Page 35 of Eye of the Hurricane (Weathering Doves Harbor #2)

Katherine

I stretch my arms out and quickly bump into a hard body. Ares’ hard body specifically. It only takes me a few seconds to get my bearings about me. Last night was the wedding… the things he told me in the parking lot… the things we did when we got home.

Shit.

I reach over and shake his arm harshly. His eyes shoot open.

“You slept in my bed!” I whisper through gritted teeth.

“Very observant, honey.”

I whack his arm. “Make a bed on the floor.”

His eyebrows pinch together. “It’s the morning. I’m not going back to sleep.”

“Not to sleep, jackass. To pretend like that’s where you slept,” I tell him. I shove a spare blanket and pillow into his arms .

“Seriously?” he asks.

“You met my parents, do you think I’m serious?” He nods, understanding. He makes a bed on the floor and lays on it.

“Pretend to be asleep when I open that door.” Having hushed conversations about pretending to sleep has me feeling like I’m fifteen.

I step over his body, slip a dress over my head and head out to living room. All eyes are on me. My moms eyes quickly fall from me to the man fake sleeping on my bedroom floor.

“Morning,” I say, walking to the kitchen to brew a cup of coffee.

“We need to talk before we head out this afternoon,” my mom says, following me to the kitchen.

“He slept on my floor.”

“I see that. That’s not what this is about. Although since you mentioned it, I don’t love the idea of you behind closed doors with a man without a ring.”

I sigh. “Let me get some food in my system before we have some big talk, please.”

“Alright,” she agrees, walking back to the living room. I need to mentally prepare myself for whatever is about to come out of her mouth.

When it comes to my mom who knows what it’ll be. It could be about my looks, my career, my house, Ares, or any other number of things.

I crack eggs over the frying pan on the stove while my coffee brews. Ares walks up behind me placing a kiss on the top of my head.

“Let me make the eggs, you do your coffee.”

“I can do both.”

“I know.” He reaches for the spatula. “Let me do it anyway.” I nod, moving out of his way .

We spend a half hour in our own little world. Despite my family being in the next room over. We make our breakfast and coffee. He sits with me while I eat.

“My mom said she needs to talk to me before she leaves,” I whisper to him.

“Do you know what for?” he asks.

“No clue. Could be anything. Nothing good, I’m sure,” I huff a dry laugh.

“Do you want me to hang here today? Then whatever it is, you don’t have to do it alone.”

“You’d do that?” I ask.

“I’d do just about anything you ask,” he replies with a laugh.

“I’d love that.”

“Katherine, come talk with me,” my mom orders. I follow her to the kitchen. Ares gives us space to chat but stays close enough to the kitchen that he’s within earshot.

“Is everything okay?” I ask.

“We need you to let go of this childish dream, Katherine. We don’t want to cut you off financially but we’re not happy with where that money is going.” My heart sinks. I wasn’t sure they’d ever actually do it.

“You’re going to cut me off for pursuing a career?”

“It’s not just that, Katherine. We gave you a few years to get out this childish rebellion you’re clearly going through, but it’s been years now.

You refuse to give up this so-called career, you refuse to find a husband.

You’re so hell- bent on living a life the opposite of what we set out for you and I can’t for the life of me figure out why.

” She speaks quietly in an attempt to keep our conversation private.

My lip quivers and I pull it between my teeth to stop the movement.

“It’s not some rebellious streak I’m on.

It’s what I’ve always wanted to do. Do you know how happy most parents would be to have a daughter who put this much effort into her dreams?

To have a daughter who put zero energy into boys and all of it into making a life for herself?

” I raise my voice and I can see the heads of everyone in the living room turn to us.

“Do you know how happy most daughters would be to have parents who are willing to financially support them and not ask them to go to college while they find their husband?” she counters, also raising her voice.

“I can’t just give it up because you don’t like it. I’m this close to my dream. I won’t let you take it from me. If that means I need to support myself then so be it,” I yell back. Crossing my arms over my chest.

“Do you know how much of a spoiled brat that makes you?” She scoffs. “You’re willing to lose your relationship with your father and me for this. What does that say about you?” she snaps.

“Me? Are you fucking kidding me?” I yell back. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Ares approaching me. In seconds he’s beside me. “You’re willing to cut off your only daughter because I’m not willing to play into your 1800’s fantasy.” Burning hot tears spill down my cheeks.

I go to speak but Ares does before I get the chance. His face is stone cold.

“Katherine don’t be a b?—”

“Don’t fucking say it,” Ares cuts her off through clenched teeth, his face stone cold. I’m stunned into silence when he stands up for me. It’s not common for me to be stood up for. Especially when it comes to my mother. No one is brave enough to do it with her.

“Mind your business.”

“Katherine is my business,” he spits.

“She’s not. She’s our business. Until she gets a husband, she will be our business.

And you will not be that husband. You’re just a part of this rebellion she’s on.

You’re not good enough for her and you know it.

” I’m snapped back into my anger immediately.

It feels like an electric current zaps through me, bringing me back to the moment.

“He’s the only one in this house that’s good enough for me.

No one else here cares about me, not in any way that matters.

No one is willing to stand up for me. You can say what you want about me, I’m used to it at this point.

But you don’t fucking talk about him . I want you to leave! ” I scream, pointing at the door.

Every eye in the room is widened as far as the skin will allow. They all stare at me like I’m nuts.

“Go!” I yell again, pointing at the door. When Noah passes me he tries to speak to me and I stick my hand in his face.

My dad looks like he’s going to try to say something but he doesn’t. None of them do. They just grab their bags and leave.

