15. Archer

T hanksgiving in my family is always a huge affair, and has been for as long as I can remember, and it only gets bigger every year. As soon as I got here yesterday, my mom gave me a list of jobs that Everest and I had to help David with, and I’ve pretty much been going non-stop ever since. Yet still, Daemon’s words play on repeat in my head. Try not to stick your tongue down anyone's throat. If what happened between us was such a drunken mistake , why the fuck would he say that? And more importantly, why do I care?

It’s a thought that has kept me up most of the night, and now I can already hear the commotion of Thanksgiving morning drifting up from downstairs, and it’s not even 9 a.m. yet. Fuck. Everest and I were up until midnight, finishing off the decorations to make mom’s dinner perfect, and all I want to do is roll over and go back to sleep. I know I’m out of luck when my door is thrown open.

“Arch, Mom wants to know where you put the centerpieces,” Aurora mumbles, completely focused on her phone, smiling, and I groan.

“We left them in the den,” I grumble, ducking my head under the covers, but of course she still comes and drops onto the end of my bed.

“Well get your ass out of bed, Mom is losing her mind down there and if I have to listen to her spiel about how she only has so many Thanksgivings left with us, then I am going to lose my mind,” she complains, dragging the duvet off my head, and I huff in annoyance, sitting up.

“Mom isn’t even fucking fifty,” I snap, snatching the covers back from her, before adding, “And get Ever to help you, I’m fucking wiped.”

“I’m not hauling all of those heavy ass vases on my own, dick,” Everest cuts in, strolling into my room like he owns the place, and knocking Aurora’s phone to the floor with a smirk.

At seventeen, the little shit is already taller than me at 6’ 4”, and is basically just pure lean muscle from playing both hockey and basketball. Despite being step-siblings, we are ridiculously close, and he doesn’t hesitate to drop down on the end of my bed beside Aurora, who shoves him fiercely as she picks her phone up from the floor. If it wasn’t for his jet black hair, most people would mistake him for our actual brother, with his blue eyes being so striking and similar to mine and Rora’s.

“Is Mom really on a rampage?” I ask him, knowing that Aurora tends to air on the side of exaggeration, but also knowing our mother, she probably isn’t stretching the truth all that much.

“Yeah, but when is Mom not a rampage?” He tosses back with a smirk, as he tries to look over Rora’s shoulder at her phone, but she snatches it away, slipping it into her pocket.

“Fuck, fine,” I drag out, knowing I am going to have to get out of bed, yet of course neither of my siblings move, as I head to my bag to grab some clothes to throw on.

“Where is Daemon spending the holidays?” Aurora questions, finally giving me her full attention, while Everest’s remains on her, his brow furrowing.

“Who’s Daemon?” he asks, and I glare at my sister like my look might erase her question, but unfortunately, I have no such look.

“A guy I play on the Flyers with, number forty-seven,” I respond, answering him first and giving Daemon’s jersey number, because I have no doubt Everest will remember him. His memory is unlike anything I have ever seen. “As far as I know he’s spending it on campus,” I add, finally responding to my sister, and she frowns, just like I knew she would.

“Where’s his family?” A question I knew she would ask, yet she looks all too interested in the answer, and I internally groan, knowing how she is going to react.

“His dad is in prison, and I don’t think his mom is still in the picture,” I sigh, her face now looking pained, as I pull on some joggers.

“Prison?” She exclaims in outrage. “Oh my god, what did he do?”

I shrug, not really wanting to get into Daemon’s personal business, especially when he has never told me. “I don’t know, we’re not friends, remember?” I don’t bother telling her the rumors I’ve heard about his father, that wouldn’t be fair to anyone. So instead I focus on finding a sweatshirt.

“You should have invited him to come here,” she demands, and I scoff, despite feeling some regret that I didn’t even offer, but in my defense, he did tell me to mind my own fucking business when I asked about his plans.

“Rora, I know everything in your pretty little head is all rainbows and sunshine, and I love that for you, but you need to get over this fascination with my teammate. We are not friends,” I snap, a little harsher than I would usually be with her, but I don’t want to think about fucking Daemon Forbes right now.

“Fascination?” Everest instantly asks. “What the fuck do you mean fascination?” he questions in an accusatory tone, and Aurora glares between us, before rolling her eyes.

