Page 73 of Meet Me in the Vines
I jump in my seat when I hear the doorbell ring, and I look at Donovan with lost eyes. Caleb gets up from his chair when Donovan puts a hand up to him. “I’ll get it,” Donovan answers, kissing my hair before turning the corner to the front door.
Logan pinches his brow and starts chuckling, finally meeting my gaze.
“What are you laughing at, Harper?” I scowl, my tone comes out harsher than intended. I don’t enjoy being out of the loop, and with that stunt Logan pulled earlier, I’ve been on edge.
“You didn’t think I’d come back from Austinalone, did you Winthrop?” he drawls. I raise my eyebrow and hear the front door close. Wait.
No way.
I turn in my chair toward the front entrance when Donovan and a familiar face round the corner, both of them smiling from ear to ear.
“Tia?!” I scream, dragging my chair back as I race towards her. I crash into her chest, burying my face into her thick black hair. I peek out behind her and see Donovan’s adoring grin. My heart squeezes realizing that the people I love most are in the same room.
“Did you know about this?!” My voice is high pitched, piercing my own ears. “Mouse, I swear I had no idea!” Donovan puts his hands up in a surrender and shakes his head.
Tia pulls back from our embrace and twirls under my extended arm. Our smiles are too bright to contain. The sun might as well be shining in this house. “Surprise, bitch!” she squeaks, our obnoxious laughter echoing in the foyer.
I prod her playfully in the ribs. “You know I hate surprises! Why would you do this to me?!” She puts her arm around me as we walk toward the table.
“I tried texting and calling, but your number was out of service! I was going to tell you that Logan and I were on our way home, but Logan wanted to surprise D, so here we are.”
I fucked up twice now. First, I forget to tell Tia that I’m home for good, and second, I forget to text her my new number. But Tia never holds a grudge, and she deserves a better friend than the one I’ve been the last couple of years. Now that she’s home, I want there to be no secrets between us. No more time apart and memories wasted.
“Oh my god! How long do I have you for?” I ask, breathless.
“You have me for a whole week! Logan and I head back Saturday morning.” My mouth gapes open, soaking in the reality that my best friend is actually here.
Logan gets up from his chair, lifting Tia off the ground while he shakes her up and down. “Harper and Young, back in Oakwood Valley to fuck shit up!” he jests. Tia slaps Logan’s chest and scolds him. “Language! We are guests here. Jesus, Logan. I’m so sorry, Mr. and Mrs. King,” she mutters, giving them an apologetic smile on behalf of Logan’s sailor mouth.
“Can we please fucking eat because I’m fucking hungry,” Kerry interjects, earning howls of laughter from everyone at the table. Tia rolls her eyes at Kerry and ruffles the top of his head before properly greeting the rest of the family and settling into the seat across from mine.
“Before we dig in, I would like to make a toast,” Caleb announces. Kerry groans while throwing his head back. Wyatt slaps the back of his head, and everyone snorts out a chuckle. Caleb rolls his eyes before continuing.
“It’s been a long time since this table has had almost every seat taken. I look around here, and I’m thankful for every personsitting in this room.” He glances at every person around the table briefly until his eyes land on Donovan. Donovan avoids his father’s eye contact, staring at the plate in front of him. I look back toward Caleb and see his throat constrict, clearing it before finishing his toast.
“Uh, anyway. To family,” he toasts, raising his wineglass in the air.
“To family.” Everyone but Donovan says in unison, raising their glasses and clinking them with one another. His fingers twist the stem of his wineglass before raising it up to cheer those sitting closest to him. I know a real Donovan grin, the kind that makes my insides melt. The grin he’s wearing is not it. It’s forced. Fake.
“Cheers, babe,” I whisper, nudging him lightly with my elbow in hopes of snapping him out of his funk. He looks at me and his grin comes back. Just for me. There goes my insides.
“Cheers, Mouse,” he whispers back, kissing me on the lips before clinking our glasses together.
“Well, aren’t you two just the cutest thing?” Logan teases, flashing his crooked grin while cutting into his steak. Tia quirks her brow as she forks a piece of asparagus into her mouth, stifling a smile. Grace glances at Donovan and me with a smirk on her face. My cheeks can’t get any more red than they already are with all of this attention on us.
“He’s right, you two are adorable,” Grace croons, pointing her wineglass towards us before taking a sip.
Pop finishes chewing a piece of steak before he chimes in. “You know, Audrey used to just blush over Donovan in high school, and?—”
“Pop! Can we not, please?” I interrupt, my face flaming hotter than before. Pop heaves a hearty chuckle, wiping his mouth with his napkin. Scattered giggles erupt around the table as I playfully poke my comedian of a grandfather in his rib.Donovan quirks his eyebrow up at me, those damn dimples making it hard for me to feel embarrassed. He winks before kissing me on the cheek.
Everyone I love is here. If you told me a month ago this would be my reality, I never would have believed it.
Donovan rescuing me from that frigid, loveless prison was the best thing that ever happened to me. He helped me break the chains that clung to every part of me. Day by day, the weight of it all is less and less. And now? I’m free, surrounded by warmth and light and so much love I don’t know where to put it all.
I’ll probably put it in, on, and under Donovan…later tonight.
Chapter Twenty-Four
