Bound Together: a New Adult Reverse Harem Romance (Torn and Bound Duet Book 2)

by K Webster

  This is weird, right?

  I’m going with my boyfriend to have dinner with my ex-almost boyfriend and his boyfriend at my ex-almost boyfriend’s family’s house.

  God.

  It’s so weird.

  Ashton laughs, already reading my mind. Bastard.

  “What?” I grumble as we park behind Drew’s truck in a driveway to a normal, ranch-style home—a home that would probably fit inside my parents’ palatial living room back in California.

  “Relax, MiMi. Brayden’s parents can’t possibly be any worse than ours. And if they are, we can all go back to my place after and toast to horrible parents everywhere.” He grabs my hand and tugs me close so he can kiss my lips. “If it gets weird, we’ll bail. Promise.”

  The tension bleeds out of me as I climb out of Ashton’s Audi. Drew and Brayden are already walking inside. Ashton takes my hand and guides me up the steps, squeezing to let me know he’s there.

  The scent of brownies fills my nostrils as we enter the small home. My stomach grumbles and I bite back a grin, knowing Ashton will be thrilled to eat brownies.

  “My babies,” a woman with dark hair says. “I missed you two.”

  She pulls Drew and Brayden in for a hug. It’s cute seeing them together, though I wonder how Brayden’s parents will deal with learning they’re an item now. It makes me wonder if they’ll tell them at all.

  “And who are these two cuties?” she asks, grinning at me with a smile that matches Bray’s.

  “I’m the hot friend Ashton,” Ashton says, “and this is my even hotter girlfriend, Mia.”

  “Lovely to meet you,” she chirps, pulling us in for a motherly hug too. “I’m Molly.”

  I don’t expect to get choked up over a hug from a woman I don’t know, but I do. I have to bite on my lip to keep from crying. Why can’t my mom be like this?

  “Tim’s outside, checking the grill. I’m working on a salad,” Molly says. “It’s so nice having a full house. I’m happy you all could come tonight.”

  “I like my steak still mooing,” Ashton says. “Does your husband know how to cook steak or does he char everything like your son’s boyfriend? Drew’s bacon is shit.”

  Drew shoots Ashton a sharp look and Brayden just rolls his eyes. Molly laughs, clearly entertained by Ashton.

  “Come on, rude ass,” Drew says, grabbing Ashton’s arm. “Let’s go say hi to Tim and he can smack you around with his spatula a bit.”

  Brayden shakes his head as they go out the back door.

  “You kids want to help me in the kitchen?” Molly asks.

  I nod, completely out of my element. I can’t remember the last time I helped my mom in the kitchen. I once tried to help the chef, curious about how to cook, and my mom flipped out on me and said never to embarrass her like that again.

  Molly hands me several different vegetables and a cutting board and knife. I take the tomato and slice it down the middle, and then again. Then I realize, aside from cutting up the occasional piece of fruit or making a sandwich, I’ve never actually made a meal. I get all my food from the cafeteria or order in. I try to imagine how I like my tomatoes in my salad. Usually a bit smaller, but since I have no clue how to cut them any smaller, I nervously move on to the next vegetable, hoping I’m not messing up her salad too much. Mom is super picky about the presentation of the meals that are served in her home. Everything is about appearance with her. Hopefully Molly isn’t the same way. Because there’s no way the hack job I’m doing on these vegetables is going to look pretty.

  “So, how did you all meet?” Molly asks.

  “Mia’s my tutor,” Brayden says, locking eyes with me. “She’s the reason I’m currently passing all of my classes.” He shoots me a playful wink and I shake my head.

  “Oh, that’s so nice of you.” She beams at me as she washes and chops up the lettuce.

  I sigh in relief that he didn’t tell her I’m his ex-almost girlfriend, then go back to eyeing the vegetables, picking up a carrot next. Molly hands me some weird contraption and I eye it, having no clue what to do with it. Not wanting to look stupid, I consider Googling it or taking a picture of it and sending it to Clancy, my parents’ chef, but instead I set it down and move on to the green pepper. I turn it around in my hands, unsure how to slice it. I glance over at the other color peppers and realize I need to pick one because I’m running out of vegetables to skip.

