~Brie

My entire morning was filled with running errands for my mother, babysitting Aubree to make sure she wasn't left alone with Riccardo, and worrying about Aiden.

“Everything's going to be just fine.”

There was a tone in his voice I couldn't quite depict and it left a half relieved-half unsettling feeling in me.

What could he mean by that?

I planned to call him after I finished running the errands but it ate into my afternoon and by the time I got to sit and catch my breath, it was almost evening.

I sat in the parlor which gave enough view to see into the dining room my mother was fussing about to prepare for the Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow night. Aubree sat glued beside me, closer than my own shadow.

The fact that we hadn't bickered once in days made our mother happy. But everyone else just gave us oddly unusual looks... like it wasn't okay to not bicker.

Aubree yawned. It didn't take long for me to yawn too. Leslie who was perched on a rocking chair nearby tried to stifle his yawn but failed miserably and succumbed to it.

“Bruce? Swap the dining room table with the larger table!” my mother called from somewhere in the house.

My Dad stopped laughing at something Nia was telling him.

“Zach? Emmett? Help me get the table. You too Doctor Álvarez. Get up Leslie” he called to the boys.

“What, I don't get to be called Doctor?” Leslie pouted.

“Get your ass here, dude” Emmett chuckled.

“Oh, Nia? Becca wants me to get the big pans out but I'm not tall enough so if you could give me a hand” Dove called out.

Nia glanced at Aubree and I.

“Yeah okay.”

Aubree groaned and shook her head.

“How many people are even coming to this dinner that Mom's working everybody so hard?” she asked.

“Beats me” I muttered.

The boys successfully replaced the normal dining table with the grand one just as my mother walked in with Nia and Dove trailing after her.

“I just got off the phone with my sisters and they'll all be coming over for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow night.”

Of course, she invited the whole family.

“I invited Beck's family too” she continued, glancing at Aubree.

My sister rolled her eyes.

“They're family too... despite everything.”

Aubree sighed. My mother turned to Riccardo who was putting his shirt back on.

“What about you Rick? You're coming right? And you're bringing Trisha, yes?”

Aubree didn't as much as blink.

“Err well, I'll be coming... just not with Trisha.”

His voice was low.

Oh?

“She's gone back to LA. We broke up.”

Oh.

Aubree did more than blink. She tensed and then flinched. Then she sat up and frowned.

“What?!” she exclaimed “Why?”

I turned to her, like everyone else.

“Why would you break up with her?”

I subtly tapped her to tone it down but she just kept frowning at Riccardo.

“And I thought you'd be thrilled” Rick chuckled, locking eyes with her from across the room.

“Why would I be, Rick? And why on earth would you break up with her?”

Riccardo shrugged nonchalantly.

“It wasn't going to work” he replied. “And I guess Aubree was right. It was just my loneliness getting in my head.”

My sister's throat bobbed and she looked very close to tears.

Hormones?

Hell no. With the way Riccardo was looking at her, he wasn't anywhere over her. Hell, I don't think he ever began the 'getting over her' process.

He was probably using Darren's cousin to try and get Aubree back and his plan backfired. He kissed my sister and then broke up with his girlfriend because he clearly wasn't over her.

“Pity” Nia muttered.

“What about you, Breanna?” my mother asked. “Will your boyfriend be coming?”

I caught Emmett's jaw tick as Zachary rolled his eyes.

“Well... no I don't think so” I replied after a while.

This wasn't a very good time.

Nia's brows shot up and a scoff left Zachary's lips.

“Shocker” he muttered loudly enough for me to hear, earning a sharp nudge from Dove.

“Stop it” she scolded.

Emmett clapped once.

“Well, good riddance to him. At least now we can save space for people we can all agree we like” he smiled at my mother. “Let's invite Aiden.”

Oh God.

Aubree chuckled into my shoulder, shaking her head.

“He's a cool dude, we all like him, and Roman will be thrilled to have him here.”

“Agreed” Zach joined in. “Aiden's my man now and it won't be weird since someone's not working for him anymore. We're definitely inviting Aiden.”

“And Iris” Leslie chipped in. “They're a package deal. If he's coming, she's coming too.”

He likes her.

“Call her then, Les” Emmett smiled. “Before they make plans. And tell her she has to bring Aiden.”

“Aiden's in a meeting in New York” I heard myself say before I could help it.

Everyone's eyes fell on me.

“And you know that how?” Nia asked me.

I folded my arms.

