ALAYNAJason holds out his hand and grabs Brandon’s. I glance back and forth at the two men who seem to know each other.
“Have you met?” I ask.
“I work for him,” “He works for me,” A beat passes. “Oh, wow. Small world, huh?” I frown, feeling a knot in my stomach because it’s weird. Suddenly, the atmosphere becomes decidedly colder.
I clear my throat. “Well, this is really a surprise.”
“I’m surprised about it myself,” Brandon says and shoots a glare at me. Maybe he’s slightly mad because I let my visitors in without his permission. I’ll just explain it to him later.
“Anyway, dinner is ready. Do you want me to take dinner to your room first?” I ask Brandon.
He leans toward me, not minding our guests. “I’ll join you.”
Now, that is even more astounding. “Really?”
“Hmm.”
Ms. Lennie comes in as if she’s been waiting for the right timing. She approaches Jason and Arianna, ushering them to the dining room. I am about to follow when Brandon pulls me closer, holding me by the waist.
“Why didn’t I know about this?” he whispers.
I press my palms to his chest. “I guess I hadn’t told you because we were preoccupied with other things. Ms. Lennie gave permission to invite them in.”
A muscle in his jaw ticks. “It’s not that. Why didn’t I know about themI frown. “What do you mean? Anyway, I only recently found out they were coming.”
He raises an eyebrow. “Uh-huh?”
I give them the short history of J and A, and his expression lightens. He reaches for my hand and takes it to his lips. “They’re foster siblings you hadn’t seen in a long time. Okay, I got it.”
“Did I answer your question?”
“Not everything, no, but that info will suffice for now.”
“Why? Didn’t you say you know J—I mean, Jason?”
“Only in the professionalI grin at his interest. “Fine, but come on, let’s not keep them waiting.”
Brandon possessively entwines his fingers with mine and grasps my hand tightly.
We go to the dining room, where everyone is already sitting. The side of Arianna’s mouth curves at the sight of Brandon and me coming together as if it’s amusing to her that I’m dating the boss. Two housemaids continuously fill trays of food on the table, and another one is serving us champagne. The table looks more like a banquet now.
“Thank you for welcoming us to your home, Mr. Lucien,” Jason begins, placing a napkin on his lap.
“Any family of Alayna is welcome here,” Brandon says in a flat tone.
I smile a little. I know that Brandon can be intimidating, but Jason and Ariana don’t seem affected, which is good because I don’t want this night to be more awkward than it already is.
Brandon sits at the head of the table, and I sit on his right. The empty seat next to him is supposed to be for Casey if she still wishes to join us, but it’s Cassius who enters.
Good. Now that he’s here, maybe I can finally tell him about Brandon and me before the night ends if I find the strength. At the moment, my focus is on J and A.
“Oh, good. You haven’t started—” He momentarily halts at the sight of our guests. The siblings swing their heads in his direction, and Cassius’s reaction is just like Casey’s. His face turns white, but then he eyes his cousin.
“What’s going on?” he asks, sounding curious and confused.
“Come, sit.” Brandon offers him the seat across from me. “They are Alayna’s family from Lawrence. Jason, and Arianna Valentine. Jason, Arianna, this is Cassius Katrakis, my cousin.”
Cassius chokes. “What? Laynie?“They’re the ones I was talking about. Do you remember?”
“It’s them?”
I nod.
“Oh, of course. I remember.” He shifts his attention to J and A. “I’m sorry about that; I didn’t mean to be rude. I’m Cassius Katrakis, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” He holds out his hand to them, and they spring up to accept the handshake. Arianna’s mouth drops, and her eyes are glued to his face in admiration. I swear I just saw her eyes sparkle. Cassius is definitely her type.
“It’s our pleasure, Mr. Katrakis,” Jason says, and the three settle back on their seats.
Brandon brings his face close to mine and whispers, “He knows and I don’t, huh?”
I roll my eyes. “It just happened that way. I wasn’t purposely hiding it from you.”
Cassius steals a glance at me and frowns, but Arianna’s high-pitched, sweet voice calls our attention. “You really have a lovely home,” she comments, looking around the room. “But is it normally quiet here?”
“This is the first time we’ve had guests in a long time,” Brandon answers, keeping a straight face.
“We’re actually honored,” Jason says.
“So, um, guys? Let’s dig in?” I urge, so we can just go on with the dinner because otherwise, no one will touch the food. And on my mark, the clinking of plates and utensils begins.
“So, Laynie, you didn’t tell me you were this closeI chuckle nervously. “I was going to tell you.”
