Antagonym

Chapter 17

"If it isn't Danielle Riley, all grown up," the boisterous voice of Sylvia and Finn's best friend joked as he walked into the house in his black winter coat and dockers, his four year old daughter, Olivia, on his hip and his seven year old son, Colby, walking next to him.

I rolled my eyes at Jason with a smile on my face while his wife, Al, walked through the front door with their five year old daughter, Jessica. Al had been Finn's friend since freshman year of high school, becoming one of Sylvia's best friends senior year when she moved to Groton. The couple met Jason at Olympic trials that same year and competed alongside their teammate for two stints in the Olympics. Jason and Al met each other through Sylvia and Finn, staying close to the couple throughout the years.

In the summer their college and high school friends always got together for picnics. I loved that they were all friends, especially since their Olympic and college friends like their goalie, Rob, and their attack player, Jason, ended up being good friends with their high school friends like Jameson, Al, and Sam.

"Like you didn't see me a month ago," I retorted while bringing the tall Korean in for a hug. I leaned in and whispered in his ear in response to the software engineers sarcasm, "jackass."

I gave the ever so short Al a hug next, towering over her in a pair of heels. "Merry Christmas, Al."

"You too, Danny," She cheerfully responded.

Seb greeted Jason with bro handshake as always, the two of them bonding over our past holidays together, including Thanksgiving. "So are you part of the Riley family yet?" Jason joked suggestively, playing with his jet black eyebrows like an idiot. I punched him in the shoulder while Seb shivered in disgust.

When my roommate wiped the cringe off his face, it morphed into a conniving one. "Between us she's already got a man," Sebastian said not too quietly while elbowing Jason. I raised an eyebrow in question, already knowing where this was most likely going.

"Do tell. I need to now who to beat up," Jason gossiped. Like my brother, he too was still in remarkable shape for his age. The habits of an athlete never wear off, even after retirement. Jason was living proof of that.

"Admittedly, that might be a little hard. He's got muscles the size of Everest. He's a law student, a wealthy family, good at sports. He's even Middle Eastern," Seb told Jason while I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

"You know what that means," Jason joked.

"Mixed race babies are superior," Sebastian sing-songed jokingly. "Though mini you might be a fucking atrocity."

I frowned, crossing my arms over my chest pointedly while rolling my eyes. "He isn't my boyfriend. We're friends. That's it."

"Sure he isn't. That's what they all say," Al teased, glancing in the direction of the kitchen where Sylvia and Finn were exiting. Finn cocked an eyebrow, automatically knowing Al was talking about him and or his wife.

"Gossiping so soon, Mrs. Malfoy?" He drawled sarcastically before hugging her and doing the same with Jason. Sylvia was a hugger too, but she was much more a a squeezer than my brother.

"You know it, Riley. Your sister's trying to tell us her and that hot ass new hockey player are just friends."

"Hey!" Jason yelped. "I'll pretend not to be offended my wife is drooling over someone eighteen years younger than me infront of my face."

"What?" Al asked defensively, raising her hands to her shoulders height. "You just hit the big four-oh. I'm still thirty six. I gotta keep myself entertained." Like Finn and Sylvia and despite his retirement, Jason was in tip top shape, ready to rival any college kid, so his wife had no qualms about teasing him a little. He was a good looking man, after all.

"Then keep her away from Danny's new toy," Sebastian joked while picking up Colby and throwing the yelping seven year old over his shoulder. The black haired child laughed and pounded on Sebastian's muscular back while my best friend lightly threw the boy on the couch. Jason laughed while Al rolled her eyes.

"I like my son in tact, Williams."

"And I like my grades to be passing ones but we can't always get what we want," Sebastian hollered over his shoulder, his voice carrying back to us in the atrium.

I scoffed at his attitude, liking back at Jason and Al. "He has a perfect gpa, by the way."

"Hence why I keep asking him when he's going to be officially part of the family," Jason pinched my shoulder while walking past me with a boisterous laugh bubbling off his lips.

It felt good to be with family, or as close to family as I could get. It was safe around them. Like everything that made life shitty disappeared leaving behind only the best parts. I wished it could be like this every day, but sadly that wasn't reality. But even the dark shadows of the real world managed to seep their way into my escape to paradise. Those shadows manifested themselves when Finn was pouring glasses of wine at dinner. Sylvia was busy laughing with her father and Ace, but ever she glanced at me with her kind eyes as if to say 'it's okay'.

Admittedly, it made me more aggravated then it should have. Being treated like a child who couldn't make choices for themselves wasn't fun, but wasn't that what I was? I couldn't make sound, reasonable decisions. So maybe I did deserve to be treated like a child by encouraging looks, reassuring me that I could do the thing I wanted to. In all honesty, I couldn't think of one good choice I had made in months.

I slept with my captain and I almost tried to kill myself. What part of that is supposed to make me feel like a responsible adult? Hint: none of it.

And as Finn looked across the table at me questioning, asking if I wanted a glass, I felt the pressure of Sebastian's knowing gaze on me. Today had been wonderful but this was a moment that was unavoidable. No one else would notice, but it would stick with me. I couldn't even tell if Sebastian was supporting me or telling me not to, all I knew was his intense brown gaze was fixated on my face.

I shook my head slowly, omitting the innocent offer. Seb cast me a newly supportive look before taking his own glass from Finn's hand and passing me a wine glass of sparkling water. I smiled kindly and took the cool crystal in my hand. And when I clicked my glass against Seb's and he wished me a 'Merry Christmas', I knew I was just making this a bigger deal then I needed to.

I was surrounded by people I love and that's all that mattered.