods. "Sounds good. Let's do it then."
Carson doesn't slack off for a second. Whenever my mother needs Adobo, another seasoning, or anything from the fridge or pantry, Carson rushes to get it whether he knows where it is or not. I watch the whole thing from the floor beside my three siblings. I finally get to finish that spaceship I promised Charlie I would weeks ago. Michael and Megan help too, but they mostly just slow the process down. When the 'intergalactic vehicle' is done, I feel a sense of accomplishment like never before. Even though I wish I had done it weeks a while ago, I'm just glad I got to do it today. I'm glad I got to spend this time with him today. We pretend to fly it all around the halls, with Megan and Michael of course, and eventually Mom and Carson too when they're done cooking—thankfully Mom bribed the kids to be nice to Carson... and me... so they've been playing nice.
Right now, we're in the middle of a round of 'hide and seek the spaceship.' I'm looking with Mom and Michael for where Carson, Megan, and Charlie—who are staring at us smugly—hid the object.
"You're not getting any closer," Charlie jeers, laughing from Carson's shoulders.
Carson nods, smirking at me. "This effort is disgraceful." He uses that voice he gets when he's leading gym class.
Megan mimics it. "I'd like some team spirit from all of you." It merges with her usual commander voice to create an even more obnoxious tone. Then she smiles at her teammates. Carson gives her a high five. She returns it. Traitor. What happened to him being weird?
Then it dawns on me. Carson's abnormally tall. He could probably reach a lot of high places other people couldn't. I rub my chin. Add in the fact that Charlie's on his shoulders, he could definitely cover something up... I stalk towards the three musketeers.
Carson, Megan, and Charlie smile. "Are you giving up?"
"No, I just wanted to give Charlie a big hug." I smile at Carson, reaching up to grab my brother.
He leans out of my reach. "No can do, Mia. That's against the game rules. Trying to get the answers out of him."
I give him a knowing look. "I think we both know that's not the case."
"Don't do this, Mia," he whispers to me. "Don't kill their little dreams."
"Yeet," Michael smacks him out of the way.
"Michael!" Mom and I scream. But sure enough the spaceship is there.
Michael wastes no time trying to get to it. "Lift me, Mia." He pats his sides. "I'm almost there."
What? I furrow my brow. "I can't lift you. You should lift me."
"Put your back into it." He flails his arms. "We're burning daylight."
Mom laughs, shaking her head. "Come on, Mia. It's only fair. Michael got to it first."
I glare at her. How dare she tease me. I try not to smile.
Carson on the other hand nods approvingly. "Good point."
My own family, turning against me one by one.
The door opens. "I'm home," Dad says.
Spoke too soon.
Everyone looks in his direction. He looks at all of us. No one moves. When his eyes land on Carson, he glares. "Who left the back door open?"
"Hugh," my mother says. "That was so twenty chapters ago."
"I don't care when it was. I've been hoping this day would never come." Dad adjust his coat. "I want to know what he's doing here now."
"Sir," Carson takes a step towards him.
"From someone other than you," Dad says flatly.
"We're playing look for the spaceship!" Charlie cheers. "Because he's Mia's boyfriend!"
Dad snatches Charlie away from Carson. "Give me my son." Then he drags Megan away from Carson and to his side. "Give me my daughter too." He shields me, Michael, and Mom. "And stay away from my other daughter, my other son, and my wife."
"Don't forget your other son." Carson smiles, walking towards Dad with open arms. "Hey dad-in-law."
Dad shrieks like the girls in Jaws for several minutes straight.
Then Charlie tells him his new favorite word.
###
"I thought we were in agreement that if he showed up." Dad pulls out his phone. "The cops would too."
"That's just ridiculous," I say. "People are having real problems right now." Besides, no one would force the alpha to leave anywhere apparently.
"Real problems, huh?" Dad's eyes trail towards the food monster beside me.
There's no way Carson could've possibly tasted the first plate. He's already on his third. He eats like Onai... Maybe even worse.
