“Would it be okay if Kim came to lunch tomorrow? She doesn’t have a family to celebrate with, and I figured since we’re basically a group of outcasts, that-”
“Of course she can come, Chase,” I tell him, putting my knife down. I grab his hand, halting his peeling until he looks at me. “We’re not outcasts. We’re family.” At my statement, Chase stares for a second, his head tilting to the side as he gives me a look. I’m not sure what the look is, maybe vulnerability or hesitancy, but it’s not something I’m used to seeing on him. Usually, he looks so sure of himself or annoyed, not whatever this is.
“What?” I inquire. He shakes his head and pulls me to him, hugging me. “Thank you, Athena. You’re like a sister I never had,” he says softly, talking into my hair. I wrap my arms around his torso and hug him back.
“You’re welcome.”
The beeping of the oven timer breaks us out of our moment, making me laugh a little. “I need to get that,” I tell Chase. I move around him and pull the oven door open. Grabbing oven mitts, I slide them on and grasp the casserole dish. I use my foot to close the oven door, and I carry the casserole to the island in the middle of the kitchen. The sweet, sugary smell rises from the dish. Honestly, I’d love to dig in right now and shovel mouthfuls of this orange heaven into my mouth.
“That’s one thing done,” I announce with a triumphant smile. If I had to guess what it feels like to be a wife, this would be it. My man off at work, ‘kids’ in the house, and me cooking the meals. I worked this morning with Drake, so it isn’t all “wife stays at home while the man works’ but it’s close. I didn’t think I’d like it, but I do.
Chase smiles and sets down his fourth peeled potato. Picking my knife up, I continue cutting potatoes.
~*~
“Athena, you awake?” Drake’s voice reaches my ears. Opening my eyes, I sit up and spot Drake walking into the room. He sits on his side of the bed and pulls me into his lap. “How was your day?” He asks, pecking my lips.
“It was good. Chase and I cooked and got all the food ready for tomorrow,” I yawn, laying against his warm body. Now that everything is cooked, I can relax with him. I don’t have to worry about it tomorrow. He hums a response, and I look up at him. “How was your day?” I run my fingers up his forearm that found its home across my waist, and I trace the tattoos there.
Drake releases a breath and rests his cheek against the top of my head, “Tiring, but better now I’m with you.” I laugh at his cheesy line and kiss his jaw. A little cheese is good, I think. It shows his playful side. However, I still want to know why he took on an extra job, yet I won’t push him for the answer. He can do what he wants without me turning into a clingy girlfriend and getting in the way.
“Let’s sleep. We have a full day tomorrow,” Drake suggests, and I nod, sliding down under the covers to wait for the day ahead. A long, hopefully, fun day. Drake pulls his shirt off, revealing all the fantastic tattoos decorating his torso, and heads to the bathroom. I guess he’s going to take a shower.
Sighing, I snuggle up to the covers and pull Drake’s pillow to my chest. His spicy scent invades my senses, and I smile, nuzzling my face into the softness that is his pillow. I like his smell, and I briefly wonder if that makes me sound like a psycho, but I don’t care. It’s comforting when he’s not here. Earlier, I fell asleep to the smell, and it reminded me that he’d be here when I woke up.
A few minutes later, I hear the bathroom door open. The soft thumps of Drake’s feet padding across the floor reach my ears, then the bed dips.
“Flower, I’m going to need my pillow back.”
I stick my bottom lip out in a pout and release his pillow. “Fine, but I’m using you,” I grumble, waiting for him to lie down. When he finally does, I throw my arm over his waist, lay my head on his chest, and curl around him, almost on top of him. His only response is to chuckle and pull me closer.
“Love you, Flower,” he whispers, leaning down and capturing my lips.
I kiss him back with sleepy force, then pull away. “Love you too.”
~*~
“Hi, I’m so glad you made it,” I greet as Kim timidly follows Chase into the kitchen. She smiles at me, her hair hanging around her face in a beautiful golden waterfall. She moves forward and hugs me.
“Thanks for inviting me.”
