~~~This is a prequel, spin-off from Ties~~~
Briar Hayes has lived her entire life being polite, never daring to express the crazy and wild thoughts running laps in her head. At almost twenty-five, stuck in the throes of monotony, she finally snaps...
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"Come on you two." The Moreau family matriarch spins hastily to the door we just strolled through, only a few minutes after Trey's dad left us out there.
Before we headed back to the house, you know, when he spouted that nonsense, I scrunched my nose with my what-the-fuck face on full blast. Promise I'll walk away? Um, yeah. 'K. I promised I'd walk behind him a lot so I could look at his firm ass, but that's about it.
He didn't elaborate much, just told me what he's already said multiple times, to keep being me. Honestly, I feel the same. It's his soothing nature, observant style, and the way he embraces my absurdity that draws me to him. Well, that, a little filth, an elite peen, and his magnificent index fingers. I wouldn't want him to change any of those things.
Trey's accepting mentality lets me be more me than I've ever me'd before. Go with it. So, if he turned into a version of himself with me he didn't like, he too should let the door hit him where the good lord split him.
Again... as if.
"Come on. Come on." Vada waves us in before turning back to where her children, respective partners, and grandchildren sit, grouped together. The multicolored pj sets play perfectly off each other. The complimenting colors and designs were strategic, no doubt.
Two long couches span the open living area and house their gorgeous—and large—family. A tall, elegantly decorated tree looms in the background. Fire crackling off to the side, mantle lined with stockings.
If this isn't festive as fuck, what is?
Trey tows me along, his hand linked with mine. But when I notice only a single space remaining, at the end of the couch, I hit the brakes next to Vada.
"I've been told I take a mean picture," I say as a gentle smile quirks her lips. I don't want to be so presumptuous to think they'd have some random in their holiday card.
Her eyes flit from me to her son, while the cumulative noise of eight little girls, including one super snuggly freshie, grows louder.
"You're sweet," she responds with a tender pinch of my cheek. "Now get your butt in there and smile nice and pretty."
Trey takes a seat, then he pulls me onto his lap as if it's second nature. As if I hadn't heard the T's whispering when his mom handed me the pajamas. As if I wasn't aware his girlfriend of four years was never included in their card.
"Uncle Trey and Briar are in love," Molly announces right as the first flash flickers from the tripod across the room. Heat creeps up my neck. "She's moving here."
Collective gasps sound out, and the chatter ticks up a notch. My head snaps back to meet his green eyes rolling to the ceiling.
Before myself or Trey can get a word in edgewise, she confirms it. "Yup!"
It's blatantly obvious she'd somehow snuck in, or around, the workshop while we were out there.