“Is that a problem?” Brandon asks nonchalantly.
“Oh, no!” Arianna waves a hand. “I’m actually happy for her. She went through a lot in this whole relationship thing when we were in high school, and she always deserved better.”
I feel my cheeks flush and smile. During those dark times, Arianna would only embrace me and cry with me, and I didn’t feel alone in the world anymore. I’ve felt nostalgic ever since they found me.
But Cassius’s look at me is sharp, and there’s even disappointment in it. I avert my eyes to the food and clear my throat. I’m definitely telling him about Brandon and me now that Arianna spilled the beans.
The dinner goes on, but it is uncomfortably quiet. The air is thick, and I’m not sure if it is because Brandon is uncomfortable having guests in the mansion or because Cassius is probably furious. There seems to be an invisible barrier between us all, and I’m in the middle of it. I’m sure J and A feel it too since they keep the conversation between them in whispers.
After dinner, Ms. Lennie and the maids take our empty plates and fill the table with the desserts.
“Cheese pudding!” Arianna squeals, breaking the silence again. “My favorite.”
“I hope you guys like the food,” I say.
“It’s delicious as always, Alayna!”
“Alayna’s always been a good cook,” Jason joins in, glancing at everyone.
Brandon and Cassius look up.
“I barely remember when our parents passed away, but Mom and Dad—I mean Elizabeth and Richard—were the only people who opened their home for us. And there’s Alayna, their only child...” Jason says. “She was only four, like Arianna, and they were playmates. I never saw my sister that happy again after our parent’s passing. Growing up, Alayna excelled at cooking, taking over after our mother died, and since all three of us were terrible cooks, she’d teach us. My favorite is pot roast, like this one she made for dinner. It was terrific, and Chris, Arianna, and I would let her do all the cooking at home. We took over the house chores. I miss those days...”
I chuckle at this beautiful shared memory. It’s exactly how I remember it. All the heartaches I felt when they left are slowly fading, now that I know they still cared. The only question left is the one they haven’t answered. Why did they suddenly leave me?
“Every holiday was great too!” Arianna adds. “Mom would make us a Christmas pie. It’s very sweet! I just wish Chris was here. He missed you too, Laynie. He still keeps photographs, you know. I mean, we all do.”
“Well...” I sigh sharply. “I can say the same. I missed him too.”
Jason winks at me. “We know.”
Brandon cocks his head toward me and whispers, “I’ve heard about a certain Chris, but who’s he?”
“Ah, it’s their older brother.”
“You know that’s not what I meant.”
“I’ll tell you later.” I put my hand high on his thigh. “You okay?”
“I’m not. He knows you more than I do.”
“Don’t be so competitive.”
A groan comes from his throat.
“Hey...” I frown at my sudden realization, looking up at Jason. “I’m just wondering. How are you working for Brandon? Your card says you are a doctor at Rutherford.”
“I own the hospital,” Brandon says.
My eyes widen in surprise. “Really? How didn’t I know about this?”
“Probably because you didn’t ask?” He winks at me. “Rutherford Medical City was once owned by Philip Rutherford II,” he explains. “It’s in Midtown, and there’s another one in Lower Manhattan that was sold to Cassius.”
“We didn’t change the name,” Cassius says. “It’s to honor the foundation. Rutherford was an uncrowned hero during the World War.”
“And your brother“Wow,”“I see.” I nod, understanding the connection. “But isn’t this nice? I’m happy you already know each other. It’ll save me a long introduction.”
Jason lifts his glass of champagne. “Then let’s toast for that.”
I lift my glass and clink it against Jason’s. Everyone follows.
“Cheers!”
Shortly after dinner, we go back into the living room with less awkwardness. Brandon sits next to me, and Cassius remains standing by the fireplace, holding a glass of liquor.
“We’re just starting over again, I guess,” I say.
Arianna sighs in awe. “Wow. I’m happy you found your love, Laynie. I wonder when I will find mine.” Her eyes flicker as she looks at Cassius and grins.
“You can’t really say that with me here, A,” Jason counters.
“Why not?” Arianna pats his brother’s arm. “I haven’t been able to date because you are scaring the guys away!” She looks at me again. “Do you perhaps know someone you can introduce to me?” she whispers, but loud enough for everyone to hear.
“Shut it, A,” Jason says.
“Kill-joy.” She rolls her eyes. “Fine, but we should really do this again, Laynie. I’ve missed our bonding, watching late-night shows, eating to our heart’s content!” Arianna says dreamily. “But the holidays are coming. Ever thought of coming home?”