  As I’m about to admit defeat, muscular arms cage me in against the counter. I know based off the woodsy scent it’s Brayden, and when I glance up, it’s confirmed.

  “Here,” he says softly, his warm breath against my ear. “Let me show you.” I should be concerned about how close we are, especially in front of his mom, but as he wraps his hand over the top of mine and shows me how to slice a pepper, all I can do is sigh in relief.

  Molly grins over at me, not even fazed that her son is this close to me. “I know Brayden really wanted to go straight into the NHL,” she says, pride in her tone. “But it was so important to us that he get an education first. God forbid something happen to him, he needs a backup plan.”

  I nod in agreement, as I watch Brayden show me how to cut each of the vegetables. Molly must notice by now that he’s showing me, but she doesn’t say a word, and for that I’m thankful.

  Brayden takes the contraption she gave me and says, “It’s a peeler.” He slides it along the outside of the cucumber, then lets go of it, so I can take over.

  “Thank you,” I whisper, turning my head to look at him. He grins and then pecks a sweet kiss on the side of my neck before stepping away.

  “You’re doing a great job,” Molly says, scooping up the vegetables we’ve already sliced and placing them all into a big salad bowl. Her gaze meets mine and a smile spreads across her face. I can’t help but beam back with pride.

  “Damn, MiMi,” Ashton says as he enters the kitchen. “Look at you going all Rachel Ray up in here.” Brayden moves to the side and Ashton takes his place, planting a kiss to my cheek. “Keep this up and I’m going to have you barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen in no time.”

  “Ashton,” I whine, jutting out my arm to elbow him. He dodges my elbow and snags a slice of cucumber, popping it into his mouth.

  Molly laughs. “You two are so cute.”

  “Don’t encourage him,” Brayden groans, also grabbing a slice of cucumber. I pretend to stab his hand and he laughs, pulling his hand away.

  “Dinner’s ready,” Tim calls out.

  Molly hands me the finished bowl of salad and then we all join Drew and Tim in the dining room. It’s a small, cozy room with a circular wood table and chairs. It looks like it should seat four people tops, but enough chairs are squeezed together so we can all sit.

  Ashton plops into a seat then pulls the one next to him out for me. Brayden and Drew sit next to each other with Brayden on the other side of me, and Molly and Tim do the same, across from me.

  As Ashton is about to reach for the plate of steaks, Molly speaks up. “Who would like to say grace?”

  Ashton pulls his hand back. “I will, Mom.”

  “Have you ever even said grace?” I accuse, knowing damn well he hasn’t since his family isn’t religious.

  Ashton shrugs. “No, but I’ve seen it on TV.”

  We all groan and Molly giggles. “Thank you, sweet boy, that would be great.”

  I catch Drew rolling his eyes and laugh under my breath, before I follow Molly and Tim’s lead and lower my head, waiting to hear Ashton’s speech.

  “Grace,” Ashton says. I wait several seconds for him to continue, before I realize that’s it. He literally said ‘grace.’ My head pops back up in shock, ready to stab him with my steak knife, when he chuckles. “Kidding.”

  He shoots me a devilish wink and I groan on the inside, afraid of whatever is about to come out of his mouth next. “Lord, thank you for the delicious food I’m about to devour, for the people I’m about to devour it with, and for MiMi, who I’ll most definitely be devouring
later. Amen.”

  I groan.

  Tim laughs.

  Brayden and Drew both snort.

  And Molly giggles, winks my way, and then says, “Dig in, everyone.”

  We’re all grabbing our food, when my cell phone vibrates in my back pocket. Not sure who it is, I quickly pull it out to check, immediately wishing I didn’t.

  Mom: I’m having your dress designed for the event. Can you try not to gain another ten pounds between now and then? With the holidays, they won’t be able to alter it.

  Without even bothering to reply, I shove my phone back in my pocket. When I glance up, Ashton is watching me curiously. “My mom,” I murmur with an eye roll to play it off. The last thing I want to do is ruin everyone’s dinner with talk of my family.

  I watch everyone grab their food, as they make small talk about Brayden’s team’s winning streak, but I’m suddenly not all that hungry. I grab a piece of steak and a salad, since they’re the healthiest items, but bypass the macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, and buttery rolls.

