The Tangled Web | Peter Parker

Chapter 31

The morning arrived sooner than I had hoped. I'll admit, I wasn't looking forward to certain parts of today. Mostly those involving my mother's attendance at Thanksgiving dinner. But the other part of me was curious about how events with Eddie and Peter would unravel. They haven't interacted much since the day of Captain Stacy's funeral. Every now and then, one would ask about the other, wanting updates on how things were going.

Tonight, my two worlds would finally collide. Peter and Eddie would be forced into the same room and have no choice but to interact with one another. I was hesitant to say I was hopeful the two would become friends. This voice in the back of my head wouldn't stop screaming this was a terrible idea that would only end in heartbreak. I tried my best to ignore it, but it continued to pester my thoughts, leaving me with little satisfaction.

May had started preparing the meal before I woke up. Peter and I had stayed up late discussing things we had let go unsaid for far too long. We spent most of the night talking about Ben, laughing and crying as we exchanged stories. I tried to bring up Gwen and Captain Stacy's death, but Peter wasn't ready to dive into that just yet.

I was exhausted and running on mostly fumes today, but I was determined to muscle through the day for May's sake. Today was the first major holiday we were celebrating since his death. I knew it wouldn't be easy.

May was either holding it together surprisingly well or was on the verge of a breakdown. By the time I was showered and ready for the day, she had already begun prepping the turkey and had sent Peter to the nearest corner bodega to pick up some last-minute ingredients before the store closed for the day.

It was nearing late afternoon by the time Peter came home. May and I were sweating as we ran around the kitchen, tending to the side dishes and desserts. Peter appeared to be out of breath as he burst through the backdoor, holding up a bag of groceries in his hands.

"Finally," May exclaimed, shaking her head. She lifted her hand to her forehead, wiping a bead of sweat that was forming. "Did you get the lemons and carrots like I asked?"

"Yeah," Peter gasped, nodding his head furiously.

I narrowed my eyes, noticing a bruise forming at the bottom of his jaw. What have you been up to? I lifted an eyebrow and continued rolling out the pie crust I had spent the better part of an hour making.

Peter inhaled sharply as if he knew I was staring at him. He ducked his head to the side, not allowing me a second glance at his injury as he walked across the kitchen. He set the bag down in front of May and gave her a toothy grin. "How can I help?" he exhaled, leaning on the counter.

There was a knock at the door, which caused May's eyes to grow wide. She shook her head, waving her hand over her shoulder as she made her way to the front of the house. "Just make yourself useful and start peeling some potatoes," she grumbled as she wiped her hands on her apron.

"Has she been like this all day?" Peter mumbled, furrowing his eyebrows as he nodded in May's direction.

"For the most part, yeah," I sighed, shaking my head.

"This is a lot of food," Peter noted, turning his head from one end of the kitchen to the other. "Like, a lot of food. Are we going to be able to eat all of this? Who all is coming?"

"Other than the three of us," I grumbled, pushing into the wooden roller as I flattened out the crust, "I think just my mom and Eddie."

"Eddie's coming for dinner?" Peter questioned, tilting his head. He had a playful smile spreading across his face. "Didn't know you two were that serious."

"We aren't," I huffed, throwing a pinch of flour in his direction. "May invited him."

"Hope it's okay that I'm crashing your party, Parker," Eddie frowned as he entered the kitchen.