Page 10 of The Vengeance You Crave
It's not unusual that Aunt Fee is still up and the lights are on, so I don't think anything of it as I walk toward the house. That is until the front door opens and someone steps out.
"Oh my God," I squeal when I register who it is.
My exhaustion is suddenly forgotten as I run into his arms.
"I didn't know you were coming," I say as he returns my embrace, holding me tight.
"I didn't tell anyone. Surprise," he says, releasing me and holding his arms out to the sides.
"Aunt Fee must have lost her shit."
He chuckles at me. "She was pretty excited."
"Man, I wish I was here to see her face."
"Come on," he says, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "She's made you something to eat."
Guilt floods me, I hate that she feels like she needs to stay up and make sure I'm okay. The deal with moving in here wasn't for her to look after me.
"My boy's home," she announces with a wide smile on her face as we enter the kitchen.
Elijah's a Marine and has been on tour for months after being based on the other side of the country. I know that Aunt Fee is mega proud of him, but she also misses her youngest something awful.
He's the same age as my sister, and although they were always closer growing up, the two of us connected after she left. He was at Trinity Royal, and Mom insisted on cooking him a decent meal once a week and doing his laundry as a favor to Aunt Fee. He obliged because, well, what male college student could turn down the offer of free food and laundry services. But it gave us a chance to chat. He was the only real friend I had after leaving Rosewood, which is kind of embarrassing because he's basically family. But my heart and trust were in tatters post-Luca so it's not all that surprising really that I didn't let anyone in.
Aunt Fee places a bowl of mac and cheese in front of both of us and excuses herself for a few minutes.
"Mom says you're working at a bar," he says, suspicion evident in his tone along with his raised eyebrow. "How'd you swing that?"
"My charm, I guess."
"What bar, Peyton?" he growls, putting on his protective big brother act.
I shake my head at him, really not wanting to get into it. Elijah grew up in Maddison so I have no doubt he knows all about the things that go on behind closed doors inside The Locker Room. "It—"
Thankfully, Aunt Fee walks back in cutting off whatever I was going to say in the hope of changing the topic of conversation.
"It's so nice having you all here," she says, going to the cake tin on the side and pulling the lid off.
"Is everything okay?" I ask, knowing that she went to the back room.
"Perfect. Nothing to worry about." She smiles at me softly, but although she says the words I want to hear, she knows full well that I'll still worry. "How was work?" she asks, completely ignoring the obvious tension radiating from her son because there's no way she'd miss it, she's too perceptive.
"You know, the usual. Busy."
"Have you cut your hours yet? You know it's going to get too much, now classes have started." She pins me with a look while Elijah's eyes burn into the side of my face.
"N-no, not yet. I want to do as much as I can."
"Pey," she warns.
"I know what I'm doing," I argue.I have no clue what I'm doing.
"I trust you, but I'm worried. I know you're strong, but you can't take on the world single-handedly."
I pick at my mac and cheese, still full of the food she packed for me and sent me to work with. When she pulls out her homemade cake, Elijah's eyes light up but I make my excuses and leave them to get caught up.
I quietly poke my head into the back room to make sure everything really is okay before I make my way upstairs to my room.
