Page 113 of Nodus Tollens
“God, I can’t wait until you meet a girl who knocks you on your ass.” Hayes laughed.
I highly doubted that would be anytime soon, but I grinned when I caught Mal scowl in disgust. He didn’t respond. Instead, he walked over to a chair and sat down with his arms spread.
I’ve never met someone so hard to read in my life. He had moments where he looked so happy, but most of the time, he looked despondent. Like there was a chip on his shoulder, or maybe he had always been like this. Like life had shaped him this way. It reminded me of myself. Then, as if he could sense me trying to read him, his eyes swept over to mine, and I quickly looked away.
* * *
“Here, Blue.” Hayes pulled out a chair for me across from Mal, and I reluctantly sat down. I would have rather sat across from someone who didn’t have eyes that reminded me of a whirlpool of resentment, but at least I would have the comfort of Hayes beside me.
“Such a gentleman.” I praised with a grin as he scooted me in closer to the table. The soft glide of his palm on my shoulder sent a shiver down my back.
“Always.” He whispered along my shoulder blade, then swiftly pulled away to take his seat next to me. A faint smile had spread across my face until a certain fierce cloud of smog, otherwise known as Mal, caused it to slip away with his unnerving stare. I wanted to ask what his problem was or at least give him a glare in return for making me feel uncomfortable, but instead, I watched Mrs. Decker as she carried in a simmering bowl of food.
Whatever it was smelled delicious.
“God, that smells good, mom.” Hayes commended.
A wide, proud smile appeared across her face as she set the bowl down on the center of the table. My back straightened to get a better view of the steaming dish, and once my eyes landed on a heaping pile of sauteed mushrooms, my stomach growled.
“Best cook there is.” Greg sauntered into the dining room with a loving gaze set on his wife. Her cheeks instantly flushed at his comment, and even more so when he dropped a kiss onto her head. Even in his weak state, you could see the fire in his eyes that burned for his wife. The way he pulled her in close and whispered in her ear, you could see the undying warmth they shared for each other. Though his whole body was failing him, the love he had for her and his family would never dwindle.
“Not even close, but I’ll take the compliment.”
A scoff had flown through the air in front of me.
“Nothing beats your cookin’, ma. Not even the fanciest restaurant out there could beat what you put on the table every night.” Mal shocked me when he spoke. It was obvious that he adored the Decker family, especially Hayes’s mom, who left the arms of her husband and made the few short steps to Mal.
“He’s right, you know. I’ve been missing your cooking. It’s nothing like what they serve on campus.”
Her eyes filled with tears as she went and squeezed Mal’s shoulder. Her similar emerald eyes turned glossy as she glanced over at Hayes.
“I have the sweetest boys.” She said through her happy tears. Watching the pure adoration that she shared for both her boys made me an emotional wreck. It was plain to see she saw them as equals. Both were her sons. The only difference between them was that one was her blood, and the other wasn’t. “Luckiest mom in the whole world.” She dropped a short kiss onto Mal’s mop of dark hair, then quickly made her way around the table, where she did the same to Hayes.
“That’s right.” Hayes chuckled. “And don’t forget it.” He teased as I swatted at his leg under the table.
A few minutes later, and with a lot more dishes on the table, we were all finally sitting like a good ol’ happy family with plates full of food in front of us. Grilled chicken, sauteed mushrooms, and a variety of veggies, I have never smelled or seen anything better in my life. I eyed everyone around me, all hungry stares heavy on their plates, while I sat patiently waiting for the cue to dig in. I didn’t want to be the first one to take a bite, but I felt tempted. Extremely tempted when the mixture of scents wafted up into my nose and caused my mouth to water.
“Dig in, Blue.” Hayes nudged me with his knee under the table. My nervous stare found him, and within seconds, I found myself relaxing under his calming smile. One that I have learned was designated for me. Dimples out and eyes shining, he encouraged me to eat with the tilt of his head toward my plate. Luckily, Mal and Mr. Decker were too engrossed in a conversation to notice me, so I took the opportunity to cut a piece of the chicken and swirl it around in the sauce before bringing it to my mouth. I already knew it was going to taste delicious, but the second it touched my tongue, all my senses went haywire. The burst of flavor that exploded in my mouth had my eyes closing with a low moan. As much as I wanted to savor the food in my mouth and continue the flood of flavors I was experiencing, I wanted another bite.
“I hope that face means you like it.” Shelia chuckled nervously from beside Mal. My eyes had shot open immediately at the realization that she had caught me. The chewed-up chicken in my mouth was swallowed in slow motion as I felt all eyes make their way to me.
“Oh, Yes! Of course!” I said a little too enthusiastically. Hayes laughed softly beside me while Mal tilted the side of his mouth in a grin.
Great.
“It’s amazing, Shelia.” I lowered my voice from the high-pitched tone I had used and tried to block out the embarrassment that was attempting to plague me. It was apparent to everyone that I was flustered from being called out, but I knew she meant no harm by it. It was a playful question that had caught me off guard and now had my face turning the shade of a tomato.
“Thank you, Wren.” She responded with a grateful smile. “I’m glad you like it, sweetie. This just happens to be the boy’s favorite meal.”
With the attention off me, I peered over at Hayes beside me, who was shoveling a bite into his mouth. Even eating like a hungry pig, he was still so fucking handsome.
“All the meals you make are my favorite.” Mal added.
His plate was piled high with every possible food that was available on the table. No wonder he was so bulky and huge. He ate enough for a family of four. This didn’t make much sense because, even from the outside, you could tell he was built and had muscles in all the right places. Where was the fat on him? Did he even have any? Sure didn’t look like it.
“But this meal in particular, you both used to always nag me to make. I think I made it ten times in one month when you were both in the eighth grade.”
“We were hungry all the time then. From hockey practice and school, all I could think about afterward was getting something good to eat.” Hayes chuckled. “Hell, I think I grew a few inches that year, too.”