“I’m not fascinated with him, he’s my friend,” she huffs, storming towards the door, before turning and pointing between us both. “And just because you two are assholes doesn’t mean I have to be,” she adds, flipping us both the middle finger, before she disappears out of sight.

She’s his friend? Since when?

Shaking my head free of thoughts of Daemon Forbes yet again, I focus on my brother who is still staring after Aurora. “Well, she’s a delight this morning,” I say with a laugh, before gesturing towards my door. “Come on, let’s go move these fucking vases before mom yells at us.”

Making our way downstairs, we spend the next twenty-minutes moving the decorations to the long table our Mom has set up in the dining room, and by the time we are done, she joins us with a beaming smile.

“Oh wow, it looks amazing in here,” she praises, as if she didn’t plan this whole room herself, down to every last detail, and then make us guys do all the work. Yet when she looks at me with a smile on her face, all the work has been worth it.

My mom is beautiful, with the same blond hair and blue eyes that Aurora and I possess, and she has one of the kindest hearts in the world, and I know I am lucky to have her. It doesn’t matter that she has been prepping dinner no doubt since the sun rose, she still looks as perfectly dressed as always.

“Thank you, my boys,” she coos, tears gathering in her eyes, as she comes and places a hand on each of our cheeks in the same way she has done since we were little kids. “It’s so good to have you both here at the same time. I don’t know what I’m going to be like next year when you’re both gone,” she cries, and I smile softly, as Everest brings an arm up to her shoulder.

“Mom, please don’t get upset, we’re here now, and we’ll be here next year too,” he comforts her, and she nods, pulling him in for a hug. He’s always had a way to easily calm her, they have a special bond that I know they both cherish.

“You’re right, I’m being silly,” she sighs, wiping her cheeks and focusing back on the room. “Besides, guests will be arriving soon, so you better run and get changed, I left new suits in both of your closets,” she adds sweetly, and Everest and I share a knowing look.

It’s going to be a long day.

Four hours later and I am sitting in a tuxedo in my own damn house, eating one of the best fucking dinners I’ve ever had, as everyone talks back and forth. The table is absolutely overflowing, since my mom invited everyone she considers to be part of our immediate family. Which includes her and David of course, then my Dad and Katrina, Aurora, Everest and me, and then Everest’s two best friends, Griffin and Harden, and both their families. They attend pretty much every family function we throw, and have done so since Everest was ten and the three of them became friends. They’ve been inseparable ever since, and I’m pretty sure they are going to end up following him to FU next fall.

“Mom, can we go shopping next week?” Aurora pipes up from beside me, instantly getting our mom’s attention, and making her smile.

“Of course, my darling, what do you need?” she replies, already putting down her drink and pulling out her phone to check her calendar.

“I need a dress for senior winter formal,” my sister says softly, flicking her gaze to Everest, who immediately snaps his head in her direction, making her cringe.

“Why the hell do you need a dress for senior winter formal?” He demands angrily, before my mom can even respond, and she rolls her eyes, more than used to her sons and their bullshit.

“Language at the table,” David groans, but of course his son doesn’t back down, and my mother reaches out to rub my stepdad’s arm in comfort.

“Who asked you?” Everest snaps, clearly now realizing that the only reason she would choose to go is if she were asked as someone's date.

My sister’s fingers fly across her phone screen as she texts, before she sighs and finally gives Everest her full attention. “Not that it’s any of your business, but Jason Miles asked me,” she huffs, and I watch as my brother shares a look with his two friends.

“You are not going to winter formal with Jason fucking Miles,” Everest snaps in outrage, and Davids slams down his knife.

“Language, son, for crying out loud it’s Thanksgiving,” David complains, and my dad laughs.

“It’s okay, Dave, we all know how bad his mouth is.”

“Dad, I’m sorry, but Jason Miles is a fucking creep,” he snaps in response, before focusing back on my sister. “You are not going to the dance with him,” he repeats, that anger of his now burning towards the surface.

“Why, what are you going to do, beat him up too?” My sister tosses back, throwing my brother’s antics in his face, and he smirks.

“If I have too, yeah,” he replies instantly, and my sister slams her phone to the table in outrage, leaning across her plate to glare at him.