I look over at Chase to see him mouth ‘thank you.’ From what he said, she lives on her own now that she’s emancipated from her abusive father. He didn’t tell me her entire story since it’s not his to tell, but I couldn’t let her be alone today. He told me that she’s struggling on her own and that they help as much as they can. It makes me wonder where she lives.
I send Chase a smile before turning back to Kim, “Would you like to help?”
She glances at Chase, who nods encouragingly, then she turns back to me. “Yeah, sure. What do you need help with?”
Looking around, I point at the silverware and table settings. “Could you and Chase set the table?” I ask as my oven timer dings. I move to the oven after grabbing my mitts to pull out the turkey.
Placing the large turkey platter on the counter, I pull out a carving knife and glance back at the couple.
“We can do that,” Kim replies with a big smile. I watch as she grabs the plates and Chase grabs the napkins and silverware. He passes me, kisses my cheek, and exits the room.
As Chase leaves, Drake and Alec walk in. “Hey, Athena, what’s cooking?” Alec asks, leaning up against the counter and wiggling his eyebrows up and down. I laugh at him and slide the mashed potatoes and the sweet potato casserole into the oven to warm them. Since we cooked everything yesterday, all I have to do is warm it up.
“Not much, but I need one of you to cut the turkey. Who will it be?” I ask, turning to them. Alec glances at Drake before bolting out of the kitchen like yesterday. Rolling my eyes, I glance at my boyfriend. “So I guess that leaves you,” I tell him, handing him the electric carving knife.
He looks at the tool, then up at me. “Uh, I guess I can do that,” he tells me, moving over to the turkey. It’s fitting he’s the one carving. In our family, Dad was the one who carved the turkey since he was head of the house. Drake is essentially the head of the house now. “By the way, after everything today, I have somewhere I want to take you.”
“Yeah?”
He chuckles, turning the knife on. “Yeah, but we have to wait,” he grins.
I smile too. Drake’s smiles are happening more often, and I love it. “I can’t wait.” The timer beeps at that moment, so I pull the dishes out of the oven. I set the seasoned potatoes and sweet potato casserole on the island beside the stuffing.
The buzzing from the carving knife fills the kitchen, and I smile. We haven’t had an authentic Thanksgiving meal in a while because Alisha always went out for Thanksgiving, so I’m looking forward to this. I walk up beside Drake and place my hand on his shoulder. “I’m going to change. Once you’re done, change into something…” I glance at his outfit smudged with dirt and something else I can’t identify. “Something clean, okay?”
“Yeah, go. I got this,” Drake nods, pecking my lips. I leave the kitchen with a smile on my face, a smile that’s coming easier than it used to, and I stop in the living room.
“Okay, I want everyone to wear something clean. I’d like to get a family picture,” I announce. The boys groan, and I shake my head. They’re such guys. “I said something clean, not something super nice,” I reiterate, and they nod.
Once again, I make my way upstairs and into Drake’s room; well, our room. In the room, I walk to the closet. Did I mention that Drake and I moved all my clothes into his closet? Like I said, climbing back and forth was getting tiring and annoying, so we moved everything over. Now we share a closet. I waited until the step-monsters were out of town on a spa retreat to get all my stuff.
I choose a leather skirt and a maroon top with lace on the bodice. Quickly, I change into the outfit, grab a pair of open-toe wedges, and then slip
them on. Even though I said we didn’t have to dress up, I feel like looking cute for our first Thanksgiving together.
I shuffle into the bathroom and work on my hair. “Athena?” Drake calls as he walks into the room.
“In here!” I watch his reflection as I pin up my hair. His eyes roll over my body, letting me know he likes what he sees.
He steps closer, putting his hands on my waist and kissing my shoulder. “You look amazing.”
“Thank you,” I say, turning in his arms. “Are you going to change?”
He looks down at his clothes and shrugs. “Do you want me to wear something nice?”
At his question, I bite my lip and shrug my shoulders, copying his motions and making him groan. I smile at his annoyance. He probably just wants me to look back in the mirror. “You can if you want, but you don’t have to,” I tell him, grabbing my eyeliner. Steadying my hand, I apply my makeup while Drake walks back into the room. I finish applying gray and light red eyeshadow, then finish with a light-colored lipstick and smile at my reflection.