“Megan told me” I lied. “Because she's also going to be there.”

“Oh yes, Megan and Lulu,” my mother said, snapping her fingers. “I almost forgot. Call her later then, Breanna.”

I nodded.

“Anyone else we're forgetting?” my dad asked.

“No one I remember off the top of my head” Aubree replied.

“You two are coming right?” my mother asked, looking at Dove and Zach. “There's so much to be grateful for this year. I'll call your moms” she smiled.

Zachary and Dove shared a loving look and my heart tugged. How long was Aiden and I going to be hiding around?

Till next year?

I groaned quietly and Aubree looked at me.

“You okay?”

I shrugged.

“I've had better days, Aubs. You okay?”

She scoffed.

“Not even close.”

Her tone made me chuckle and she chuckled too.

“We'll be fine though right?” she muttered.

“Yeah. We've been through worse” I think smiled softly.

Aubree smiled back.

“Are you two smiling at each other?” Leslie asked, only to get hit on the back of his head by Dove. “Ow!”

“Don't ruin it” she scolded him.

“Emmett, I'm going to need you and your sisters to come with me to start the Christmas shopping after tomorrow.”

“Sure Mom” Emmett nodded.

Aubree and I exchanged looks.

“Girls?”

“Do we have to?” my sister and I chorused.

Dad chuckled.

“I thought I'd never see this day again” he smiled at us. “And yes you have to.”

“Isn't Christmas like what, a whole month away?” I asked.

“Yeah, Mom. Can't it wait?” Aubree added.

“You know, I liked it better when the two of you were at each other's necks,” Nia said, shaking her head. “Because this is too creepy.”

We chuckled.

“We're going to begin with the wedding preparation after Thanksgiving” Dove grinned. “And I need my best friend and maid-of-honor with me.”

Aubree cradled her bump and winked.

“We got you, Birdie.”

“You too Brie” she smiled.

I tried to meet Zach's gaze but he wasn't even glancing at me. I nodded and gave her a small smile.

“Whatever you need, Dove.”

“Birdie, please help me up,” Aubree said, holding her hand out.

“I got you, Aubs” Riccardo stepped up to take her hand.

Aubree tried to tug her hand away but it didn't look like he was willing to let go. She sighed and reluctantly let him help her up. Then she groaned and he lost it.

“What's wrong? Are you hurt? Do you wanna sit back down? Should I carry you? Would you like a glass of water? Should I—”

“Riccardo!” Aubree cut him off, snatching her hand away. “Stop it. I'm fine.”

He didn't look convinced.

“But you—”

“Braxton hicks, remember?” I cut him off standing up to tug at his arm. “Relax.”

He glanced around at how everyone else was watching him with amused looks on their faces and flushed a little.

“Sorry I... panicked” he apologized.

“No shit” Aubree muttered.

I shot her a look and she rolled her eyes.

“Let's just get you into bed darling okay?” Mom said.

Aubree shook her head.

“I'll just sit on the couch—”

“Let me help you” Riccardo jumped in.

Aubree shot him a look and he reluctantly backed off.

“I can walk fine, Rick. Thank you.”

Dove gave him a sad look as she slipped between him and my sister.

“Les?”

“Coming” he chipped in, moving towards Aubree to help her.

I shook my head.

“Well, if we're done here Mom, I'm going to go get Roman from school,” I said. “I doubt Megan's back so we'll pick Lulu up too.”

The doorbell rang and Emmett moved away to get it. I caught Zach watching me but he looked away and pretended I didn't exist.

“How long are you going to keep this up, Zach?” I asked. “How long are you going to be mad at me?”

He ignored me.

“What are you even mad at me for, huh?”

“Breanna, could we not do this before Thanksgiving?” he frowned.

“I think ironing out your differences before Thanksgiving is perfect, Zachary” Dad smiled.

“With all due respect Mr. Nolan, I'm not in the mood to do just that with your daughter.”

I frowned.

“You disappeared on me months ago and I didn't give you such a hard time. Why are you so mad at me, Zach?”

“Breanna, not now. Okay? I really don't have time for this.”

I rolled my eyes.

“Unbelievable.”

“Aiden!” Emmett's voice called out from the front door.

Aiden?

I craned my neck.

“Yeah, she's here but hang on dude! How do feel about joining us for Thanksgiving tomorrow night?”

I didn't hear Aiden's reply as the shuffling of feet from everyone else streaming out of the kitchen and into the living room prevented me from.