“You are not the boss of me, Ever, just stay out of this,” she grits, and my brother sits back in his chair and smirks.

“You’re right, I’m not the boss of you.” My sister’s eyes widen in surprise, and she smiles softly as if she is finally happy to be getting through to him, but I know my brother better than that. He switches his focus to our parents. “Mom, this guy is an absolute tool, he’s way too old for her. He preys on all the young girls, trying to get them into bed, and then he brags about it to anyone who will listen. She absolutely cannot go to winter formal with him.”

My mom listens intently, as does my dad, David, and Katrina, clearly taking on board what he has to say, and when my eyes flick back to my sister, she is now glaring at our brother with her mouth open. “Are you kidding me right now?” she yells in fury. “You date whoever the hell you want, why can’t I?”

Everest rolls his eyes. “I wouldn’t call what I do dating.” His words are casual and I smirk, as his father curses beneath his breath.

“Oh don’t we know it, Monroe the hoe.” My mom chokes on her drink as my sister tosses Everest’s nickname at him, and David opens his mouth to cut in, but Everest’s best friend beats him to it.

“Come on, Rora, you know deep down, Monroe is right, Jason is a tool, you could do way better than him,” Griffin defends his friend, but all my sister does is scoff.

“Of course you’re on his side,” she mumbles, before looking at Harden. “I don’t suppose you have anything to add?” She questions him, but like always he remains silent. Yet from the pained look in his eyes, I’m almost certain he does have something to add, he just won’t voice it out loud in front of us all.

“We just don’t like the guy,” Griffin says for his friend, and when he shares a look with Everest, they both nod to one another ever so slightly.

Looks like someone else is getting beat up.

“Maybe you should listen to the boys, darling,” my mom starts, and my sister abruptly stands in outrage.

“You know, suddenly I don’t feel very thankful,” she utters, before storming away from the table, and out of the room without another word.

My mom moves to stand, but I hold my hand up to stop her. “It’s okay Mom, I got it,” I tell her, noticing Aurora’s phone still on the table, and I grab it before I stand and head after her.

I know she will have headed to her room, so I make my way upstairs to follow her, ignoring her phone as it vibrates in my hand, but when it continues, I curse, deciding to check out this Jason tool for myself. Yet when I swipe open her phone, I find something even better. She’s been texting fucking Forbes.

There is a whole chain of messages between them, talking about art and life, and I am completely fucking dumbfounded. Why the fuck have I got to stay away from him, but he’s allowed to text my sister? Excitement like I have never known floods my system, and without even thinking about it, I take out my own phone and copy the number to a new contact, quickly saving it, before I reach my sister’s room.

Pushing inside I find her sitting on her bed, her sketchbook already in hand, and I toss her phone beside her and ask, “Any reason why my teammate is texting you?”

Aurora rolls her eyes, snatching the phone from where I threw it and tucking it under her pillow. “Because he likes me better than you.” From the mood she’s in, I can tell she isn’t up for talking, and given the fresh contact now burning in my phone, I don’t really want to hang around and listen anyway. I retreat back the way I came, when she calls out to my back. “Arch, why aren’t you as protective as Everest?”

I pause with my hand on her door handle. “Because I have him to do it for me,” I reply with a wink, before pulling her door closed and leaving her alone.

“You’re an asshole,” she calls through the door, and I smile as I yell back, “And you’re a brat.”

Going back downstairs to finish dinner while my phone remains in my pocket, feels like torture, and by the time the festivities are over, I practically sprint to my room. Now most people would probably find it weird that I didn’t have my teammates number before today, but those people don’t know Daemon Forbes. He is notoriously private, and having it now feels like a fucking gift, one I don’t plan to waste.

Once I’m settled on my bed, I think of a thousand things I could say to start a conversation with him, and then settle on the only one that isn’t fucking awful.

Archer - I never thanked you for the food

Okay, never mind, that is fucking awful. Yet to my surprise, he reads it right away, and I am instantly greeted with those little typing bubbles.

Daemon - Who is this?

Of course his first message is a demand, and I find myself smirking, as I loosen the tie around my neck and undo the top button of my shirt. Being able to text him has me feeling like a kid on Christmas morning, and knowing he can’t escape me now is even better.

This is going to be fun.