“Babe, I need your help!” Drake calls out, making me laugh. Help with getting dressed? Picking his outfit? Adorable. With one last look in the mirror, I leave the bathroom. I come face to face with a shirtless Drake, all his glorious muscles and tattoos on display. Dang. He is gorgeous. Drake lifts a dark gray button-up shirt and a white one.
“Which one?” I look at his jeans and then back at the shirts.
“Gray,” I choose. He nods and hangs the other back in the closet. He slips the shirt on and starts buttoning it.
He leaves the top button undone and turns to me. “Can you roll my sleeves?” I imagine a younger version of Drake asking his mom this same question and smile. I wonder when I’ll get to meet his mom.
Lifting his right arm, I roll the sleeve up to his elbows and then do the same with his left arm. Done, I straighten his collar and place a quick kiss on his lips. He’s handsome. “Ready?”
“Yeah, we should head down,” he tells me with a nod. I smile, grab his hand, and pull him out of his room. We go down the stairs and enter the kitchen.
“Everyone ready to eat?” They all yell ‘yes.’
With a laugh, we fill our plates. Drake, being a gentleman, let me go in front of him. While I fix my plate, I notice everyone dressed in nice clothes, even if it is a button-up shirt and jeans. I smile to myself as I finish making my plate, then follow Drake into the dining room. He sits at the head of the table, confirming my thoughts from earlier. He’s like the dad of our family.
Mason and Alec sit to my left, while Drake sits beside me, with Chase and Kim to Drake’s right and Ross at the other end. We eat and talk. We talk about Kim and her school, where she tells us she’s graduating at the end of December.
“Really?”
Kim smiles and nods. “Yeah, I have all my credits in, so I don’t need to take any more classes.”
Laughing, I set my cup down. “I’m graduating at the end of December too! I’m ahead in my classes, and I’m almost done,” I tell her, making her smile even wider. Maybe she just needs a friend. I’d gladly take up that position. She’s important to the guys, so she’s important to me too.
“We should hang out sometime,” she offers. I nod and take a sip of my water. After a minute, I finally look at the guys, who all seem confused. Raised eyebrows, gaping mouths, and sounds of protest come from each of my guys.
Drake gets my attention by gently grabbing my hand. “When were you going to tell me?” I sigh. I hadn’t mentioned it because I hadn’t thought about it in a while.
I look over at him and open my mouth, but close it again. Biting my lip, I take a breath. “Um, I forgot about it until just now. I was going to tell you, but with everything going on, I forgot,” I explain with a shrug. I would’ve told him, but as I said, everything’s been crazy lately.
He sighs and nods, bringing my hand to his lips and kissing my knuckles, “Okay.” Okay? I thought he’d be upset, or at least curse a little. Not for the first time, I bless him for being so patient and understanding.
With that, the guys all start talking about some vacation trip. I take the last few bites of my food and sit back in my chair, merely listening. I hear something about Italy and something about Spain. My stomach is full, and my heart is happy. This year, I have a lot to be thankful for.
~*~
After the meal, I make an announcement. “I’d like us to, one by one, tell what we’re thankful for.” They all stare at me like I’ve grown another head, but a glare from Drake makes them agree.
“I’ll start,” Mason says, looking at me. “I’m thankful that my sister and I are still together,” he expresses, not taking his eyes off of me. He’s so sweet. This Thanksgiving could’ve been so different. Everyone smiles at his comment, and I blink back tears. I have to admit that I’m thankful for that too.
“Um…” Kim pauses until everyone looks at her, “I’m thankful to the guys for helping me over the year and that I can be here this year.”
Chase curls his arm around her shoulder and squeezes gently. “And I’m thankful for an amazing girlfriend,” he says, looking down into her eyes. He leans forward, kissing her in a cute display of affection. I smile.
“Oh, okay, enough of that,” Ross jokes, “I want to say that I’m thankful for my friends who put up with me,” he admits, giving all of us with his goofy grin.
I roll my eyes and chuckle, “I-”
“Wait, can I go next?” Drake asks, cutting me off.