  “MiMi, don’t you love mac n cheese?” Ashton asks, eyeing my half empty plate. Before I can answer, he plops some down on my plate. “Try it, it’s good,” he says, taking a bite.

  “So, tell me what’s new,” Molly says.

  “Well—” Ashton begins with a glint in his eyes that tells me he’s about to out Drew and Brayden. Earlier, he joked about it, but no one actually took him seriously. I kick him under the table and shake my head. It’s one thing to mess around, but it’s another to mess with someone’s family.

  “Drew and I are together now… like a couple,” Brayden says, shocking the hell out of me with the way he just comes out and announces it. I hold my breath, praying his parents don’t ridicule or disown him. But at least if they do, we’re here and have his back.

  Molly glances from Drew to Brayden several times before a huge smile breaks across her face and tears fill her eyes. She stands and walks over to Drew, pulling him into a hug. “Finally,” she says through a watery smile. “Congratulations.” She hugs Brayden next, telling him how happy she is for him before she sits back down.

  Ashton stares at her in shock, for the first time in his life speechless. My eyes dart to Tim, wondering if he’ll be this happy, or if he’ll be the one to give them a hard time.

  “How is that going to work with you being the coach?” Tim asks Drew.

  Drew stiffens. “I don’t know, sir. It only just happened, so we’re still figuring it all out.”

  Tim nods, as if that answer is good enough for him. “I imagine this road will be a bumpy one. I’m glad you boys made it back to each other. If you need anything, we’re here.”

  “Thank you,” Brayden and Drew both say.

  And that’s it… Just like that both of Brayden’s parents accepted them being together. My heart thumps behind my ribcage, wishing these people could be my family. Wondering why my own can never be that accepting.

  As if he can tell what I’m thinking, Ashton reaches over and squeezes my leg. I grant him a forced smile and go about eating my salad.

  “Here, MiMi,” Ashton says, “try this.” He extends his fork of mashed potatoes toward me. I try to shake my head, but he keeps going and I’m forced to take a bite. “Good, right?”

  “Yeah,” I say after I swallow my bite.

  “Did you try my mom’s rolls?” Brayden asks from the other side of me. He tosses a roll onto my plate, and I groan on the inside. What the hell is up with these boys trying to feed me?

  I glance over at Brayden and catch the weird look passing between him and Ashton, and it hits me. He told Ashton about my mom. Freaking great.

  Not wanting to be rude, I have no choice but to eat everything they place on my plate. After the meal is over and everyone has helped clean up, Molly brings a massive plate of brownies over.

  “Would you like one or two?” she asks me sweetly.

  “Oh, none for me, but thank you,” I tell her.

  Her brows dip together. “Is there something wrong with my brownies, honey?”

  “Maybe it’s the pregnancy hormones,” Ashton quips, grabbing three for himself.

  Molly’s eyes go wide, and my head swings over to him, my face heating up in embarrassment.

  “Ignore him. He’s an idiot,” Drew says, grabbing his own brownie. “You can only believe a quarter of what comes out of Ashton’s mouth. She’s not pregnant.”

  “Yet,” Ashton adds with a wink. I make a mental note to go get on birth control as soon as possible. Too many pregnancy jokes are coming out of his mouth.

  “Just have one, please,” Molly insists.

  Because I don’t want to offend her, and because they look and smell delicious, I nod.

  “Good girl,” she says with a wink.

  As I take a bite of my brownie, I notice Ashton and Brayden both smiling at each other. And I know Brayden definitely told Ashton about my mom.

  After dessert is over, Molly insists we all go out back and have an after-dinner drink by her chiminea. It’s cold outside, but the warmth from it makes it nice. Ashton and I cuddle up into one of her lounge chairs together, while everyone pairs off in the other two.

  “This is nice,” Molly muses. “We should make this a weekly tradition. Remember when you used to come over every Sunday for dinner?” she asks Drew, who nods in agreement.

  “Yeah, I’ve missed this,” he says, wrapping his arm around Brayden. “Being on the road got old quick.”

  My phone buzzes in my pocket again, and I plan to ignore it, but Ashton pulls it out. “Sasha has formally invited you to the DELTA DELTA DELTA Halloween party,” he says with a snort. “Hell no. No one wants to see her dressed as Slutty Sorority Barbie. Oh wait. She’s Slutty Sorority Barbie every day.”