As soon as the front door shuts behind them I turn and sob into Ares’ chest. His hand cradles the back of my head, holding it tight to him.

“Are you okay?” he asks, resting his chin on the top of my head.

“No.”

“What do you need? What can I do?” I cry harder.

“I don’t know. I’m not used to having someone to share this with. I usually just cry it out by myself until the feeling passes,” I tell him.

“I could see what the girls are doing? What about a girl’s night?” he suggests.

“I don’t think I’ll be any fun to be around.”

“Are you kidding me? Those two love a pity party! You wanna cry? They’re your guys for sure,” he says with a laugh.

“You really don’t think they’ll mind?”

“Let me go call them, okay? Why don’t you call Luna?” I nod. He walks out front and I dial Luna’s phone number.

“Hey, are you busy?” I ask.

“Are you okay? You sound like you’ve been crying?” she asks.

“Not really. My parents just left. I’ll explain it all later I was hoping you might come over. Ares is asking Audra and Ravyn.”

“Oh Katherine, I love a girl’s night! Of course! When should I be there? What should I bring?” she asks excitedly.

“I don’t know, a couple of hours? Maybe popcorn or wine… whatever people bring to a girl’s night.”

“Right, I forgot you didn’t really have friends back home. I’ll text the group chat. We’ll bring the stuff you just sit there and be cute.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” I tell her.

We get off the phone and I clean myself up in the mirror while I wait for Ares to come back inside. I wipe the mascara from under my eyes and run my fingers through my hair.

“The girls will be here at five, Luna’s orders. Rumor has it your best friend is a little bossy,” he laughs. Luna can definitely come across as bossy sometimes. It’s really more of a getting the ball rolling thing. She’s pretty easygoing.

“Thank you. ”

“It’s no big deal.”

“Are you going to stay?” I ask, hoping he has plans to crash girl’s night.

“No. I’m under strict orders not to. Ravyn says that girltime is sacred and I would throw off—and I quote—‘the cosmic balance of girlhood’, whatever the fuck that means.” I laugh.

“She also insisted you might want to talk to them about me,” he says, pointing to his face.

“I never really had those kinds of friendships until I moved here and met Luna. Even then it was just us and I was so focused on school and work that we never really had designated girl’s nights.” As soon as I say it out loud I realize how sad it sounds.

“I’m sure they would love to teach you about the sanctity of girlhood,” he says with a laugh.

“I brought wine but Kat, I can’t afford your rich girl wine so this will have to do,” Luna says placing two bottles of cheap red wine on the counter. I laugh.

“For some reason, after the day I had, cheap wine sounds better.”

“That bad, huh?” She doesn’t know the half.

Ravyn and Audra walk in with plastic bags. When they get to the kitchen they sit their bags on the counter and start pulling things out.

“Face masks, nail polish, shitty gas station snacks,” Ravyn lists off as she pulls things from her bag .

“Candy, cheese tray, red wine,” Audra adds as she unpacks hers.

“This is my first girl’s night, is that weird?”

“Maybe a little, but we’re glad to have you now,” Audra answers.

“I’m really happy to have you guys. I never really had friends back home in Louisiana and once I was here, it’s just been Luna and I. Until I met Ares and he introduced me to you guys. I never really imagined having a group of girlfriends but I love it.”

“I’m also thankful for getting roped in by being friends of friends,” Luna says with a laugh.

“Cheese tray and wine first please,” I announce, pulling glasses from the cabinet. We all stand around, sipping our wine and picking at the cheese tray.

“Okay, we’ve got cheese and wine in us. Time to spill it, Kat,” Luna says, stuffing a cracker into her mouth.

So I tell them every little detail. Going all the way back to when I still lived at home and the way I was treated then, to the phone call with my mom that made me and Ares decide to fake a relationship, all the way to this afternoon.

I don’t leave out a single detail, a single reaction, or a single feeling. It feels like I’ve cracked myself wide open in the best way. It’s more than a single weight off of my shoulders, it’s a million.

“I can’t believe he stood up to your mom like that,” Luna says, throwing back her last sip of wine. “Honestly, that’s so sexy.”

“We raised him so well,” Audra says and Ravyn agrees.

“I couldn’t believe it. Everyone is so afraid of my mom. I’m so afraid of her normally.”

“But you stood up for him too!” Luna adds .

“Does this mean that someone’s fake relationship is a little bit real?” Ravyn asks.

“I’ve read so many books like that,” Luna adds.

“I think that it means the care I have for him is real. It doesn’t change that I don’t have time for him right now. I can’t put my all into anything until I get this job.”

“That’s understandable. Does he know how you feel?” Audra asks.

“We actually talked about it last night.” I can’t help the blush and cheek-splitting grin that follows.

“Ooooh, there’s more to it! Tell us!” Ravyn demands.

“Well I asked him how he could be sure that I’d be ready eventually and he told me that he’s done his fair share of dating, probably enough for the both of us.

And that it’s never felt like this. So I asked him if it’s not always like this…

he said it’s never like this.” I have to bite my cheek to keep from smiling like an idiot. Audra and Luna both squeal.

“We did it! We successfully turned him into a man written by a woman!” Audra cheers.

“Honestly, you have us to thank for this,” Ravyn adds and they clink glasses.

“Did you get on your knees after that?” Luna asks, wiggling her brows at me.

“Jesus, Luna,” I huff. I expect Audra and Ravyn to side with me but instead, there are three sets of eyes looking at me expectantly.

“Okay, fine. No… But we did sleep together after that,” I admit and they all squeal. The statement launches a full night’s worth of questions and tea being spilt.