"Are you sure I look okay?" I breathed, tugging at the hem of my newly purchased, strapless sundress. It ended just a little above my knee, so it wasn't too long, and it wasn't too short. But it also wasn't as elegant as I pictured it would have to be. The white dress was simple, loose and light, with intricate lace from the waist down.

"Hey, I'd screw you," Matt commented unabashedly.

Will made a choking noise somewhere in the back of his throat while I grinned at the taller man. "Thanks, Matt."

"Here, wear a jacket," Will said quickly, shoving a light, chocolate-colored jacket at me.

"Hey, this is mine," I responded, frowning at it for a moment before shrugging it on. At least it matched my flats.

"That's because I grabbed it out of your closet before we left because I figured you wouldn't," he responded distractedly, gripping the top of my dress and hiking it up higher on my chest.

I slapped his hands away quickly, feeling a blush dusting my cheeks as Matt busted out into laughter. "I-I can do that myself, thank you!"

Will stiffly put his arms down at his sides, avoiding my gaze. "Sorry. I'm nervous."

"You're nervous?" I repeated, my eyes traveling past him to the towering yacht that was bobbing gently in the harbor's bay. Currently, we were in Cape Cod, Barnstable Harbor, waiting to board the yacht.

Dustin was at a friend's house for the night. Against his protests, saying he could spend the night alone at home. There had been a little arguing between us before he'd finally relented, calling up one of his classmates to request to spend the night. Fortunately, his friend's house was en route, so we had been able to drop him off on the way up.

"It's just..." Will heaved a heavy sigh, running a hand through his slightly gelled up hair. Tonight he looked exceptionally handsome, dressed in a simple, black long-sleeve shirt and a pair of dark-washed jeans. Though his attire sounded casual, it was obvious everything he wore was of high quality, and brand, I was positive. Fortunately salvaged from the wreckage of his house.

Matt slapped his brother on the back, the action creating a painful sounding smack. "Man up, Barbie. We're going aboard." He was dressed like his brother, informal, but formal at the same time. Just as handsome, too.

Grumbling under his breath, Will straightened out, taking in a deep breath. "Let's go then," he muttered, offering his arm out to me.

After a second of surprised hesitation, I slipped my arm through his, and we headed for the gangway. Butterflies filled my stomach, threatening to make me more squeamish than I would've normally been aboard a boat. Boats were among my list of greatest phobias. I wasn't a strong swimmer, so the thought of a sinking ship was terrifying. However, Will's presence beside me was a steady one, and the yacht was tied to a post, so I was able to relax.

The interior of the yacht was just as lavish and adorned as the exterior, with shining cherry wood floors and silver chandeliers lining the corridors. Elegant mirrors and portraits of the sea lined the cream-colored walls, perfectly spread out, symmetrical with the wall opposite. I stepped softly, fearing my noisy footsteps would break something. The ship almost put the Titanic to shame.

Then I realized I'd just compared the boat I was on to the Titanic, which sunk, and a wave of nausea rolled over me.

"Seasick?" Matt joked, catching sight of my expression. His lips curved up into a small smirk. "Where are your sea legs?"

"At home, next to my sea-sickness pills and other sea parts."

Will squeezed my shoulder in a painful way, but I think he meant for it to be reassuring. I figured it was his nerves showing again. "We'll be sitting in a moment," he promised. "And if my mom says anything... punch her."

My eyes widened as Matt sighed. "Will—"

"Kidding," Will said with a lighthearted grin, pearly white teeth flashing. "Just ignore her. She can be a... she can be unsympathetic."

"Um, right."

"Ready?" he asked then, as we came to a set of double doors made out of mosaic stained glass. The colors were reminiscent of the sea, deep shades of blues, greens, and purples. "Try not to trip."

Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I nodded. "Ready as I'll ever be..."

Unsurprisingly, the dining room of the yacht was completely posh, with high ceilings, giant chandeliers, and candles on every one of the mahogany tables that were elegantly draped with ivory tablecloths. The delicious aroma of thousands of different cuisines floated around the room, surrounding me. Each table had six fashionably dressed individuals seated at them, menus in hand. Will tugged me to the centermost table, larger than the rest, where four people were already seated. It only took me a moment to realize they were Will's family. His mother was the most obvious one because I'd seen a few movies she'd been in. But each and every one of them shared some similarities with the man holding my arm tightly. Not to mention the almost impossible good looks. Not surprising. Of course, Will's family would be handsome, that much was plain to see when both Will and Matt were in the same room. And as expected, his father was missing from the table.