  “Be nice,” I say, smacking his thigh. “It could be fun. Maybe Drew and Brayden could come.”

  Before Ashton opens his mouth and says something super inappropriate about that, Brayden chimes in. “I got a text earlier from Finn. The whole team is going. I think I’ll go. I’ve been trying to be more present with them. Being team captain means you actually have to talk to the team.” He laughs. “You can be my date, Mia.” He winks.

  “If he’s going,” Ashton grumbles, “then Drew and I have to go to make sure you don’t get roofied by Brayden’s dude bro friends.”

  Molly laughs. “You’re such a silly boy.”

  Ashton beams like it’s a compliment.

  “I can’t,” Drew says, though he has a wistful expression on his face. “I wish I could.”

  “It’s a Halloween party,” Ashton says to Drew. “Wear a damn mask. No one will ever know.”

  “I think it will be wonderful for you four to dress up and have fun,” Molly encourages.

  “As long as you’re careful,” Tim adds, his attention on Drew.

  “Halloween used to be your favorite holiday,” Molly says to Brayden. “Remember when you and Ben went through your phase of dressing up together?” She smiles. “Brayden wanted to be Papa Smurf and convinced Ben to be Smurfette. Poor thing had to walk around the neighborhood in a dress and blond wig, but he didn’t seem to mind.”

  Everyone laughs, but when I look over at Brayden, he isn’t. He’s not even smiling.

  “Oh!” Molly continues, completely oblivious to the change in Brayden’s demeanor. “And what about the time you three boys all dressed up as your favorite hockey players? I think I have a picture somewhere.”

  At that, Brayden jumps out of the chair and mutters, “I’ll be right back.”

  Molly stops talking, a frown marring her features. “I shouldn’t have—”

  “No, dear,” Tim says. “It’s okay to talk about Ben. All we have left are the memories.”

  My thoughts go back to the time Brayden and I spent together in my childhood room at my parents’ place when he surprised me by showing up for the weekend. The devastated look in his eyes when he told me about his brother’s death. The guilt dripping with each wor
d as he confessed to me that he was to blame. Had he not agreed to take his brother outside in the cold that day while his parents were out, he believes his brother never would’ve caught pneumonia and died. I can’t even imagine living with a weight like that on my shoulders.

  “I’m going to go talk to him,” I say, my eyes meeting Drew’s to make sure I’m not overstepping. He nods once and I take off into the house to find Brayden.

  I search the kitchen and living room and then head down the small hallway that’s filled with family photos. The second door on the right is slightly ajar, so I poke my head in. “Hey, can I come in?”

  Brayden nods.

  I sit next to him on the twin-sized bed and glance around. There are hockey trophies and pictures filled with happy faces. Hockey posters are hanging on the walls and there’s a corkboard with a collage of more photos. I admire how homey the room is. You can tell a teenager lived here. I think back to my room at home and how it looks more like it’s staged than lived-in.

  Brayden is clutching a small picture frame to his chest. “Can I see?”

  He hands it over and I admire the photo. There are three boys in the picture. Two older and one younger. I can tell right away that the two older ones are Drew and Brayden. Drew’s signature dimple is on display as he smiles over at Brayden, who looks to be laughing at something someone said. The youngest of the three is glancing over at the other two boys with a look of awe.

  “This is your brother,” I guess.

  “Yeah. It’s the last photo I have with him.”

  I notice then they’re all wearing hockey uniforms. It must’ve been Halloween.

  “Bray, you have to tell your parents… You can’t keep living with this guilt.”

  Brayden shakes his head. “I can’t. I promised Ben.”

  “Though I didn’t get to know Ben, I think he would be okay with you telling them. The little boy in this picture loved you. He wouldn’t want you to suffer in silence.”

  “What if they hate me?” he whispers, staring down at the picture. “What if I tell them and they blame me?”

  “The way you’re already blaming yourself?” I set the picture down and turn to face him. “You announced over dinner you’re not only gay but dating your best friend and they barely batted an eyelash. I don’t see them blaming you or hating you. I think you need to trust them. I’ve only just met them, but I can see it in their eyes, they love you so much.”