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Despite everything, Rhys and I can’t help exchanging amused glances as Mom goes into detail about a murder documentary she watched the week before.
We lapse into a comfortable flow of conversation while we watch fireflies skip across the water and the sky fade from pink to the deep blue of a fresh bruise. I almost forget others would be joining us until Mom checks her watch.
“Where is everyone?”
“Maybe they won’t come,” Oz decides hopefully and gets a poke in the leg by Mom’s toes.
“We have a kitchen full of food and a small army of people coming tomorrow to set this place up. If no one shows up, I’ll cry.”
Oz’s face morphs into one of sorrow. “Of course, people will come, my love. I only mean that I would much rather have my beautiful wife and children to myself. We haven’t been together like this since ... Christmas?”
Mom nods and I try not to think how terrible and tense the few visits I’d made where Rhys was also in attendance. I spent the entire trip avoiding him, barely looking at him, and leaving as quickly as I could. Now, all I want to do is crawl into his lap and let him hold me.
“How many people are we expecting?” Rhys asks and the sound of his voice makes my skin tingle.
“Tonight, only family,” Mom assures. “The actual party tomorrow will have a few extra people. Friends and family mostly. Are either of you bringing anyone?”
The hopefulness in the question makes me grimace. I think the fact that neither Rhys nor I have had a significant other since our school days is beginning to stress her out. Out of pure desperation to get her to stop her not so quietly stressing, I told her about Atticus. I could have declared I was moving back the way she practically came apart with happiness. That happiness dimmed only slightly when I told her we’d met online.
“You’re going to get murdered,”was her response.
I had to swear on her life that I would not let myself get murdered.
I stare a little too hard at the dock stretching across the center of the lake.
“Addie?” Mom prods. “Why don’t you invite your friend?”
Oz glances from me to Mom, dark eyes thin slits. “That masked weirdo? I don’t want him here. There is something wrong with a grown man who runs around dressed up likeZorro.”
“It’s not aZorromask,” Rhys mutters, and quickly adds, “I’m guessing. It wouldn’t be very practical...”
“Does it matter what kind of mask?” Oz snaps. “He could be a criminal who preys on young women. I should have my guy look into him. He sounds unhinged.”
I am barely holding my hysterical laughter in check when Oz pivots his outrage on me.
“Honestly, I don’t want you to see him anymore, Addie. You have no idea what he looks like under there. I mean, how old is he even to be wearing a mask? Are you sure he’s not a child?”
The absolute outrage on Rhys’s face, the personal offence has me choking back my laughter as I fight to maintain a stoic expression.
“You know what, you could be right,” I muse slowly, with all the conviction I can muster. “He could totally be a weirdo.”
Oz nods, face the most serious I’ve ever seen it. “If you want to date someone, Gerald’s son is currently in university to study law. Good kid. I will introduce you.”
“Oh!” I say, putting some excitement into my voice. “A lawyer, huh?”
“Better than some mask wearing nut job with no teeth.”
“What do you mean no teeth?” Rhys snaps, glowering at his father. “You can’t know he doesn’t have teeth. The mask could just be ... a thing.”
I’m dying. I’m pretty sure my insides are about to explode.
“He’s a lunatic,” Oz shoots back. “Your sister deserves a good boy.”
“She deserves to be...” I have never seen Rhys swallow down his words so quickly. He clears his throat. “She absolutely deserves something.”
Pleased he’d won, Oz turns to me. “I’ll tell Gerald to text me when Jordan visits next time, and we’ll set up a dinner here at the house.”
Sobering, I shake my head, deciding I better clear things up before the vein in Rhys’s temple explodes. “That’s not necessary, Oz. Thank you though, but I’m happy with my masked man. He’s all I want. And I have seen his face,” I add quickly when he looks ready to argue. “It’s a beautiful face with all his teeth. I’m very fond of it and him. And I’m not letting him go.”
