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Avery looked at me with wide eyes and frowned. “You okay, Mom?”
I faked a laugh and nodded. “Of course. Go show Jake how a Carter kid plays. Show him no mercy, bud.”
He still didn’t seem super happy but he nodded anyway. I could hear him taunting Jake once they were in the living room, his worries forgotten, thanks to Jake.
Sebastian sat next to me and leaned against the counter. “What exactly did the principal say?”
I told them everything and then repeated the most important parts when Jake came back into the kitchen. When I had to admit that Hendrix seemed eager to fire me, I started crying. “Sorry. I just… I love my job. I love the kids I teach. Some of them are awful, but I even love them. I am the entire art department and if I’m let go, art dies at the school. Hendrix will never bring in anyone else.”
Jake wrapped his arms around me from behind and rested his chin on my shoulder. “We’ll take care of it.”
Ryder nodded while leaning across the island to squeeze my hand. “You just relax and let us handle it. It’s our mess, not yours.”
Mallory came up from a long drink of wine from a bottle I hadn’t even seen her grab. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and pointed at Jake and Ryder. “My sister deserves the world. Not this. She shouldn’t be getting harassed because of you two. Fix it.”
“We will.” Ryder blew out a deep sigh and nodded at Sebastian. “What’s it feel like to have a nice, normal ex?”
“Feels pretty fucking great. Especially right now.” Smiling at me, Sebastian reached out and stroked my cheek. “I’m sorry you’re having a hard time, angel.”
I felt my bottom lip quiver and groaned. “Okay, no more. I cry so much these days for absolutely no reason and I don’t want to. Let’s just… Wait a minute. Why are you all three here?”
Ryder laughed and despite the strain I heard in it, he was doing his best for me. “I told you. We got tired of sharing your time. So, we all came. It seems those two were expecting you to feed them. As if you didn’t already know, I’m the best choice because I came to feed you.”
Jake walked around the island and looked at the vegetables Ryder was chopping. “So, what? You’re just chopping a few veggies? I can do that. Does that make me a chef?”
Mallory let out a loud sigh and put the wine bottle down. “This is more like it. Fight each other with your shirts off. That would make me feel better.”
“Mal!”
She shrugged. “What? It would.”
I looked back at the guys and tilted my head as I studied them. “Yeah, you’re not wrong. I want it to happen in orange jello, though.”
“Orange jello? You want us to fight in orange jello? That has to be the worst jello flavor.” Sebastian motioned for Ryder to back him up. “I’m right, right? Orange jello is trash.”
Ryder snorted. “I bet it tastes better than anything you two could produce.”
I happily let them distract me from the bad stuff and watched as they argued over their cooking and then other things they compared, like height and muscle mass. I knew they were just doing it to make me laugh, but it worked and it made me fall for them even harder.
Mallory moved over to sit next to me at one point and hugged me to her side. “You’ve got it bad, don’t you?”
I blushed and lightly pushed her away. “Shut up.”
“That’s what I thought.” She stood up and held her bottle of wine in the air. “And now, the yoga zen master will exercise her abilities to put you three to shame. Get out of my way, boys. Let me show you how I make what is famously called a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.”
The guys all groaned but they made room for Mallory and by the time the night ended, we had four meals, one of which was delicious.
39
***Fiona***
Inormally didn’t have my phone out while at work but it was my lunch break and I was waiting on a call to reschedule my next doctor’s appointment. When I saw a number I didn’t recognize, I answered it without a second thought, assuming it would be the nurse. The voice that responded after I said hello sent an unwelcome chill down my spine.
“Fiona?” When I didn’t respond right away, the voice turned frustrated. “I know you’re there.”
I took a shaky breath. “Why are you calling me?”
“Why am I calling you? Are you serious?” A harsh laugh pierced through the silence in my classroom. “How many years has it been since I told you to leave me alone, Fiona? When are you going to get it through your thick skull that I don’t want anything to do with you?”