"I need this every day for the rest of my life." Carson says, finishing his third plate.
"If you ate slower, maybe it would last," Megan mutters.
"Exactly. He's eating all our food." Dad grumbles.
"And you're letting him." Michael accuses Mom.
The rest of the table nods, acting like the pot isn't still more than halfway full.
Mom glares at them "Hush up. He can have as much as he wants." Then she turns to Carson. "But seriously, don't throw it back up. It'll start a chain reaction and..." She shivers.
He shakes his head. "No, I don't think I ate nearly enough to be able to do that."
Everyone stares at him incredulously. The idea that he could somehow fit more in there is... It actually makes me sick to my stomach, and I only had one plate.
"Plus it's so good." He stares longingly at the pot. "My mom's cooking is always so salty," he laughs.
My blood runs cold at the mention of the woman.
He keeps going. "I thought yours would be salty too when you started pouring that Adobo thing, but it came out just right." He smiles at my mom.
"Well thank you I think." She chuckles. "But you shouldn't talk about your mother's cooking like that. It'll hurt her feelings."
"Exactly," Dad says. "If she finds out, she might just stop cooking for you altogether—"
My heart stops. I give him a look, and he catches himself too late. I don't know how he knew by my look alone, but he stays quiet. Mom sees too and her eyes fall. One by one the people at the table, all except Charlie, seem to get it.
She's gone. She's...
"It's fine, Mr. Jones," Carson says easily after a moment. "I didn't mean it as an insult to her, of course."
"I'm sure you didn't," Dad says quietly.
"I don't mind salty things at all, actually. Not anymore..." he mutters to himself.
Dad gives me an apologetic look, but I'm not the one who can accept it. I understand what he's trying to say all the same, though. Sorry for upsetting your boyfriend. Sorry for ruining the nice atmosphere, even if I hate him.
Of course I know that already. My dad is nice under all that... grumpiness.
Dad scratches the back of his head forcefully, staring at Carson. "Geez, kid. You can have another plate to go if you'd like."
"To go?" Carson furrows his brow. "As in I can't eat it now?"
Everyone groans.
Carson looks genuinely confused. He looks around at everyone's one and only helping. Michael got a second one, and so did Dad, but no one else is on three but him. And he's thinking of a fourth one!
"Aren't you guys going to get more food?" he asks.
Everyone shakes their head.
He stares at me, eyebrows knitted together. "Mia?" He looks so concerned. "Is that enough for you?"
I nod. It was more than I needed actually.
His face falls. "I really did take too much, didn't I?" He lifts my empty plate like it's the sign of my starvation. "I ate all my mate's food!" He cries out in horror, putting the plate back down.
"His what?" Dad asks.
I shrug.
Carson turns to me. "Have you not eaten enough, Mia? Do you need me to go out and get you some more food?" He touches my cheek, then my forehead. "Have I not provided for you?"
"My wife and I didn't get our doctorates for you to be providing for our sixteen year old daughter," Dad yells at him. There goes all his sympathy.
Carson doesn't even seem to notice. He's staring at me like I'm about to die.
"I'm fine," I assure Carson, swatting his hands away.
"All he cares about is Mia. Forget the rest of us," Michael grumbles. "What about our hunger?" Michael says despite the fact that he's so full he can't even breathe right.
At this point, Carson's just staring at me. He's just staring at me, and every time I try to look away, he nudges my chin to look back at him.
Omg.
"What the hell is wrong with him?" Dad asks.
The imprint bond, that's what. The idea of me starving seems to have sent him in a frenzy. His eyes are golden. Not partially, not flickering, just straight golden. My family can't see this.
I stand up abruptly. "Actually, Carson needs to go." I gesture for him to follow me.
His body follows me on autopilot, but he's still in his head. "Why are you kicking me out? Did I upset you? Is it the food?" He holds my hands.
Charlie and Michael gag.
"This is better than lifetime," Megan says.
Mom nods.
Dad just looks disgusted. "He's like a starving cat, I swear. You feed it once..."