“Aiden, hey!” I heard Nia's very excited voice. “What are you doing here?”

Again I didn't hear his reply. I was about to walk out of the kitchen when a, “Yeah she's in the kitchen” from Dove stopped me.

It didn't take long to see him pop through the archway that led into the kitchen. The moment his eyes fell on me he grinned, his white teeth stretching his stubbled, dimpled cheeks.

“Aiden,” I said, trying not to smile too much as my entire family gathered at the archway. “I thought you were in New York... w-when did you get back?”

“I wrapped up early... got back as fast as I could.”

I caught Nia arch a brow and I cleared my throat.

“I'm sorry, did you need something?” I asked.

He shifted his weight, chuckling a little.

Who has put him in such a good mood?

“I was at your house,” he said.

I tucked in my lower lip, then released it almost immediately when I noticed the way Aiden's throat bobbed up and down.

I looked around for my phone.

“Sorry, did you call me?” I asked, patting the back pockets of my jeans. “It's been quite the day here so I probably didn't hear. I'm really sorry if you did call. We're getting ready for the Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow and if I knew you'd to call me, I would have kept my phone close to—”

I wasn't sure when Aiden crossed the rest of the room over to my side and backed me up against a kitchen counter.

“Aiden what are you—”

He rested his hands on the counter behind me and leaned in, kissing me.

Wait, what?

It took me a few seconds to jumpstart my brain. But before I could will myself to push him back, his tongue swept across my lower lip and I melted. I smiled against his lips, kissing him back.

The kiss was soft, and remembering my entire family was seeing us kiss, my heart was pounding rapidly beneath my lungs. But I was too selfish to stop.

Aiden's lips traced mine and he made the kiss feel unusually gentle. Then as if someone flipped a switch in him, he deepened the kiss. But that version barely lasted and he pulled away way too soon for my liking.

We stared at each other for a minute after we pulled away and a giggle escaped me, heat crawling up my neck. Aiden grinned, hiding it in my shoulder as he lowered himself to hug me. He pressed a kiss in the crook of my neck lifting his head and resting his forehead against mine.

“It's all okay now, my love” he mumbled, laced his fingers through mine, and lifted his head before turning to face my family who looked both shocked and very pleased.

My mother was grinning like the Cheshire cat and Nia looked like she was about to explode with joy.

“Mr. and Mrs. Nolan, I want to officially ask for your permission to date your daughter” Aiden spoke up. “And even if you disagree, I'm letting you know I'll do it anyway.”

I glanced at him.

Where was this rebellious streak coming from?

“Date my daughter?” dad asked.

“Better you than her anonymous boyfriend, bro” Emmett smiled. “You have my blessing.”

“And not that you asked me but you have mine too, Aiden. Mazel tov” Zachary grinned.

I chuckled into Aiden's shoulder.

“Well that means a lot to hear that from you but I've been the anonymous boyfriend all this time” Aiden smiled.

Nia gasped, then frowned, and then she smiled at me.

“I'm not even mad at you anymore, Brie” she laughed.

“Well if you're all done getting your opinions out” my father began, “I'd like a good explanation, if you don't mind, young man.”

So Aiden nodded and told everyone everything from the beginning. It was when Aiden mentioned Miles Herve's blackmail and me resorting to quitting my job for his sake that Zachary finally met my eyes.

I could tell how mad he was at himself for getting mad at me when he didn't fully understand what was going on.

“So as we speak now, Mr. Nolan, Miles Herve is currently in the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York awaiting trial. He's looking to serve quite a long sentence if not life imprisonment. And I don't know how you feel about it but I'm going to make sure he's not granted parole” Aiden finished.

“You did all that for my daughter?” my mother sniffed a little.

“I'll do so much more for her and Roman, Mrs. Nolan” Aiden smiled.

I tensed up a bit and he was quick to give my hand a reassuring squeeze. I was now clinging to his arm with my other hand as I half hid my body behind his. Aiden glanced back at me and smiled.

“You don't have to worry about Miles ever hurting Manny again, okay?”

My heart throbbed with happiness. I'm not sure what I was about to say but my dad bested me to it by speaking up first.

“Aiden” he called out.

Aiden turned to face him and my dad smiled.

“I wouldn't have anyone else dating my little girl after everything she's been through. Welcome to the family, son.”

Aiden chuckled excitedly and it was only when my mother moved up to sweep him in a hug that I realized the truth was out and Aiden and I wouldn't have to be sneaking around anymore.