"William," his mother spoke up, eyes falling upon her son. I assumed Will took more after his dad because the only similarity between his mother and himself was their black as night hair and the almond shape of their eyes. Unlike Will, the color of his mother's eyes were a dull grey instead of lively blue. Her lips were thin and dry, and I could imagine for the best part of her day, they were in the shape of a frown. "I wasn't aware you'd be bringing a guest..."

"This is Katie Holmes," Will said in response, pushing me forward a step. "Katie, this is my mother, Rena."

"Hello," I greeted quietly, doing my best to hold her scrutinizing gaze. "Nice to meet you."

Rena appraised me for a moment more before dipping her head in acknowledgment. "Nice to meet you as well."

Will lost some of the tension he'd been holding, and he gestured toward the youngest male at the table. "This is my youngest brother Ben, he's seventeen." Ben was almost the spitting replica of Will, just with more boyish features. The man next to Ben was much older, older than Will, but still baring a semblance. "That's one of my older brothers, John, he's thirty-four." John offered me a small smile before Will pointed to the last person seated. "And that's my younger sister Amanda. She's eighteen." Amanda was too busy texting to look up and acknowledge either her brother or me. She was skinny, with more of her mother's looks than her father's.

No one said anything after that, so Matt quickly spoke up. "I see Joseph and Jacob couldn't make it."

"No, I'm afraid they were unable to get work off," Rena explained, disappointment coloring her tone.

I blinked, taking in all the names. Will hadn't been lying when he'd said he had a big family. It was crazy to think that Rena had such a petite figure even though she'd popped out seven children. Seven children... I couldn't even imagine that.

I was drawn out from my thoughts as Matt pulled out my chair for me, indicating for me to sit down. A little awkwardly, I took a seat, smoothing out my dress over my legs. Matt flopped down inelegantly on the chair to my left, while Will seated himself to my right. Rena was staring right at me, sipping out of what appeared to be a cup of black coffee, and I felt my mouth going a little dry.

"You three should decide on what you'd like to eat before the waiter comes back," she suggested, lips forming a frown.

Desperate to focus on anything but the people at the table, I quickly picked up one of the menus, scanning over the contents. My heart fell as I realized it was all in French. Why in the world was it all in French? Right, of course, because everything on this goddamn yacht was fancy. Why shouldn't the menu be too? And of course, French was by far the most fancy-schmancy language out there, right?

Predictably, Will and the rest of his family didn't seem to have a problem with the language choice.

I'm so out of place here, I thought grimly. And if that wasn't the truth. The lifestyle of the high class was quite different than the lower-middle class. Suddenly my cotton dress felt cheap and substandard. Amanda was in some sexy crimson cocktail dress while the boys were all dressed in tuxes or dress shirts, and I couldn't help thinking some of them might've been the only of their kind. Rena's dress definitely was. Shimmering and gold and practically painted to her physique.

"Oh, look, they have your favorite," Will suddenly said, leaning closer to me and pointing at some gibberish on my menu.

Chest tight, I glanced at him, wondering if he could sense my panic. He'd given me an out though, so I planned to take it. "You're right! I almost didn't see that!"

His eyes caught mine and he stared at me, conveying a silent message of reassurance. "Good thing I'm here. "

Rena's piercing gaze was on me again and I made the mistake of looking at her. "Will's never mentioned having a girlfriend before. Then again, since he only calls on holidays, when would the topic come up?" Her reprimand didn't go unnoticed.

"She's not my girlfriend," Will told her.

"No? What's your relationship then?"

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. Even I didn't know our relationship. Friends, obviously. But that didn't sound right. Best friends? No, there was something more intimate with us than that. Not quite lovers, but not exactly platonic friends. Unless platonic friends flirted with each other and took each other to their mother's snazzy birthday dinner.

On a fricking yacht.

"Katie is allowing me to temporarily reside at her house while my house is undergoing renovations," Will said frankly.

Rena's eyes narrowed and Matt sighed quietly from beside me. Maybe that hadn't been the right thing to say. "And what do Ms. Holmes' parents think about this?"