"Just come on Carson," I say. "I'm not mad. You just have to go to your eye doctor tomorrow, remember?"
He seems to finally put two and two together. "Oh. Yeah. I think I need to go... But my plate? I need to wash it."
"I've got it." I wave him off. He really needs to go. Now.
"Alright, bye guys," he says to my family without looking at them directly.
"Not so fast." Dad stands up. "We're still having that talk."
"Rain check, Dad." I drag Carson towards the front door. When Dad tries to follow, I give Mom a pleading look.
She ushers "Hugh" to sit down. "Give them some space to say goodbye."
Dad does so reluctantly, muttering about how chivalry is officially dead.
Carson doesn't leave immediately though, like I'd like. He says all of his goodbye, going behind people before talking to them so his eyes aren't that visible. "Bye Charlie, bye Megan." He ruffles their hair. Megan looks like she's gonna kill him. "Mrs. Jones. Micah." He hugs Mom, then jabs Michael in the head.
Michael makes a jab for him too. "Get away from me, Asher." He smirks, albeit reluctantly.
Carson goes to hug my dad. My dad gives him a look that could kill someone. "I do not like you."
Carson frowns.
My dad holds out his arm. "You may hug my arm."
Carson nods and does as instructed. "I'll take this arm hug as my acceptance into the family. I'll make Mia the happiest bride alive—"
Dad chokes on the water he's drinking. "The happiest what?" he fumbles.
I drag Carson away. We escape through the front door by the hairs of our necks. "Okay, listen Carson," I say as politely as I can. "You have got to stop with this wedding idea. You're freaking my family out."
He pulls me close to him, ignoring every word I said. "If you were hungry, you'd tell me right?"
Here we go. "Yes," I sigh. "I'd tell you." Whatever he needs to sleep at night. "Now can we talk about something else? Like the bride comment?"
He nods, but it's like he's not hearing me. "I should've let you eat that food. I wasn't thinking."
"You're like two feet taller than me," I say. "You're the one who needs it."
"No, you need it and I didn't consider you." He shakes his head. "There's so much I still need to learn about this mate thing. Knowing what's best doesn't come naturally like I thought it would." He rests his forehead against my shoulder.
I sigh. I think he's just too hard on himself. I wrap my arms around him. "Today was a good day, don't you think?"
He nods. "A great one... It was the best day ever." He lifts his head so he can look into my eyes. "Thanks for choosing me. Well not choosing me, but you know." He runs his hand down my back. "It's nice to be picked even in small things once in a while."
Dammit. I forgot the whole reason why I chose him in the first place—getting information. As he looks at me romantically I try to hide my ulterior motives. Is it too late?
"No problem," I smiles. "But now that you're leaving... Who's gonna be standing guard?" Smooth af.
"Onai," he says flatly. "Unfortunately... But he'll keep you safe, so I guess I'm supposed to be grateful." He shrugs.
"And then?" I ask.
He raises an eyebrow. "And then...?"
"Who will be standing guard after Onai?" I say casually.
He's quiet for a while. A long time actually. "It'll be Ethel. Why?"
I shrug. "No reason."
He stares at me.
I know he's not buying it, so I add something else. "I think I'm just starting to worry about the Bloodmoon Pack."
He rubs my arms, pulling me against his chest. "Don't worry about them. We'll keep you safe."
I'd like to ask about the border. I'd like to ask about what time the shifts are. I'd like to force every bit of information I can out of him, but there's no point. He's already getting suspicious and the day is done.
It was a good day. Let's leave it at that. This stuff can wait. Besides... the guard shift is all the information I really needed tonight. Onai, Ethel, then Bri and Krys... Sounds good for what I'm planning.
"So the tour with Onai and Ethel is tomorrow," he braces me, but he sounds like he's bracing himself. "They'll pick you up straight from here, if that's okay?"
I nod. "Sounds good."
He frowns.
"What?" I ask.
"Nothing." He shakes it off. "Anyway, the trip was originally gonna involve a bit of walking, but we know your heart's kind of dealing with stuff right now, so we told them to bring a car."
