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Scared they’re going to hurt one another, I grab Tiller’s shoulders. “Don’t kill him. We need to make good memories for River, not ones of bloodshed.”
That is the only reason he lets go of him. Roan shoves him when the knife’s dropped. “It was two years ago, asshole.”
I have to physically stand between them when Tiller points in his face and warns, “You kiss her again, I’ll break your fuckin’ jaw.”
“Whatever, man.” Roan rolls his eyes and walks away.
Scarlet catches him. “Wait, so no Ophelia tonight?”
He shakes his head and keeps walking upstairs.
I look at Tiller, who’s now pouring himself a cup of coffee and smiling. He’s so deranged, but I love him for it. “Was that necessary?”
He nods, winking. “Incredibly so.”
Willa wraps her arm around my shoulder. “Let’s get this turkey in the oven.”
HOURS LATER, THE smells of turkey filling the vast corners of the Sawyer mansion, football on the television and kids playing at our feet, I sit peacefully at the kitchen island preparing an assorted tray of sliced meats and cheeses. Do you think that’s the truth?
Well, it sort of is. I am in fact at the kitchen island assorting meat and cheeses. But it’s certainly not peaceful. It can’t be at this house because while the girls are slaving over dinner, and by girls, I mean Willa and me, Scarlet is drooling over Shade and Berlin again, the peaceful part is the lie.
Scarlet sighs. “Do you think if I had a baby with Shade, it’d come out wearing sunglasses?”
So that’s what she’s daydreaming about.
Shade hears her and quirks an eyebrow at her. He’s sitting on the floor with Berlin and River while they use him as a human jungle gym. Look at his face. He doesn’t seem appalled by the idea either.
My attention shifts to Tiller, Roan, and Camden outside on dirt bikes, making bets as to who will make it across the pool before they hit the cactus on the other side. It’s an awful idea.
“They’re not really going to do that, are they?” I ask, pointing outside. It’s not even that they’re trying to jump the pool. They want to glide across the water without sinking.
Scarlet shrugs. “I hope they do, and Tiller lands in that cactus and the spines get stuck in his ball sac.”
“Scarlet?” I gasp, slightly alarmed at the detail of her daydream. “Why would you wish that upon him?”
“I’m sorry,” she says, downing her third glass of wine. “Tiller and I have history with that cactus, and he owes me.”
There’s a lot I don’t know, apparently.
Ricky leans into Willa beside me, kissing the side of her neck as he moves her hair out of the way. It’s sweet and tender and not at all what you usually see between the two of them. “I hate to break it to ya, Scar, but you jumped off the roof and landed in the cactus. Tiller didn’t force you.”
Setting her wineglass forcefully on the counter, she scowls at Ricky. “He called me a pussy.”
Just then, the scream of a two-stroke fills the house and we see Roan shoot across the backyard and attempt to glide smoothly over the pool and not hit the boulders and cactus on the other side. He gets about ten feet and sinks.
Shade perks up. “What a bunch of fools. I gotta go show them how it’s done.”
And then he’s added to the mix. I might add, none of them are wearing riding gear, but they at least have helmets on so there’s that.
Camden tries next, on the dirt bike Tiller gave him for his birthday, and hits the diving board and we’re pretty sure he’s broken his wrist, but he won’t complain. Gingerly he jumps out of the pool, gets his bike out, and then Tiller goes for it.
Guess what happens?
He lands in the cactus.
Shade is the only one who actually makes it all the way across the pool without sinking and doesn’t land in the cactus.
Remember when I said about the unconventional ending? Just wait. That’s not even the worst part.