I look up at my boyfriend and smile. “Sure.”
He takes a breath and glances around the table. “I’m thankful that I have friends and a girlfriend that loves me, despite my flaws and me,” he says, kissing my forehead. “I’m also thankful that this is my family.”
A smile comes to my face as I lean up, kissing Drake. Ignoring the hoots and whistles from our friends, I cup his cheek in my palm. “I second that. I’m thankful for my new family,” I tell them, turning to look at them now. “I love all of you.”
Chapter 31
Athena
“Ready to head out?” Drake asks, pressing his lips to my neck in a soft kiss.
I turn to look at him. “Yeah, but shouldn’t we clean up?” I ask, looking at all the dirty dishes and the leftover food. Not that there’s much. Five guys clean up food; there might be enough for one or two meals.
Drake chuckles and rubs his thumb over my knuckles. “The guys are gonna clean up for us,” he answers. Thankfully, I glance at them. I’m tired from getting everything ready. I hope wherever we’re going is relaxing. Drake has given no inkling or indication of where he’s taking me.
“Oh, okay. Let’s go then.”
He stands and pulls me to my feet. “We’ll be back later, guys,” he announces to the group. Everyone tells us to have a good time. I don’t doubt we’ll have a good time. From the smirk I catch on Ross’s face, I’m guessing they know where we’re going. On our way to the door, Drake grabs my jacket and helps me slip it on.
Drake holds the front door open, and I go out first. He leads me over to the car, opening the door for me again; all the while, he stays silent. He closes my door and walks around the front of the car, getting in the driver’s side.
“So, where are we going?” I’m so eager to know it’s making my hands shake.
He starts the car and pulls out of the driveway. “We’re going somewhere because I have some things I need to tell you,” he answers vaguely. Instead of pushing, I force myself to sit back and watch the houses go by. I shouldn’t be anxious. Drake knows me, and he knows what he’s doing.
Soon, houses turn into shops, then shops into trees. The sky turns a dark purple color as the sun goes down and the moon comes up- the silver rays of moonlight falling like a waterfall with a million diamonds in it.
“We’re here,” Drake announces, coming to a stop on the side of the road. Looking around, I see nothing but trees and a path.
“Is this where you kill me?�
� I ask, making him chuckle.
“No, this is where I tell you something important,” he answers thoughtfully. His eyes bore into mine, making my heart pound in my chest as I step out of the car. Drake grabs something from the back seat and throws it over his shoulder before he motions for me to follow him. Curious. I step carefully as I walk but eventually take my heels off. Wedges on the uneven ground don’t make for the most leisurely walking. I carry them in my left hand while Drake securely holds my right.
Trusting Drake, I let him lead me down the dark path. I chew on my bottom lip nervously as he stops us. He turns towards me and puts his hands on my upper arms. “I want you to close your eyes,” he says. With anyone else, I’d refuse, but I trust Drake. He hasn’t failed me before, and I don’t think he ever will.
Releasing a breath, I close my eyes. “Just let me lead you,” Drake insists, pushing gently from behind me.
I let him guide my body as we take small steps in the direction he wants. I assume we’re going off the path because the ground isn’t as soft under my bare feet. Drake moves his hands off my arms and puts them on my waist. “Okay, stop.” I obey his order and stop the movement of my feet.
“Open,” he whispers, his lips brushing against my neck. Opening my eyes, I see the most beautiful setting I’ve seen in my life. Covers and pillows lay all over the ground with sheets and see-through nets hanging above it, like a canopy. String lights lace in and out of the net and filter into the tree above. Around the covers are tiny flowers and little tables, also decorated with lights.
Turning to Drake, I plant my lips on his. “This is beautiful,” I murmur against his lips. I feel him smile and look up to see his bright eyes staring down at me.
“I’m glad you like it.”
Turning my head, I look at the setting. “How did- when did you do this?”
Drake takes my hand and walks us over to the covers. “I put it up yesterday. I was serious when I told you I need to tell you something important,” he answers, making me nod as I lower myself onto the covers and pat the spot next to me. It’s comfy, but I’m not surprised. There must be twenty pillows here.
Not So Cinderella Page 28