"That's not necessary," I say.
He waves me off. "It is."
I open my mouth to protest, but he cuts me off.
"The deal was that you listen or you go to the hospital." He crosses his arms. "Should I call the ambulance now?"
I frown at him.
He smirks at me.
"You're enjoying this a little too much," I say.
He nods, stepping closer. "I am actually."
That step completely changes the mood. That step is dangerous. My dad is probably two seconds away from calling me back into the house. That's not nearly enough time for what him walking towards me like that is asking for.
Carson looks at me, really looks at me, and the knowledge that we haven't had our first kiss yet burns in the back of my mind. It's brought to life in the way his eyes burn as he leans down towards me. Closer, closer, closer.
My dad could come. We need to stop this. My dad could come. We need to stop this. My dad could... Oh who cares. I wrap my arms around Carson and lead him the rest of the way to me.
At the last second, right before our lips connect, he turns away.
What is he doing? We were this close. He ruined it. He wasted a good opportunity. He...
"How long are you gonna keep me waiting, Mia?" He smirks against my neck. "The anticipation is killing me. That would've been perfect."
I cock my head back. "What? You're the one who didn't kiss me."
He stares into my eyes. "Oh so I've gotta do all the work around here?" he smirks.
I give him a look. "All the work?"
Against the dark backdrop of the sky, the streetlights, and the glow of the moon, Carson's silhouette molds against mine and it just feels so perfect. Still he does nothing. "First dinner, then the kids, now this." He can't even keep a straight face through his bluff. "I'm beginning to think you married me to be your househusband."
"If you don't be quiet, househusband." I glare at him. "I'm going to return to my womancave and leave you."
He mock gasps. "You wouldn't."
"I would," I chuckle.
He stares into my eyes longingly, and I can tell he wants to kiss me, so why doesn't he? "Just kiss me," I say.
He shakes his head.
"Why not?" I ask.
"As great as it sounds to hear you asking for it..." he starts.
I shove his shoulder, lightly.
He smirks. "I just don't think it's too much to ask for you to initiate things sometimes... But hey, that's just me..." He kisses my neck and it sends a shiver down my spine. I blame it on the night air until he does it again a little higher. Closer and closer to my lips before he hovers over them. "Just show me how you feel about me," he whispers against my lips. "That's all I'm asking for."
I'm embarrassed. Not because he's embarrassing, but because I'm embarrassed with myself. I don't know what to do! I've got this guy who any straight girl would drool over. He's literally right underneath my fingertips—a jock, a werewolf, a guy straight out of a movie. I'm his imprint and I'm just fumbling like a fool, blushing like a schoolgirl or boy who's never kissed anyone before.
This is ridiculous. I hold his face between my hands with every intention of smashing my lips against his and being done with it. There. Case closed. Mission accomplished. I do the first part—a little less violently of course. I press my lips against his and prepare myself to pull away just as quickly before we're caught.
I never pull away.
I don't move either. At least I don't plan to, but somewhere in the midst of my half assed kiss his lips soften. Molding against mine, touching them, teasing them.
Whoa. I nearly flinch back. I'll tell you what. Whoa. [A/N: Anastasia anyone? It was wow, but it still works lol] I wasn't prepared for the feeling of... Carson. Carson's fingers running through my hair. Carson's lips against mine, then trailing down my neck, then rushing back up to my lips. It's like he's trying to remember it all at once, all of me at once, and I'm doing the same with him. I don't even remember when I started, but my fingers are running through his hair, running down the expanse of his neck then over his shoulders, his shoulders which are towering over me.
This is just a kiss right? So I thought I'd be able to just focus on his lips parting against mine, but my mind is all over the place because he's all over the place—in a good way. When his fingers brush against the my bare skin, slipping under my hoodie, I hold onto him for dear life. The cold air doesn't feel cold with his skin on mine, and I think I like it too much.
A knock on the door interrupts us. Carson growls before I can cover his mouth. I look at him like he's crazy, and the burning gold simmers down to an amber instantly as he shakes his head, regaining his senses.
