“Fine.” I smile, running my tongue over my bottom lip. I find Brantley again. “Think something got stuck in my throat.” Okay so she’s not the only one who likes to tease them every now and then, but the banter with Brantley momentarily pauses my thoughts of Nate and his moody, unattainable bullshit playboy ways.
Madison leans back, smirking into her— “Is that a mimosa?”
She grins, and my eyes find Bishop who is glaring at her from across the table.
“Sure is,” she mutters, pointedly ignoring B. “Want one?”
“She’s good,” Nate answers for me, ever his moody self lately.
“Yeah, I do,” we both ignore Nate, and Madison giggles, grabbing my hand. “Come. Tate, you too.”
I snatch my plate from the table, not ready to give up this glorious food right now. Madison is still laughing when we enter the kitchen, her eyes swinging between both of us.
“Okay. So, sit. We need to talk about tonight. The boys are going out, but I feel like we need a girl’s night, you know, have some bonding time.”
This doesn’t sound good. I bite into my strawberry, my lips wrapping around it. Juice slips down my thumb and I slowly bring it up to my mouth, sucking it off. Something is obviously going on with Madison, and I know she’s trying to help Tate and I bu—
“Tillie!” Nate barks from the table in the dining room and my attention snaps to him instantly. Damn open plan dining.
“What!” Now what have I done wrong? He’s scowling at me, his eyes on my fingers. I look around the table to all of them—bar—Bishop, and their eyes are all watching me.
Bishop’s back is jiggling like he’s laughing.
“Oh shut it, Nate! If you can’t handle how hot she is maybe you should—” Madison stops herself, exhaling. “Never mind.”
I turn to face Madison, ignoring what just happened. There’s no way that’s what that was about. “As much as I’d love to, I can’t. I have Micaela now.”
Elena comes into the kitchen. “Tillie, can I talk to you for a second?”
I drop my strawberry and swipe my hands on a dishcloth. “Sure.”
Madison squeezes my arm as I slide passed her.
I walk into the lounge room, my eyes going to Madison’s dad. “Hi, Mr. Montgomery.”
He flashes me a convivial smile. “Please, call me Joseph.”
I know he’s not Madison’s biological dad, but I swear they look similar.
I take a seat on the sofa opposite him, and Elena sits beside me with Micaela in her arms. She hands my daughter back to me, and I take her, bringing her to sit up against my belly.
“Tillie, I, don’t really know how to say this so I’m just going to go right out with it.” She exhales. “We want to help you any way that we can, and I mean that in the sincerest way possible.”
Micaela’s fingers wrap around my index finger and I jiggle my legs softly. “Okay.”
Elena looks to Joseph and then back to me. “We want to offer you the pool house. It doesn’t have to be permanent, but it is yours for as long as you need it. I don’t want to sound pushy,” she says, and something clogs in my throat. I watch both of them, the love they share exploding around me. I wish I had a family like this. Nate is a lucky bastard. “But we want you to know that we are your family now. Regardless of your relationship with Nathanial, this is as much your home as it is his and Madison’s.” I fight the tears that are threatening to fall from my eyes. Living with Nate is probably not the best idea, but Madison’s words echo inside my head. You have to think of her now too.
Elena carries on. “I would also like to say that, um. I will be here at all times. Joseph will be traveling for business, but he will be home a lot more now too. Tillie, we want to help every way that we can, which is why…” She chews on her bottom lip. I’ve never seen her nervous before, but it fills my heart to know she’s trying to help. She exhales. “I want you to know that college can be an option for you. I want Micaela to have the best life, and that means that I want you to have the best life.” Joseph shuffles in his seat, his smile is a little lopsided now. Maybe he doesn’t agree with Elena, either way, there’s no way I could accept the college offer. I gave up on that dream a long time ago. She continues on, “We know you will be graduating with an above average GPA and we have enough strings we can pull at NYU that we can get you into the classes that you would like to take…”
I lick my lips. “I—I am not sure what to say. Thank you for the college offer, I do appreciate it so much, but there is no way that I could ever accept that and be okay with it. I gave up on college a long time ago.” Elena’s face falls, her eyes going to her hands on her lap. Joseph reaches over to rub her back. It’s a warm and loving gesture, one that I couldn’t relate to. “However, I would love to ah, take you up on the pool house?”
Her eyes snap up to mine, a smile stretched wide. “Really?”
I nod, pulling my lips between my teeth. “Yes. I will figure out work and pay rent—”
Elena shakes her head. “No. No rent is needed. Can I ask you one more thing?”
Why not. I nod, nervous about what she’s going to ask me next. Her eyes shift to Joseph, who looks almost statue-like. “You know my active life in The Kings. So, I just—”
“—Honey, don’t bore her with all of that.”
I sense she’s not telling me something, but it’s probably got to do with Nate
