I Hated You First by Rachel John
Clay
The entire Harwood clan had never been to my house all at once, but that’s what happened. Charlotte arrived in her sedan a few seconds after John and Parker and immediately threw her arms around me and Lauren in a group hug on my lawn.
“I saw this coming, but you’re still both busted for not telling me,” she whispered.
“Sorry,” Lauren whispered back.
Behind us, John was shuffling from one foot to the other. It was only a theory, but I was pretty sure he had called Charlotte hoping for some sympathy, and got an earful and instructions to get everyone over here instead. There were few reasons John ever left work, and I had to imagine Charlotte was one of them.
John cleared his throat. “Connor and Melissa are on their way here. Clay, do you mind if we all come inside and talk with you?”
Melissa and Connor were coming, too? Lauren’s fingers, which were laced with mine, gave a little squeeze.
“Yeah, sure. Come in.” I led the way, grabbing my laptop and socks off the couch before motioning for them to sit.
Lauren and I sat across from the three of them on the love seat, and thus began a really, really awkward pause where no one wanted to look at each other, except for Charlotte, who had nothing to be ashamed of.
Parker looked like he was ready to jump ship. I knew him. He wanted to apologize, but not with an audience, and not with this audience. So, I did him a favor. While John and Charlotte started up small talk about how nice my house was, you know, for a bachelor who’d bought a tiny fixer-upper, I texted Parker.
Clay: I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Lauren.
Parker pulled out his phone and frowned at my message before typing out a response.
Parker: I’m sorry I told John. That was low. And also assuming you had some sinister motive for dating her.
Clay: No motives. I promise. As it is, I’ve been holding back for years.
Parker’s head came up, and he gave me a look of pure long-suffering.
Parker: No explanation needed. Or wanted. Ever.
Clay: Fair enough.
Lauren caught on to our conversation, and pulled out her own phone. A few seconds later, she’d put us in a group thread.
Lauren: You two made nice yet?
Parker: None of your business. Stay out of this, bossy pants.
Clay: Hey now. Only I get to call her that.
Lauren: <laugh emoji>
Parker: <Puke emoji>
John studied the three of us and our phones. “Are you texting each other? You’re all right here in the same room.”
Parker rolled his eyes. “Go ahead and insert your millennial joke.”
John sighed and said nothing, looking out of his element. Every few seconds, his eyes flitted to Lauren’s hand on my knee, and once again, I wondered how much of a disappointment I was compared to the mythical perfect man he’d picked out for her, one who wasn’t supposed to show up for another five years or so.
But I didn’t fear the future anymore. We’d figure it out, one awkward conversation at a time.
Connor and Melissa, with Jax and Raelyn in tow, finally came through the door, taking the kitchen table chairs and dragging them over to us in the living room. They had fast-food bags, and a diaper bag, and basically looked like they were on hour fourteen of a long car trip, instead of a short jaunt across town. Jax, a little sweaty and sleepy, was placed in my arms. I patted his back and smiled at him, getting a goofy smile in return. This. This little guy and the spitfire sitting next to me made me feel like everything was going to be okay.
Connor glanced around. “Is anyone working today? My extended lunch break has to end at some point, so let’s make this quick. No offense, Clay. You two have my blessing. I’ve been telling Melissa for years it was gonna happen.”
Melissa looked rightly annoyed. “No, you said it had already happened, and they’ve been secretly on and off for years. And I said if that was the case I’d be able to tell.”
All eyes turned to us to settle the debate.
“Nope, this is new,” Lauren said, holding up our joined hands.
Melissa clapped. “That’s right. Mama’s getting a full body massage tonight.”
Connor groaned right along with the rest of us, but the look of fake outrage he gave Melissa fooled exactly no one. Sometimes they were worse than John and Charlotte with their flirting.
Parker, who’d clearly had all the secondary romance he could stand, chucked the couch pillow he’d been hugging at Connor, and several things happened at once. Parker’s bad aim meant Raelyn got a pillow to the face and dropped her soda—her orange soda that exploded all over her dress, her chair, Melissa next to her, and my carpet. And then there was the screaming. Lots of screaming.