Nia's tight hug knocked me out of my trance and I chuckled.

“And I was almost going to listen to you when you told me I needed to stop reading romance novels” she smiled, letting go of me.

“I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Nia. I—”

She furiously shook her head.

“I'm sorry I was well... me.”

I smiled.

“I'll take a 'you' any day.”

Emmett stepped beside his wife and sighed.

“Hearing everything my man Aiden had to say makes me feel much worse than I deserve to feel” he muttered. “I'm sorry, Breanna. I swear.”

I shook my head.

“No, Em. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said all those things. That's not how I feel at all. I love your meddling. You're my family. I shouldn't have said I felt controlled 'cause I'm not.”

“Breanna you were going through so much you couldn't tell anyone about. I should have known something was up. I should have tried harder to stay patient and trust you but I just... over did it. And it felt odd being mad at you. It doesn't feel that way when it's Aubree.”

I chuckled.

“But with you, it was just... all shades of wrong” he sighed and opened his arms a little. “Forgive your dumb older brother?”

“Of course I do. You don't even have to ask” I chuckled, folding myself into his big warm embrace.

He planted a kiss on my forehead and let me go. I hugged my parents and chuckled when my dad whispered, “Baby Eden” into my hair as he let go of me.

“Breanna? Do you have a second?” Dove called out to me when the chatter and laughter died down.

I stepped away from Aiden with a smile and approached her with a knowing look.

“Where's he?” I asked.

“Attic.”

I mouthed a “I'll be right back” to Aiden who crossed over to my side to kiss me before saying I could go.

I moved the stairs and crossed over to the door in the ceiling, bumping it open and going up the ladder.

“I'm too old to be going up ladders, James” I called out as I wobbled up the creaky ladder into the attic.

I turned on the single lightbulb.

“What are you doing in here, Zachary?” I sighed, looking around.

The whole room was covered in only a thin film of dust. On the wall, children's drawings framed a blanket fort filled with pillows as action figures, Barbie dolls, and stuffies littered the floor.

“Get out of there, Zach. You're going to catch a cold” I said, tugging on the blanket fort.

He let out a tiny chuckle.

“You know, I never destroyed your blanket forts,” he said sadly.

I rubbed my forehead.

“What are you doing, Zach?” I asked again.

“Hiding in shame until I can face you to apologize for being unfair.”

I walked up to his side and lowered myself beside him.

“You know, it takes a real man to admit his faults” I sighed.

Zachary rolled his eyes.

“Almost thirty-five years of friendship and you still suck at beginning pep talks.”

I chuckled.

“You're no better.”

He hummed.

“I know. I'm an even shittier best friend.”

“Zach” I sighed. “Don't make it exaggerated. You know how I hate drama. I'm not mad at you.”

“But I was at you... and unfairly too.”

I sighed and rubbed my head. He reached over to my side and picked up a little toy robot.

“I remember this guy” he chuckled. “Do you?”

I playfully rolled my eyes.

“Of course. Robotics club, high school. This little guy helped all of us get away with everything” I laughed.

“Smuggling cheat sheets to tests between classes, passing notes between us under the pretense of 'lab work', my” he sighed happily. “Those were the good days.”

I frowned.

“You used 'Channing Tatum' to cheat?”

Zachary looked at me.

“I honestly still don't know why you never did, Brie. And for the billionth time, this robot looks nothing like Channing Tatum.”

I laughed.

“It does too. You don't see it because you're just jealous.”

Zachary gave me a lopsided grin.

“Are you seriously just going to let me get away with being mad at you wrongfully? And not even giving you a chance to explain?”

“You want me to hold something against you, Zach?” I asked. “For Pete's sake, you're my best friend. And you only acted the way you did because I didn't tell you the truth.”

He bobbed his head.

“You're right. This is all your fault.”

I rolled my eyes and he smiled.

“I'm sorry Brie. I really am.”

“And I'm sorry for not trusting you with the fact that my boss and I... you know.”

He grinned.

“I'm so happy for you, Breezy Bee.”

“Really?”

“You have no idea” he chuckled.

“I wasn't expecting everyone to be so receptive toward Aiden.”

“Not everyone,” he said. Manny doesn't know yet. Although I can already tell how elated he'll be about this.”

Oh shit, Roman!

“You wanna get out of here so you go tell your little boy the good news?” he grinned.

I nodded.

“Yes please.”

Thank you so much for reading!✨