"Ah, I don't live with them," I responded, my voice coming out quieter than I would've liked.

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-two."

"Is there a reason you aren't living with your parents?" Her tone was suspicious now, a little sharp.

Before I could reply, Will groaned loudly. "Mom, don't you think that's a little personal? Leave it alone. Not everyone wants their kids to live with them forever."

Rena turned her nose up at him. "I'm just curious. Personally, I think it's a little indecent for you to be staying at a young woman's house alone when she isn't your girlfriend."

"Indecent?" Will repeated in an exasperated voice, his voice rising a notch. "She's helping me out—"

"Only because you won't let me help you out."

John, Ben, and Amanda were steady staring at the menus, ignoring their family's bickering. Judging from their lack of interest, I assumed this happened often. But my nerves were drawn tight because they were fighting about me.

"I'm fine where I am," Will snapped.

"I don't like it." Rena's words were blunt and harsh. "I've never even heard of this girl and now you're living with her?"

"Good thing it's not your life."

"No, but you're my son, and—"

"I'm an adult, who can make his own decisions," Will all but growled. "And damn it, stop talking like Katie isn't here. You're being rude."

Rena's expression didn't change, but her gaze flickered to me. "I'm aware." But she didn't apologize. "What do you do for a living?"

My words caught in my throat. This was exactly what I didn't want her to ask. "I'm, um, just finishing up my last year of college."

"You don't work, then? Is William paying your bills? Is that why you're allowing him to stay with you?"

"Mother!" Will cried sharply, pushing himself up from the table.

Matt shot Will a warning look. "Sit down!" he hissed and Will reluctantly sunk back down into his chair.

Suddenly anger was lingering under the surface instead of gloom. Presumptuous people never failed to irritate me. Instead of losing my cool though, I stayed level-headed and spoke calmly. "No, actually, while I'm working on my degree, I'm working two part-time jobs. One at the hospital, and the other at the mall." I didn't mention specifics, hoping the hospital part sounded at least somewhat impressive.

"I see," Rena replied simply. "That's nice."

A quiet breath of relief flowed out of me.

"I still don't like the idea of you two living together."

"Again, not your life," Will said brusquely.

The waiter, the great godsend he was, appeared at the moment, putting the argument at bay. Will ordered for both of us, and once everyone had given his or her orders, our waiter disappeared. I sipped my wine (some expensive brand I couldn't begin to pronounce) steadily as an awkward silence settled at the table. Will's glass was already halfway gone. Eventually, Matt broke the quiet, directing his attention to John. "So, how's life as a firefighter?" And fortunately, that was enough to steer the conversation clear of anything that might spark another quarrel.

*

"What are you doing out here?"

I didn't have to turn my head to know it was Will who was standing beside me. Instead, I kept my gaze on the expanse of the dark ocean before me. The waves rolled under the moonlight in a mesmerizing way. Unfortunately, it was also causing me to feel a little nauseous. But the scene was worth it. "Enjoying the view," I replied after a moment. "And escaping your mother's death looks."

"They're not death looks," he protested half-heartedly.

I laughed quietly, but it was without much humor. "Will, did you bring me here so I could bear the brunt of your mother's unusual need to hate? So she would lay off you for once?"

He made a surprised noise. "What? Why would you think that?"

"It's fine if you did," I said honestly, shifting my body so that I was leaning against the cool metal railing and facing him. The wind was blowing gently, ruffling my hair and causing my bangs to fall into my face. "It's pretty obvious that I'm not as high-class as your family, and your mom definitely noticed. So maybe instead of picking at all the faults with your life, she could pick at all the faults in mine."

"Katie, I wouldn't do that," Will protested, looking completely offended. "That's not why I brought you."

I offered him a small smile before facing the waves again. "It really is fine, you know."

"Hey." Will's voice was deep and a little irritated. Gripping my arm, he forced me to face him again. "That's not the reason why I asked you to come with me. I didn't expect my mom to be, frankly, such a bitch. She's usually not that bad."

Raising an eyebrow, I gave him a skeptical look. "That's not what Matt said. He said she's usually worse and could have been a lot more nasty to me."

"Well, okay, that's true, but still. I'm sorry she said those things to you," he apologized, his eyes sincere and regretful. "Honestly, I brought you because I thought maybe, just maybe, with your presence at the table, my mom wouldn't try to pry into my life, tell me everything I've done wrong, and shit like she usually says."

