In Case You Didn't Know

Chapter 45

The yellow cab has long disappeared down the street when I finally take a step towards the cobblestone path, the otherwise lively bushes lining it covered in white. There is a big, shiny wreath bow decorating the dark-wood door.

I hesitate to ring the bell, and Nathaniel's grip tightens around my hand. "We still can go back."

"It's fine." I give him a reassuring smile, trying to ignore my rising heartbeat when I hear footsteps approaching the door.

My mother's face illuminates as a light bulb when she sees us standing on her doorstep.

"You are here." We have come a long way in the past few years, but it still feels odd whenever she pulls me into her arms, hard against her chest, her hand stroking the back of my head –like right now. "I thought you were flying in last night."

"We were, but our flight was cancelled because of the storm." Nathaniel had to physically coax me out of bed this morning. We spent at least four hours at the airport last night; our flight kept being delayed just for it to be cancelled at the end. We managed to get onto the next one...at 6AM.

"Nathaniel, welcome, thanks for accepting our invitation."

"Thanks for having us, ma'am." He bows his head politely, and tries to smile.

"Please, call me Eloise."

"Thanks, Eloise."

"Well don't stay standing there, you are going to catch pneumonia." Grabbing our carry-on luggage, we follow her inside the house.

"Where is dad?"

"He's out in the backyard getting wood. I'll let him know that you are here."

It comes not as a surprise to see the house so overly decorated. My parents are not the type of people that host big parties very often, but when they do, they make sure to pour money down the drain.

"This place is...big." Nathaniel examines his surrounding, raising his eyebrows at the crystal branched chandelier, the old-fashioned wood fireplace, and finally the intricate design of the split staircase.

"I'll give you the tour later." I take off my jacket and place it on the armrest of the sofa. "Right now, I want to show you my bedroom." I clasp his fingers with mine, pulling him towards the stairs. I wiggle my eyebrows at him, and his face taints a good amount of red before he chases me up and down the hall.

⚜⚜⚜

"So it's not a family thing, per se?" His brow furrows a notch. I stand up from the ottoman and walk where he is, leaning against the makeup vanity.

"Yeah, it's just that there's...a lot of family coming." Abigail warned me about this. I didn't explicitly told Nathaniel what my parents meant with 'party', but it's New Year's...it was expected, right?

"Damn, Alex."

"You're going to be with me all the time, it's going to be fine."

"I wish you could have told me."

"I didn't want you to worry." I was already freaking out for both of us. And it's not like all of the Bronx is coming tonight, just, like, all six of my dad's siblings, my mom's sister, my cousins, their friends from work, you know, the usual.

"Sorry."

"It's fine." I reach a hand towards him but he fends off, clasping my fingers with his instead in a gentle but firm grip, the pad of his thumb brushing against my knuckles "The more the merrier."