“I thought of that, of course.” But I’m not sure, given our current situation. Oliver is still missing.
“Then, why not? It’s just like when we were kids, and I’d love to see Mom again.”
Silence.
“Alayna can come home, of course. I’ll have it arranged,” Brandon suddenly says, without losing eye contact with the siblings. “But anyway, can I talk to you, Jason?”
We all look at the two siblings, including Cassius. I wonder what this talk is for.
Jason is surprised but eventually flashes a grin. “Sure, why not?”
Brandon stands and calls his cousin. “Cassius, are you coming?”
“Oh.” Cassius glances at me and drains his glass.
“Alayna? We’ll be in my office,” Brandon says.
“Is this about work... and with Jason?”
He bends and kisses my hair. “Yes, don’t worry. I won’t bite him,” he teases, chuckling.
“Ladies,” Jason excuses himself as well, but Cassius walks out first in silence.
The three guys march away, leaving me and Arianna in the living room.
“So, I was saying...” she continues.
I cut her off. “Wait.”
She smiles. “What is it?”
After a second, I say, “I know it’s not the right time to talk about this, but would you tell me what happened to you? To all of you.”
Her shoulders drop, and she exhales. “I suppose I should tell you, right?”
I’m getting tired of playing the same question over and over in my head. “Yes. Why didn’t you wait for me and tell me you were leaving?”
“Our departure was sudden, I guess, but I’m sure Mom already told you. There was a new life waiting for us in New York. Our father left a fortune to us. We didn’t know how to tell you. We didn’t even want to leave you in the first place. But believe me, we thought of taking you with us, but your life was in Lawrence, and Mom and Dad... you were still their daughter. We couldn’t take you away from them.”
I had thought that might be the reason, in the back of my head. “Then why didn’t you even care to come back?”
Her face turns wretched. “We couldn’t. Laynie, we’ve been through a lot of hardships, and we barely survived. We have money, but Chris still worked his ass off. Jason and I were struggling in the university. We lost track of time, and we changed into different people...”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Point is...” She takes my hand. “We didn’t know how to face you. We’re guilty of leaving you like that. We didn’t want to. Believe me. I hope we can start all over again despite what happened in the past. We’ve missed you truly, Laynie.”
I nod, understanding, and tears rush down my cheek again. “Yes, because what’s important is the present.”
She smiles. “And you’re with Brandon Lucien now. How lucky you are.”
I smile back. “Our relationship might not be perfect, at least for now, but I love him so much.”
“He’s the type of guy that would probably make you burn all over, I know. I saw the man.” She giggles. “He’s such a demigod. Oh, I hear about him being Greek, too, so I guess he has Zeus’ blood in his veins, or maybe Hades’ since he’s hot,” she jokes.
I laugh at her remark. “Yeah...”
“But Chris hasn’t moved on,” she says out of the blue. I remember telling her about the short fling Chris and I had after my abuser left me.
“Oh, come on.”
“He hasn’t“He just left. After playing the savior “But you miss him.”
“Maybe.” I shrug.
“Again, we’re sorry, but I’m sure you will have your closure when you meet him again,” she assures me.
“It’s not like we were together-together, you know,” I say. “So I’m not sure if we need closure.”
“But he“Let’s just see what happens if we cross paths again.”
She grins. “Right. Anyway, this Cassius. He’s hot,” she enunciates every word. “He’s freaking sexy in all ways. He’s my type. Damn, these cousins have really“Whoa!” I laugh at how everything escalated with her. “Are you serious?” I mean, I don’t even have to ask since I saw how she looked at him. But it does feel wrong, a little bit. I won’t be the kind of woman to throw him at another just because it didn’t work out between us.
“Uh, but I notice how he couldn’t keep his eyes off you,” she says. “But it doesn’t matter. He doesn’t know about me yet.” She giggles at her own statement.
“I don’t know what to say to that.”
“Oh, come on, Laynie.” She pats my arm. “We were like this before too! Talking about each other’s crushes and our first loves...”
“I guess.” I chuckle.
Our conversation that night goes on, shifting from one subject to another while we wait for the guys, then I come to a realization.
Would I still have ended up coming to this house if they hadn’t left? My decision to go to Venice was the result of my never-ending loneliness, including the grief from Dad passing away a year after their departure. It was to find myself anew. If it had all happened the other way around, I probably would have stayed in Lawrence and lived happily ever after with my mother and my siblings.
I probably wouldn’t have met Lucia, but I also wouldn’t have crossed paths with Brandon.