"Did it work?"

Will huffed a laugh. "Believe it or not, yes. Matt's right. She's usually a lot worse. But still, she wasn't exactly attacking me this time."

"I've dealt with worse," I told him, smiling again, this time earnestly. "So it's fine. I can handle your mother... and her opinion that we are being indecent."

"I should have just introduced you as my girlfriend," he sighed, rubbing his forehead with the tips of his fingers. "Or wife, or something."

My heart skipped a beat at his words, but I calmed it quickly. They didn't mean anything. "Not sure lying would benefit you here."

"It'd be better than having her assuming things."

"I'm sure she's just worried, Will."

He snorted softly, shifting so that his side was pressed against mine. The warmth he provided was welcome in the cold December air. "She hasn't worried about me since I was sixteen."

"No, I'm sure she's worried about you, I'm sure she worries now, but she's just going about it in the wrong way."

"What? You saw how she is—"

Rolling my eyes, I cut him off. "I'm not saying she doesn't deserve that same attitude she gives you, but nothing will change if you both keep acting like that."

"Who says I want it to change?" Will retorted, crossing his arms, a defensive reaction.

"One day, when she's gone, you'll wish it was different," I told him, and immediately regretted my words. Playing the still-alive card was incredibly unfair of me.

Will's eyes soften and he pressed into me a little more. "It's just our relationship is too screwed up for that. It's too late. And everyone else in the family is the same."

"It's just a suggestion."

"Right," he grunted and I couldn't help but smile a little. "So you're saying I should call her more often, or something?"

"At least let her know when your house burns down."

This caused him to laugh and I leaned into him even more, closing my eyes for a moment. His arm came around my shoulder, holding me tightly. "You're pretty optimistic, aren't you?"

"Not enough people are."

He chuckled, the sound rumbling in his chest. "Quite true."

I put a hand to my forehead as my stomach flip-flopped a little. The seasickness was really starting to kick in now. And Will seemed to notice because he grinned a little at me. "Come on, let's get out of this cold. It's almost midnight. We have a long drive home."

Although I protested leaving the scenic view, I allowed him to take my hand and lead me back through the sliding glass doors into the main dining room. Matthew was standing idly by the door, talking to John and when he spotted us, he waved us over. After about three steps, Rena stopped us, her eyes flickering down to our intertwined hands before coming back up to my face. "Katie," she began, her voice level and firm. "Matthew has explained Will's situation to me, and I apologize for my words earlier."

Her apology threw me so off guard, I didn't know what to say. Neither did Will apparently because he was just staring at her open-mouthed. After another moment, she nodded stiffly, before twisting on her heel. Before she could walk away, I found my voice. "T-thank you."

"You're welcome," she responded after a moment, her back to us still. "Goodbye. Drive home safely."

"Bye, Mom," Will said, his expression now unreadable.

She glanced over her shoulder, mouth a tight line. "Take care." And then she was gone, slinking away to join some of her beautiful friends.

"That was... weird," Will muttered under his breath as we joined Matthew. After bidding farewell to those closest to the door, we escaped into the parking lot. "Take care. She's never said that before."

Matthew clapped his brother on the shoulder. "Well, your house doesn't burn down every day. And with your past—"

"Right," Will interrupted quickly. "Let's just go home. Katie's asleep on her feet."

"I'm not," I protested, but it was punctuated with a yawn, effectively ruining it. Embarrassment crept over me as the brothers laugh. "Shut up."

Will ruffled my hair. "Thanks for coming tonight, Katie. Even if it was a little rocky."

I slapped his hand away, scrunching up my nose. "Don't do that. And don't thank me— I got a fancy French dinner out of it."

"Mmm," he responded noncommittally and I could tell he was still thinking of his mother's words.

"Will, it's fine. What your mother said," I assured him, touching his shoulder lightly. "Don't worry about it."

"It's just..."

"Nothing. It's nothing."

It took a few seconds, but Will finally dropped his hunched shoulders. "Alright, fine. You're impossible, you know that?"

"You know what is impossible?" Matt interjected in a flat voice. "Listening to the two of you. Get yourselves a soap opera or something."

Will smacked his brother upside the head. "Shut up."

I giggled. Although sometimes, I really did feel like my life was a soap opera or something.