"Yes?" I call out to whoever's on the other side of the door.
The door cracks open. Thankfully Carson and I are away from each other by then. It's my Dad. He stands arms crossed, eyes narrowed at the two of us. "How long does it take to say goodbye, Mia?"
Longer than this if you hadn't interrupted. "It's the weekend," I say quietly, trying not to show that I'm catching my breath. "I'm not gonna see him for like two days."
"Somehow, I find that hard to believe." He glares at Carson before gesturing for me to come back inside.
When I take a step away, Carson grabs my arm.
I stare down at his hand. My dad stares down at it too. Carson let's go quickly. "Sorry. Uh, reflex?"
Silence.
"Goodnight, Mia," he says.
"Goodnight." Before I can go inside, my dad steps out into the cold night air. It feels a lot colder than I remember from a few minutes ago.
"Good. Night. Carson." Dad shoves two containers of food towards Carson. "That's for you and your brothers. Don't eat it all."
Carson smiles and takes the food happily. "Thank you, Sir."
"Don't thank me," Dad says. "If it was up to me, you wouldn't be anywhere near this house." He turns around and storms back into the house, dragging me with him.
"It was nice seeing you again, Sir," Carson adds.
Dad slams the door in his face. Then he turns to me. "Why do you do this to me, Mia? Why do you have to break your old man's heart?"
"We really weren't doing anything," I say. "You should trust me." Even though I'm lying.
His eyebrows flare crazily. "You march yourself right up those stairs. We're having the talk your boyfriend didn't have time for... But he had time for his goodbye kisses didn't he?" Dad scoffs.
This is so embarrassing. I hope Carson's not still outside listening.
"What even is a boyfriend?" Dad uses scare quotes. "What do you do with it? Walk it?"
"Oh hush up, Hugh," Mom says. "We were worse in middle school and you know it. And you just hate him because he reminds you of yourself."
Dad whips around. "How can you be so calm?"
"Because whether you like it or not, she's gonna be with him."
"That's what they think," he says.
She shakes her head. "At least he's not a gang leader. Count your blessings." She looks at me. "I'm just glad that you brought him home. It feels nice to be included."
"Have you lost your mind?" Dad asks. "You're thanking the burglar for sending us a warning before the robbery."
Michael claps. "Exactly. Say it again for the people in the back."
Dad gives him a firm nod.
Mom shakes her head. "Oh for pete's sake. Come on Charlie, Megan. It's time for bed." She leads them up the stairs. I follow to get away from Dad.
He continues to rant to Michael. They plan and plot on the same spot where Onai's blood littered the floor not too long ago. "I'm gonna light that boy's..." He notices Charlie's still around. "Butt on fire. Just mark my words. Next time I see him, Mia won't have a boyfriend."
"You're the best, Dad," Michael says. "It's time for Asher to go."
They chuckle to themselves, patting each other on the back for a job well done in the making.
I rub my forehead.
---
A/N (3/16/18) -It was rough at first, but I think Carson's become a family favorite lol. I feel like a good song for him would be: Wait by Maroon 5 or What Lovers Do by Maroon 5. What do you guys think? [Any song choice is fine, not just these two]
Now here's a sneak peek of Chapter 39 !! [ I feel like I'm selling you guys something on an infomercial and I swear I'm not xD Act fast while supplies last *waves the preview at you* ]
Ethel nods again, his hum muffled by Onai's hand.
"Okay." Onai nods with him. "I'm gonna let you go now."
Ethel starts to pull away. Onai doesn't let go. "You're not gonna run," he tells him.
Ethel nods again, his eyes looking a little too calm.
Onai slowly lets him go nonetheless, bracing himself to catch him if he does. When it seems like Ethel'll stay, Onai straightens up, letting him go fully. "Thank you. Now we'll tell you what we were talking about. Right, Mia?" He looks at me.
I nod, smiling. "I was just asking—"
Ethel bolts.
I knew it.
Onai curses under his breath before chasing him.